|
The Fear Factor
By Nancy Greggs
In the aftermath of the events of September 11th, the president, his administration, and their supporters immediately set about destroying the unity that event had fostered among the citizenry, as they mapped out an agenda of controlling the population through fear.
Divisiveness was all-important, as Americans divided one against the other are more malleable than a country that stands united in sentiment and sense of purpose. Within a matter of weeks after 9-11, the machinations that would pit citizen against citizen were well underway, and the attendant paranoia set the stage for what followed.
The Patriot Act, which deprived the populace of basic rights and freedoms, was Step One. And thanks to the mindless, lock-step, rubber-stamp mentality of the Republicans in office, it was a fait accompli long before anyone had a chance to assess its ramifications.
As we now all know, the invasion of Iraq was the real goal, and was set before an unsuspecting public as a ‘quick fix’ to the problem: Hussein was behind the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and his dramatic ousting from power would ensure that another such assault on our country would never happen again – or so we were led to believe. As for his then-alleged partner-in-crime, Osama Bin Laden, he would soon meet his destiny ‘dead or alive’; smoked out of his cave, dragged to justice in irons, forced to face the wrath of a violated nation and an angry world.
Five years later, the outcome of Hussein’s trial and his ultimate fate are of little interest to Americans, especially in light of the fact that we, as a nation, have now caused more deaths in Iraq than Saddam currently stands accused of, and the fact that his torture and rape rooms have been resurrected under the auspices of the United States (aka ‘The Liberators’). At the same time, the search for Bin Laden has been relegated the same priority level as the search for Amelia Earhart.
In the midst of all of this, the Republicans and their Idiot-in-Chief have trotted out the Fear Card at every opportunity; you must FEAR those WMDs in Iraq that never existed, FEAR the Muslim terrorist whose every waking thought is your destruction, FEAR the dirty-bomber in your neighborhood, FEAR a group of homeless men in Miami who are about the take down major buildings in American cities, FEAR the mother in the airplane seat next to yours who attempted to bring baby formula on board.
In the past few months, with a twist of irony befitting O Henry, the GOP have had their own lies and hypocrisy twisted around their necks time and again, an ever-tightening noose that has wrung the breath out of their alleged Christianity, honesty, family values and moral rectitude at every turn.
And now the Fear Card looms its ugly head, but not in the way they had planned nor imagined.
American voters are no longer intimidated by Bin Laden or Hussein, nor any other boogeyman the desperate Republicans still attempt to drag out of the dark shadows into the spotlight, paraded under the banner: “Be afraid, be VERY afraid”.
The US citizenry has now focused on other fears that are more real than a cave-dwelling phantom who apparently spends his days producing videotaped infomercials, to be released at the very moment the administration needs a good scare-‘em to death distraction.
They FEAR the loss of their own freedoms, their own rights as citizens, and the whittling away of the Constitution that binds them as free people.
They FEAR the continuing disrespect – nay, the outright hatred – now directed at a once-proud nation by people around the world.
They FEAR the waning of support from its country’s traditional allies, due to this administration’s arrogance, incompetence, and inability to tell the truth.
They FEAR the influence that corporations have with their lawmakers, and the fact that extreme religious organizations have too much sway over policy-making in exchange for voter loyalty.
They FEAR the outsourcing of their jobs, the loss of their shot at the American dream, the notion that a medical emergency can leave them destitute.
They FEAR that a natural disaster like a hurricane can wipe out their homes, their communities, and their way of life in a matter of hours, with no hope of recovery.
They FEAR that a son, a daughter, a neighbor, a friend, can be caught up in a baseless accusation and imprisoned without legal recourse.
They FEAR that the condoning of the use of torture is just another step towards gulags, concentration camps, and a government bent on the destruction of the time-honored freedoms their country was founded upon.
They FEAR that their children will inherit a country steeped in debt, and a world destined for environmental disaster. They FEAR that their voices go unheard, and their votes go uncounted.
In short, this administration’s tone of FEAR has now, along with its other mis-steps, come back not merely to haunt it, but to rally a nation to unite once again in its desire to render the fear-mongers inoperable.
It was once said that there is nothing to fear but fear itself – a concept now lost on the fear-brokers who tremble in the wake of what they have created.
With all of the scare tactics the GOP have taken every opportunity to wield like a sword over the heads of our countrymen, how fitting that there is now nothing more fearful in the minds of a vast majority of Americans than the thought of a Republican being re-elected to office.
Heck of a job, GOP. Heck of a job. But all is not lost. There's always the chance that your beloved president will drape a Medal of Freedom around your neck on your way to political oblivion.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
