The Politics of Fear

[doni_georgia]

They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin

Today I was listening to the Neil Boortz show while driving around Atlanta. He has completely lost all reason he might once have had over this latest beheading in Iraq. He presented hypothetic scenario after hypothetical scenario intent on scaring the hell out of his listeners. "What if terrorists here in the states start kidnapping women and children and threatening to chop off their heads unless the American public elects John Kerry?" Was one such hysterical scenario. "What if you are at work one Thursday and learn that New York has been hit with a nuclear bomb by a terrorist group?" Was another. He was completely out of his mind with fear and hatred. He even turned on his own beloved Libertarian Party for not supporting invading Iran if they do not comply with our demands.

Fear is nothing new to American politics. We have always had an evil Boogey Man who enters the political discourse. Whether it is the black male, communists, immigrants, or terrorists, America has a long history of using fear to manipulate the masses. At the end of the Cold War, many people breathed a sigh of relief. But that pause was brief. How can politicians get the people to do what they want us to do without a Jason or a Freddy to fear? Fear is a drug in America - we are addicted to it.

After 9/11, Bush seemed destined for a second term. America was united in its hatred and fear. I remember the signs popping up all throughout my small suburban town: "We Support the President," "God Bless America," "American Owned and Operated," and the most hateful one at a nail salon nextdoor to my Korean hairdresser: "All Our Technicians are American Born!"

Like any other drug, people soon build a tolerance to fear. We adjust. We modify our lives and we keep going. Eventually, after 9/11, we got on with our lives. We resumed travel and shopping. We began to notice domestic problems that had been out of our focus. We adjusted to this drug and we were no longer in a stupor. Periodically the government has upped the dosage to get us back in control - but each hit was short lived. Now it seems some in the media are pulling out all stops - the hell with small dosages of fear, what we need is an intravenous feed. Keep the fear coming until the people can no longer stand. This is what I heard on the Boortz show today, and it sickened me.

I began this post with a quote from Benjamin Franklin. I immediately thought of it as I listened to Boortz declare that America is facing a barbaric horde - a barbaric horde called Islam. He warned that America is facing the same fate as the Roman Empire. I have to concur that America as we know it is in danger, but the danger we face from without does not compare to the danger we face from within. We are at a crossroads. Do we allow fear to rule us so that we would be willing to give up our freedoms and rights guaranteed by our Constitution? Is an America without these liberties an America at all? America has enemies, and terrorism is a threat to the entire world. But the greatest threat in America today are those who for a moment's comfort will surrender their liberties. IF allow fear to be our sovereign, this government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall perish from this earth.

[doni_georgia]

1. Shamelessly kicking my own post

[drthais]

2. never never listen to these people

it gives one high blood pressure
which is bad for you
and they are only preaching to the choir anyway

while driving to North Louisiana (yuck)last week
I turned to AM talk radio
and I heard this:

"THERE'S A LOT OF INBREEDING, YOU KNOW.....
AND YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN TELL IF SOMEBODY IS INBRED????!!!
...THEY REALLY LIKE OIL PAINTING!"

and they weren't joking, either
all of them are off the deep end

[doni_georgia]

3. I know - I only listen when I am driving in Atlanta -

Only the AM stations give regular traffic reports (and all the AM stations that do traffic have on right wing talk shows), and if you have ever driven in Atlanta, you know that traffic reports are a MUST for navigating.

[RubyDuby in GA]

9. I hear ya...

Another native here and these people are crazy. The last couple of Monday nights, I've been listening to that station for the show, the Royal Treatment, because they've had the US Senate candidates on. That guy is a nutcase and the callers calling in scare the crap out of me. Why can't they just move to Texas or something (sorry Texas liberals)? I want my state back!

[Worst Username Ever]

4. I love that quote

which is why I use it in my sig line. Actually, I beleive there is evidence that Al Queda would rather have Bush in the white house, he has helped them with recruiting like nothing else in history.

[porphyrian]

5. The easiest way to unite a diverse group...

...is against a common enemy, even if it has to be invented.

The corporatization of America has produced a country of good consumers - intellectually lazy, easily convinced by "authority" (4 out of 5 doctors agree), materialistic and generally ignorant of anything that doesn't directly effect our lives. Anyone in doubt need only look at the effectiveness of advertising as evidenced by the amount of money poured into the industry by those whose primary (maybe only) goal is to increase the value of their company's stock. It makes sense that a group of corrupt businessmen would try to combine these two factors in an attempt to manipulate the masses for their own profit.

[TexasSissy]

6. We already have people in U.S. who kidnap women & children

and kill them. There are even beheadings from time to time (either before or after death). Doesn't Boortz read the news?

Maybe what he's worried about is that it'll spread to the likes of him.

[democratreformed]

8. Right you are

We have all manner of vile criminals in our midst. But, instead of focusing on our problems here at home, we had to go and stick our nose in where it didn't belong.

[doni_georgia]

10. Exactly

You nailed that right on the head!

[elf]

7. Excellent as always, doni

:hi: