Thread: Scare Tactics

As stated by George Thorogood:



When Japan attacked the United States by surprise in the opening salvo of their bid for oil supremacy in Asia, the great Franklin D. Roosevelt shored up the morale and will of the American people with the now familiar phrase: “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” With that as a rallying cry, America went on to defend our shores and restore freedom and democracy to a war torn Europe and Asia. How unlike the claxon of fear that has been sounded by the Bush administration after our latest Pearl Harbor, the 9-11 attack. What words were we shored up with? “Our enemies intend to attack us again. But go about your business… be vigilant; keep buying things.” The contrast is so blatant: Roosevelt urged us not to fear, Bush seems to cultivate fear, while urging us to keep the economy strong by constant consumption.

In fact, the politics of fear have been so ably used by the current administration that one might come to the conclusion that their employment was a deliberate tactic aimed at stampeding the American people along a course they seem to have chosen well before the attack itself—a course primarily aimed at securing vital oil and gas resources under the guise of a “War on Terror.” Looking back at events since 9-11, one cannot help but see how fear has been used time and time again to further this agenda.