Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Posted: 1 July 2011 Filed under: Civil Rights, Observations, Politics, Society | Tags: Fear Card, Political Games, Political Tactics, Postaday2011, Terrorism 9 Comments »I have been writing about the use of fear as a political weapon for some time now…how it can be used to win elections, even the presidency…..and how it used to keep the American people ignorant of facts….look at the current economic slowdown….here in the US we are told by pundits that if we do not cut taxes then we could be the next Greece…..that could possibly be true, but NO one knows for sure….however it is used to get concessions on the political road……
The “Dark” I have in my title is the tactic of terror….and this is also a tool for political gain….from economic policy to foreign policy…..but what is all this use of “fear” and “terror” doing to the American public? What is it doing to the world?
Indeed, politicians have known for thousands of years that playing the fear card gives them more power and makes their subjects more compliant:
“This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.”
- Plato“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”
- U.S. President James Madison“Terrorism is the best political weapon for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death”.
- Adolph Hitler“Why of course the people don’t want war … But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship … Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
- Hermann Goering, Nazi leader.“The easiest way to gain control of a population is to carry out acts of terror. [The public] will clamor for such laws if their personal security is threatened”.
- Josef Stalin
But do we have cause to be afraid?
National Safety Council notes:
– You are 17,600 times more likely to die from heart disease than from a terrorist attack
– You are 12,571 times more likely to die from cancer than from a terrorist attack
– You are 11,000 times more likely to die in an airplane accident than from a terrorist plot involving an airplane
– You are 1048 times more likely to die from a car accident than from a terrorist attack
–You are 404 times more likely to die in a fall than from a terrorist attack
– You are 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack
– You are 13 times more likely to die in a railway accident than from a terrorist attack
–You are 12 times more likely to die from accidental suffocation in bed than from a terrorist attack
–You are 9 times more likely to choke to death on your own vomit than die in a terrorist attack
–You are 8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist
–You are 8 times more likely to die from accidental electrocution than from a terrorist attack
– You are 6 times more likely to die from hot weather than from a terrorist attack
With all that said…..we Americans are still afraid of the dark and anytime someone tries to dissuade people from their fear, then they labelled and condemned….ignorance is fear’s best friend! For fear cannot exist without ignorance……….therefore ignorance must be cultivated for fear to live on.
Personally, I refuse to succumb to fear and will definite NOT let ignorance win the day……but then…I can read a book!
Fear Makes One Dumb
Posted: 2 November 2010 Filed under: Business, Economics, Elections, Government, Observations, Political Theory, Society | Tags: Fear Card 2 Comments »College of Political Knowledge
Subject: 2010 Election Series #10
Just what are the American afraid of? That the Dems will turn to country more left? That the Repubs are gonna screw old people? Fear of an ever expanding deficit? Or maybe it is the national debt? Just what are they afraid of anyway?
First of all, YOU voted these idiots into office and you can throw them out! So what is there to be afraid of?
Instead of fearing the president or the social security or health care or ……I could continue on and on….we Americans are afraid of a lot of things….not that we would ever admit it….but we are and have been for many years…..
First, we should be afraid of the political system….a system it is NOT working and has been broke for many years……politicians spend ALL their time fund raising and campaign and not in the business of the country…..it shows and shows badly…our beloved country is slipping away into the realm of the “also rans”….no one side is exempt…….no one side is exempt….they all play political games with the lives of their countrymen….
Then there is special interests…..our politicians owe their allegiance to corporations or people or industries….and guess what? The Tea Party owes much to wealthy individuals for their support to gain a bigger foothold in Congress and their debt will be paid and at the expense of middle America.
There is NO truth out there in the campaign ad world…there is lies and misinformation, but very little truth…..and the American voter does not seem to care about this….they get angry and vote people out and then they do not get their way and pout again and again and again…..they become the innocuous ‘independent’ voter…..
So yes…American voters have much to be truly afraid of…..but very little of it is anything to do with what comes out of the mouths of their politicians and representatives……what they need is to worry about the next generation and just how sh*tty it will be….they need to worry that for the first time in a very long time the US could very well be out of the prominence that it once had in the world of nations….the American voter, in its stupidity, is killing any chance of a bright future for their children and grandchildren….
Fear makes one stupid! Fear gives one tunnel vision! Fear eliminates rational thought!
As you go vote today….choose well, my friend……but keep in mind what and who you are voting for…..your choice will not be as attractive a year from now as it was today….
Adlai Stevenson summed it up very well…..
The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal – that you can gather votes like box tops – is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process.
Sharia Law Cometh
Posted: 22 October 2010 Filed under: Civil Rights, Government, Observations, Politics, Society | Tags: Fear Card, Muslim, Muslim Law, Neo-conservatism, State Constitution 6 Comments »From the VOMITORIUM
I recently wrote about the possibility that birth control pills could be illegal in Colorado if a certain ballot initiative passes on November 2…….and we have seen that the Arizona law did a lot stopping just in time before they made it illegal to be Hispanic….I am sure that there are other referendums that the voter will be asked to decide on election….but this one has me stumped…..
The newest lunatic suggestion is beyond idiotic….I realize that Americans quake in the shoes when they hear the word Muslim….but PLEASE!
From the halls of the political system in Oklahoma an initiative for the people to decide…..sate question #755…..
This measure amends the State Constitution. It changes a section that deals with the courts of this state. It would amend Article 7, Section 1. It makes courts rely on federal and state law when deciding cases. It forbids courts from considering or using international law. It forbids courts from considering or using Sharia Law.
Forbids the use of Sharia Law……is this a big problem here in the US? Are judges making rulings based on Sharia Law instead of the Constitution?
Do any of you slow thinking people even know what Sharia Law is? Let me help a bit……
- Sharia Law is described as “a religious code for living, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians.”
- Sharia Law cites “Haram” offenses that carry punishments for those who commit them.
- Offenses include pre-marital sex, adulter, alcohol intake, theft, robbery, etc.
- Sharia Law has been adopted across various countries.
- Sharia Law is intended to be applied to only Muslims.
The key for you mental midgets is the last point in the series….the Law is intended to apply to Muslims ONLY…….therefore it is virtually impossible for it to be applied to anything in the US…..Let me know if you have a problem understand that complexity….
Are these people slow or just plain stupid? I realize that they are afraid of their own shadow when it comes to anything Muslim…..but really…..give this kind of waste of time and effort a rest…..
Here Comes The “Fear” Card (Again)
Posted: 4 March 2010 Filed under: News, Politics | Tags: Fear Card, Political Tactics, Propaganda, Republican National Committee, Republicans 7 Comments »Once again the RNC will use the “fear” card as a draw for fund raising….they were outed by a dummie that left the material behind in a hotel room and it came into the hands of Politico…….
The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to “save the country from trending toward socialism.”
The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how “ego-driven” wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and “tchochkes.”
The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.
In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party’s donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.
The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.
Once again the RNC and those who buy into this form of propaganda are NOT working in the best interests of the country….yes, Bush was a caricature many times….that does not make it right and I do not seem to recall those same caricatures used as a fund raising tool……this is just wrong on so many levels…and of course, no one contacted in the RNC knew anything about this smear campaign…..
It is a childish attempt to scare the living Hell outta the base……but maybe that type of immaturity plays well with conservatives…..after all they do HATE intellectuals or anyone with half a brain….
And The Constitution Says—-
Posted: 19 November 2009 Filed under: Government, News, Observations | Tags: Civil Rights, Conservatives, Constitutional Law, Fear Card, Justice, Political Circus, Political Theater, Terrorists, US Constitution 12 Comments »Daily Agitator
The right has been standing on the Constitution for decades especially where guns and abortion are concerned….they have used it to fight health reform….or to question the birth of a president….but these people, and I use the term loosely…..only use the Constitution when it is for their case against an issue…otherwise they could care less about the document…..
For instance, the 2nd amendment freaks that are so concerned with gun ownership…anything that remotely sounds like gun control and the yells go out that the Constitution is being violated by those in favor of the control…..
Next, we come to the “tenthers”, those on the Right that use the 10th amendment to oppose anything from health care to ….well pick a topic…..the Constitution is the first thing that they point to and use it for all it is worth…
And then we have those MORONS that use the Constitution, Article 2, section 1, to oppose a duly elected president as Not being a natural born citizen….
All in all…the Right has used the document so many times that it loses some of its effect in any argument….
With all that said…you are wondering just what I am getting to as a conclusion to my bitch, right?
It all boils down to the moving and trials of the suspected “terrorists” in New York City. There are many that are pissing and moaning about the move and the trials…most notably, America’s mayor, Guiliani.
“What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the War on Terror from their point of view is over,” Giuliani said. “(Mohammad) should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war.”
His statement is nothing but a political game….he just wants his face kept in front of the cameras….this type of game playing should be a crime……no matter who plays it!
Just about everybody has an opinion on this story….mostly it is in opposition of these people standing trial in the US. Most notable is FOX News, whose “news” people are jumping up and down in opposition….some even look like they are having a stroke….but there is a precedent for these trials!
REALLY! I bet you are on the edge of your chairs to see what that precedent will be, right?
I am looking at this as a pure legal matter…we all know what we, individually, believe about these people….so what is my precedent?
So simple! The same document that is used to oppose issues…THE CONSTITUTION!
Amendment 6 – Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Ratified 12/15/1791.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
See! How tough was that? A lot simpler than you thought, eh? If all reps have a pocket copy of the US Constitution, then maybe they should read it…..before they open their mouths. The scary part for me is that the American people buy into the BS of the Constitutionality of an issue…..why? They have not read it either.
If you read the amendment….it does not stipulate that it applies to natural born citizens….it says ALL CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS……..if the 2nd amendment should be followed as written, then so should the 6th.
I have said this on numerous posts….if you want to stand on the Constitution, then go all in or all out……either the Constitution applies to every issue or none…..there is no in between…..ALL IN OR ALL OUT!
A Visit To The Doctor
Posted: 1 September 2009 Filed under: Government, Health Care, News, Observations, Politics | Tags: Fear Card, Health Issues, Ignorance, Pandering, Political Lies 1 Comment »I recently had to journey to the office of my doctor for onbe of my month consultations and after the pain of the examination he and I were talking about health care…..he knew that I was a political theorist and analyst and we had an interesting talk……we covered a lot of the same stuff that one normally hears daily on the tube….but then he mentioned illegal aliens getting free heath care…he mentioned the possibility of end of life decisions made by government ……I finally had to stop him and ask just where he was getting his info…..he left the room and in awhile returned with a copy of an email that was making its way around the health care offices……I had to leave but told him I would read it and we could talk later.
I got to my house and after a day or so I got to reading the four page email that my doctor had given me. After reading about half of the arguments the email presented I ythought some points sounded familiar, so I did some surfing and fond I was correct.
The mail present one point,:
Sec 1233 Pg 429 lines 10-12 states: “advanced acre consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans–AN ORDER FROM GOVT.
I thought that particular one sounded familiar and I found that an email from Liberty Counsel, a subsidiary of Liberty University, A Falwell creation and in that mail I found….you guessed it…
Sec. 1233 Pg 429 Lines 10-12: “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans–AN ORDER FROM GOVT.
That is not exactly what the section or the lines say….remember they are saying lines 10-12:
line 10–professional ( as specified by the Secretary and who
line 11:–is acting in the scope of the professional’s au-
line 12–thority under state law in signing such a order, in-
There you go the exact wording of the lines quoted in several right wing emails….but do not take my word for it….go to http://www.house.gov and look up HR 3200 and scroll down to section 1233 on page 429 lines 10-12 and read them for yourself….as I have said DO NOT take my word for it…….or anyone’s word for it…check their sources and FIND the truth for yourself.
Yep, it was word for word on both of the papers I had….but the scary part, at least for me, is that a rational medical person would believe and pass on the lies that are being used by the Right in their fight against health reform.
FEAR To Sell A Magazine
Posted: 25 May 2009 Filed under: Business, News, Observations, Society | Tags: Conservatives, Fear Card, War On Terror Leave a comment »Holy crap! Do these people know no bounds?
I recently saw an ad on the tube for NewsMax magazine. A law enforcement officer in his little uniform was saying that the terror alert was at elevated and that terrorist were still a danger to the US. If you order NewsMax magazine you will receive a world band radio so that you can keep up with what is happening in the anti-terror world. (Of course, you have to pay the shipping and handling.)
Once the conservs are throwing the fear card at the American people and that if you subscribe to the magazine and get you free (?) radio that you will be fighting the terrorists that are waiting at the carwash to blow up your luxury SUV.
Am I the only one getting really tired of these people trying to scare the crap out of the gullible part of the population? Yes, Yes…there are some baddies out there waiting and watching, but I think that the FBI, ATF, CIA, yada yada is more than capable of handling the situation.
Apparently FEAR is good business…money to be made and manure to be spread.
GOP Strategy For November
Posted: 6 June 2008 Filed under: News, Politics | Tags: Fear Card, GOP, McCain, National Security, War On Terror Leave a comment »The Republican Party and its presidential candidate Senator John McCain are preparing to wage their 2008 campaign on the same essential issue that the Republicans have used to contest the last three national elections: terror.
This is scarcely surprising, as the so-called “global war on terrorism” and the events of September 11, 2001 have provided the essential ideological framework for virtually all of the Bush administration’s policies for nearly seven years. It is a framework that the ostensible political opposition, the Democratic Party, has accepted, voting to fund wars of aggression abroad and approve domestic spying and the curtailment of democratic rights at home.
With widespread predictions that the Republicans face a devastating defeat at the polls in November, the attempt to breathe new life into this campaign to terrorize the American public with the supposedly ubiquitous threat of terrorism is assuming an increasingly desperate character.
Appearing Monday before AIPAC, the largest US pro-Israel lobby, Senator McCain managed to mention terror, terrorism or terrorists 15 times in his brief speech. He recycled the old pretexts for war against Iraq—the supposed danger posed by a regime with “weapons of mass destruction” and terrorist ties—to justify a policy of aggression against Iran.
At the same time, he invoked the threat of terror as an argument for continuing the five-year-old war and occupation of Iraq. A US withdrawal, he claimed, would create a “terrorist sanctuary” that “would profoundly affect the security of the United States.”
The drumbeat over terrorism has a very definite purpose. The 2008 elections are being held under conditions of bitter divisions within the US ruling elite itself over the future of American policy. Sharp opposition has emerged within ruling circles to a continuation of the course set by the Bush administration, particularly in the Middle East. This finds its political expression in the groundswell of support for Democrat Barack Obama both in the foreign policy establishment and on Wall Street.
JUst when you thought it was safe to listen to the candidates–but if that is all you have why not use it?
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