Addicted to Fear - Cowardice Has Become the Source of Republican Power

[chomerics]

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/10/30/gop-is-addicted-to-fear/

The Republican Party’s macho bluster and apparently endless appetite for war makes it seem counter-intuitive to think of them as cowards. And yet, seven years into the Bush regime, it is clear that the GOP has become dependent on fear to keep itself in power — an addiction which has caused the party leadership to convert its rank and file members into America’s first generation of bona fide yellow-bellied cowards.

During the first six years of the Bush presidency, when the GOP controlled the Congress as well as the White House, the conservative movement reveal its true self, exposing nakedly what many observers have always known about the rightwing: People who hate government are incapable of governing. Their pretensions that they were the party of family values, lower spending and anti-corruption have all been exposed as lies. Now the only arrow in their quivers for keeping the faithful in line and getting themselves elected is the politics of fear.

Nearly every day, a subtle and not-so-subtle message of fear — about terrorists, Muslims, Iran, whatever works — is transmitted from the bully pulpit of the White House press room podium to the Republican Party’s house organ and willing accomplices at Fox News, down to rightwing talk radio where it is disseminated to rank and file conservatives who eat it up like ravenous dogs.

The Republican culture of fear was born out of the 9/11 attacks — which we are told, “changed everything” because they were an “attack on America.” But when the World Trade Center was bombed in February 1993 by rightwing Islamic terrorists very like the ones who took the towers down eight years years later, no one suggested that our response to this “attack on America” should be invading and occupying Iraq.

The Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta July 1996 was an “attack on America” — albeit by an American rightwing Christian fundamentalist terrorist. But no one suggested that we should eavesdrop on Americans and torture prisoners as a result.

The Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995, this time by another group of homegrown rightwing terrorists, was certainly an “attack on America” — in particular on a federal building and specifically targeting agents of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. No one suggested shredding the Constitution as a result.

For most of the century after the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan, a rightwing, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant terrorist group, attacked and killed Americans with guns and bombs. But during the first nine decades or so of these attacks, hardly anyone seemed to mind very much, except of course for those who were the targets of the KKK’s bullets and bombs.

Across the globe, millions of people endure terror attacks without cowering under their beds. The Israelis have lived with terrorism since at least the 1970s — as have the Syrians, Lebanese, Saudis and others in the Middle East. The British stood stalwart against attacks by Irish separatists for generations. In just the past decade, terrorists have attacked in Colombia, Russia, China, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Pakistan, Latvia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Chechnya, Spain, Finland and on and on.

Only in the Bush era has it become acceptable for Americans to cower in fear at the same threat that others in the world face with courage or at least equanimity. Among democracies, only does the United States government deliberately encourage and inflame cowardice among its citizens.

Just a decade and a half ago, Americans shouldered on every day in the shadow of a much greater national threat than Islamic terrorists will ever pose. Here’s how Gen. Wesley Clark described it on Bill Maher’s HBO show last Friday:

This nation lived for 40 years under the threat of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. Six thousand nuclear warheads [aimed at] every American city — would have destroyed … life in America.

Osama bin Ladin and these people — they’re crazy and they’re nuts. Maybe they want to kill Americans but they are not an existential threat to America. And they are no reason for Americans to give up their freedom and their liberty.

Other than fear so intense it has shut down rational thought — which is the definition of cowardice — what could explain the Republicans’ willingness to be duped by Bush’s lies in the run-up to war: that Saddam, the secularist who was on Al Qaeda’s kill list, was part of the 9/11 conspiracy; that he had nuclear capabilities; that he might load drones onto ships and launch them at the U.S. off the Atlantic coast?

What could cause such a large group of Americans to take on face value a construct as facile as “We have to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here?” Nothing about our being in Iraq stops terrorists from coming here. Terrorists have maps. They can get plane tickets. They can cross the border on foot. And they can do this while American occupation forces are strapped down in Iraq, dodging bullets in a centuries old war between the Shiites and the Sunnis.

Only people utterly consumed by fear could be fooled by such silliness. It would be laughable if the price in American blood and treasure was not so steep.

Those of us who live in areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods have to learn to cope with fear. Our mantra, in so many words, is “be prepared and hope for the best.”

Most of us don’t think of this rationalization of risk as “bravery” — and, to be sure, our day-to-day moxie is nothing compared to the courage required of troops facing IEDs and insurgents’ bombs in Iraq or cops dodging bullets in American streets.

But, really, our sort of courage is no harder to come by than the courage it took to get up every day and go about life with the knowledge that this could be the day the Soviets will bomb us into oblivion.

This is this mildest form of bravery — the ability to put exposure to risk in perspective and go about life in peace and contentment — that every American, even Republicans, must learn to muster if, gods forbid, terrorism continues to be a part of what life holds for us here in the States.

Unfortunately, because of the policies and actions of George W. Bush — enabled and supported by the fear he has fomented among his supporters — the likelihood that terrorism will remain a fact of life in America is greater now than it would have been if Bush had not been president on September 11, 2001.

[chomerics]

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2007/10/30/gop-is-addicted-to-fear/

The Republican Party’s macho bluster and apparently endless appetite for war makes it seem counter-intuitive to think of them as cowards. And yet, seven years into the Bush regime, it is clear that the GOP has become dependent on fear to keep itself in power — an addiction which has caused the party leadership to convert its rank and file members into America’s first generation of bona fide yellow-bellied cowards.

During the first six years of the Bush presidency, when the GOP controlled the Congress as well as the White House, the conservative movement reveal its true self, exposing nakedly what many observers have always known about the rightwing: People who hate government are incapable of governing. Their pretensions that they were the party of family values, lower spending and anti-corruption have all been exposed as lies. Now the only arrow in their quivers for keeping the faithful in line and getting themselves elected is the politics of fear.

Nearly every day, a subtle and not-so-subtle message of fear — about terrorists, Muslims, Iran, whatever works — is transmitted from the bully pulpit of the White House press room podium to the Republican Party’s house organ and willing accomplices at Fox News, down to rightwing talk radio where it is disseminated to rank and file conservatives who eat it up like ravenous dogs.

The Republican culture of fear was born out of the 9/11 attacks — which we are told, “changed everything” because they were an “attack on America.” But when the World Trade Center was bombed in February 1993 by rightwing Islamic terrorists very like the ones who took the towers down eight years years later, no one suggested that our response to this “attack on America” should be invading and occupying Iraq.

The Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta July 1996 was an “attack on America” — albeit by an American rightwing Christian fundamentalist terrorist. But no one suggested that we should eavesdrop on Americans and torture prisoners as a result.

The Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995, this time by another group of homegrown rightwing terrorists, was certainly an “attack on America” — in particular on a federal building and specifically targeting agents of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. No one suggested shredding the Constitution as a result.

For most of the century after the Civil War, the Ku Klux Klan, a rightwing, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant terrorist group, attacked and killed Americans with guns and bombs. But during the first nine decades or so of these attacks, hardly anyone seemed to mind very much, except of course for those who were the targets of the KKK’s bullets and bombs.

Across the globe, millions of people endure terror attacks without cowering under their beds. The Israelis have lived with terrorism since at least the 1970s — as have the Syrians, Lebanese, Saudis and others in the Middle East. The British stood stalwart against attacks by Irish separatists for generations. In just the past decade, terrorists have attacked in Colombia, Russia, China, Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Pakistan, Latvia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Chechnya, Spain, Finland and on and on.

Only in the Bush era has it become acceptable for Americans to cower in fear at the same threat that others in the world face with courage or at least equanimity. Among democracies, only does the United States government deliberately encourage and inflame cowardice among its citizens.

Just a decade and a half ago, Americans shouldered on every day in the shadow of a much greater national threat than Islamic terrorists will ever pose. Here’s how Gen. Wesley Clark described it on Bill Maher’s HBO show last Friday:

This nation lived for 40 years under the threat of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. Six thousand nuclear warheads [aimed at] every American city — would have destroyed … life in America.

Osama bin Ladin and these people — they’re crazy and they’re nuts. Maybe they want to kill Americans but they are not an existential threat to America. And they are no reason for Americans to give up their freedom and their liberty.

Other than fear so intense it has shut down rational thought — which is the definition of cowardice — what could explain the Republicans’ willingness to be duped by Bush’s lies in the run-up to war: that Saddam, the secularist who was on Al Qaeda’s kill list, was part of the 9/11 conspiracy; that he had nuclear capabilities; that he might load drones onto ships and launch them at the U.S. off the Atlantic coast?

What could cause such a large group of Americans to take on face value a construct as facile as “We have to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them here?” Nothing about our being in Iraq stops terrorists from coming here. Terrorists have maps. They can get plane tickets. They can cross the border on foot. And they can do this while American occupation forces are strapped down in Iraq, dodging bullets in a centuries old war between the Shiites and the Sunnis.

Only people utterly consumed by fear could be fooled by such silliness. It would be laughable if the price in American blood and treasure was not so steep.

Those of us who live in areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods have to learn to cope with fear. Our mantra, in so many words, is “be prepared and hope for the best.”

Most of us don’t think of this rationalization of risk as “bravery” — and, to be sure, our day-to-day moxie is nothing compared to the courage required of troops facing IEDs and insurgents’ bombs in Iraq or cops dodging bullets in American streets.

But, really, our sort of courage is no harder to come by than the courage it took to get up every day and go about life with the knowledge that this could be the day the Soviets will bomb us into oblivion.

This is this mildest form of bravery — the ability to put exposure to risk in perspective and go about life in peace and contentment — that every American, even Republicans, must learn to muster if, gods forbid, terrorism continues to be a part of what life holds for us here in the States.

Unfortunately, because of the policies and actions of George W. Bush — enabled and supported by the fear he has fomented among his supporters — the likelihood that terrorism will remain a fact of life in America is greater now than it would have been if Bush had not been president on September 11, 2001.

[mojobo]

:munchout:

[mojobo]

:munchout:

[Spaceman Spiff]

[Spaceman Spiff]

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Is there a smiley emoticon for "well-said."

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Is there a smiley emoticon for "well-said."

[SkinsHokieFan]

What in the hell is the Pensito Review? I guess I'll start posting absurd things about Al Gore's fearmongering with global warming movies from websites such as townhall.com

Figured you were better then that

[SkinsHokieFan]

What in the hell is the Pensito Review? I guess I'll start posting absurd things about Al Gore's fearmongering with global warming movies from websites such as townhall.com

Figured you were better then that

[81artmonk]

:rotflmao:

I'm glad that the democrats in congress are working hard at getting ALOT DONE!! It would be a shame if they had power and dind't do anything PRODUCTIVE with it.

[81artmonk]

:rotflmao:

I'm glad that the democrats in congress are working hard at getting ALOT DONE!! It would be a shame if they had power and dind't do anything PRODUCTIVE with it.

[portisizzle]

"it is clear that the GOP has become dependent on fear to keep itself in power "

Democratic line.....

"THEY WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK IF THEY GET ELECTED"

Chrome, keep on sucking up those liberal media talking points. :applause:

[portisizzle]

"it is clear that the GOP has become dependent on fear to keep itself in power "

Democratic line.....

"THEY WILL TAKE AWAY YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK IF THEY GET ELECTED"

Chrome, keep on sucking up those liberal media talking points. :applause:

[portisizzle]

Figured you were better then that

No you didn't.

[portisizzle]

Figured you were better then that

No you didn't.

[Destino]

I'm not familiar with the source but that article absolutely rocks. It's no secret the right wing has turned into a bunch of chicken ****s scared of their own damn shadow and utterly ruled by fear. Fear that mexicans will somehow destroy their culture. Fear that Al Qaeda can do what the USSR couldn't for no reason other then some chickenhawk said our nation was at risk. Fear that the nation isn't Christian enough. Fear that giving health care to poor people will lead us to tyranny.

They are afraid of everything and being lead around by their noses by their "leaders" who remind them of these boogymen everytime they sense the herd growing restless.

[Destino]

I'm not familiar with the source but that article absolutely rocks. It's no secret the right wing has turned into a bunch of chicken ****s scared of their own damn shadow and utterly ruled by fear. Fear that mexicans will somehow destroy their culture. Fear that Al Qaeda can do what the USSR couldn't for no reason other then some chickenhawk said our nation was at risk. Fear that the nation isn't Christian enough. Fear that giving health care to poor people will lead us to tyranny.

They are afraid of everything and being lead around by their noses by their "leaders" who remind them of these boogymen everytime they sense the herd growing restless.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I'm not familiar with the source but that article absolutely rocks. It's no secret the right wing has turned into a bunch of chicken ****s scared of their own damn shadow and utterly ruled by fear. Fear that mexicans will somehow destroy their culture. Fear that Al Qaeda can do what the USSR couldn't for no reason other then some chickenhawk said our nation was at risk. Fear that the nation isn't Christian enough. Fear that giving health care to poor people will lead us to tyranny.

They are afraid of everything and being lead around by their noses by their "leaders" who remind them of these boogymen everytime they sense the herd growing restless.

You could easily argue the other side Des

Fear that global warming will destroy us all and is soley our fault

Fear that the rich are out to eat you alive

Fear that immigrants from Mexico will sink the cost of labor and bust unions

Fear that R's will take away your social security and every safety net possible

Fear that R's will abolish abortion

Fear that corporations, the CIA, and the United States military are out to screw you

Fear that the religious right wants a theocratic nation

Fear that because some guy makes 1,000,000 times more then you do, the world will end

Fear that schools that compete will destroy public education

As a result, we must regulate each business, cut military and CIA funding, tax the rich and re-distribute wealth, sign on to bull**** treaties such as Kyoto that are rejected 99-0 by our Senate, and continue to increase minimum wage and fund every single entitlement that anyone can think of. How do you think we have so many stupid ass over funded programs in Washington DC?

Its all a bunch of crap from both sides. You just have to look in between the lines.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I'm not familiar with the source but that article absolutely rocks. It's no secret the right wing has turned into a bunch of chicken ****s scared of their own damn shadow and utterly ruled by fear. Fear that mexicans will somehow destroy their culture. Fear that Al Qaeda can do what the USSR couldn't for no reason other then some chickenhawk said our nation was at risk. Fear that the nation isn't Christian enough. Fear that giving health care to poor people will lead us to tyranny.

They are afraid of everything and being lead around by their noses by their "leaders" who remind them of these boogymen everytime they sense the herd growing restless.

You could easily argue the other side Des

Fear that global warming will destroy us all and is soley our fault

Fear that the rich are out to eat you alive

Fear that immigrants from Mexico will sink the cost of labor and bust unions

Fear that R's will take away your social security and every safety net possible

Fear that R's will abolish abortion

Fear that corporations, the CIA, and the United States military are out to screw you

Fear that the religious right wants a theocratic nation

Fear that because some guy makes 1,000,000 times more then you do, the world will end

Fear that schools that compete will destroy public education

As a result, we must regulate each business, cut military and CIA funding, tax the rich and re-distribute wealth, sign on to bull**** treaties such as Kyoto that are rejected 99-0 by our Senate, and continue to increase minimum wage and fund every single entitlement that anyone can think of. How do you think we have so many stupid ass over funded programs in Washington DC?

Its all a bunch of crap from both sides. You just have to look in between the lines.

[Kilmer17]

That's so rich.

The party that created the politics of fear is now accusing the GOP of using it?

Anyone else watch the realtime with Wes? Great stuff about how women in the Muslim world actually LIKE being oppressed.

[Kilmer17]

That's so rich.

The party that created the politics of fear is now accusing the GOP of using it?

Anyone else watch the realtime with Wes? Great stuff about how women in the Muslim world actually LIKE being oppressed.

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Just remember ladies and gentlemen, "It's not paranoia if they really ARE out to get you."

I would suggest that the Republican Party, while over-reacting to certain threats and under-reacting to others has a much better way of dealing with the potential threats to this country and our culture/way of life than the Democrats who seem to be willing to give up anything and everything from our sovreignty to our money and our culture to apease those out there who don't like or threaten this country.

Personally my prefered method of dealing with all of it would be to withdraw inside our borders, put out the "Solicitors and Tresspassers will be shot. Surviviors will be shot again." sign and call it a day.

[Mass_SkinsFan]

Just remember ladies and gentlemen, "It's not paranoia if they really ARE out to get you."

I would suggest that the Republican Party, while over-reacting to certain threats and under-reacting to others has a much better way of dealing with the potential threats to this country and our culture/way of life than the Democrats who seem to be willing to give up anything and everything from our sovreignty to our money and our culture to apease those out there who don't like or threaten this country.

Personally my prefered method of dealing with all of it would be to withdraw inside our borders, put out the "Solicitors and Tresspassers will be shot. Surviviors will be shot again." sign and call it a day.

[Larry]

Attack the source: Check.