Book contents
- Seeing Is Disbelieving
- Seeing Is Disbelieving
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Theory of People’s Factual Beliefs and Credulity in War
- 3 Factual Misperceptions in the US Drone Campaign in Pakistan
- 4 Proximity to the Fighting and the Puncturing of Factual Bias in Iraq
- 5 Truth Discernment and Personal Exposure in the Syrian Civil War
- 6 Understanding and Mitigating the Appeal of Falsehood in Wartime
- Appendix
- References
- Index
3 - Factual Misperceptions in the US Drone Campaign in Pakistan
Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN
- Seeing Is Disbelieving
- Seeing Is Disbelieving
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface and Acknowledgments
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Theory of People’s Factual Beliefs and Credulity in War
- 3 Factual Misperceptions in the US Drone Campaign in Pakistan
- 4 Proximity to the Fighting and the Puncturing of Factual Bias in Iraq
- 5 Truth Discernment and Personal Exposure in the Syrian Civil War
- 6 Understanding and Mitigating the Appeal of Falsehood in Wartime
- Appendix
- References
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines issues of factual misinformation and misperception in the case of the US drone campaign in Pakistan. It first shows that, while the drone campaign is empirically quite precise and targeted, it is largely seen as indiscriminate throughout Pakistani society. In other words, there is a pervasive factual misperception about the nature of the drone strikes in Pakistan. Second, the chapter shows that this misperception is consequential. Notably, it shows that Pakistani perceptions of the inflated civilian casualties associated with the strikes are among the strongest drivers of opposition to them in the country. It also provides evidence suggesting that this anti-drone backlash fuels broader political alienation and violence in Pakistan. Finally, the chapter shows that these misbeliefs about drones (and the reactions they inspire) are not shared by local civilians living within the tribal areas where the incidents occur. In sum, the chapter demonstrates that factual misperceptions about US drone strikes in Northwest Pakistan are generally widespread and consequential in the country, but not in the areas that actually experience the violence.
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- Seeing Is DisbelievingWhy People Believe Misinformation in War, and When They Know Better, pp. 53 - 83Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024