Not Giving in to Fear

Last night I was watching some old cold war footage from the 50s. The language in the old newscasts and government films was disturbingly familiar. Three cheers for the good old USA, the freest, more prosperous, best place to live in the world. (perhaps true in the 50s, more debatable now.) Then plenty of fear mongering over the godless Communists who wanted to take it all away.

Now there were some real threats out there; that's aways true. However, the fear laden rhetoric was aimed directly at the emotions. No appeals to any brain function higher than the brain stem allowed. The main emotion appealed to was fear.

People who spoke out against the government were attacked. The argument went something like this. The United States is the freest country in the world. Unlike in those other places, you've got free speech. How dare you criticize the government. So . . . shut up because you've got free speech?

Yeah, that was 50s. They'd never try to motivate us by fear today, right? They'd never do something like trump up rumors of something like a terrorist attack. It'd be just plain evil to use fear to get people to give up their rights. In our enlightened age, our beloved leaders would never use the National Security Bogeyman to manipulate the population.

Right.

the self appointed so called elite believe it's their right and duty to manipulate the common man, using fear and emotion as their tools. Is anyone surprised that we've been lied to? Looking at old video from the 50s it's easy to see the hysteria, exaggeration and out right lies. Why can't we look at the evening news and recognize the same thing as it's happening?

I, for one, refuse to be manipulated by fear. I don't care who does it. Heck, the only reason I don't belong to the NRA is the way they recruit. They pick a piece of proposed legislation, put it in the worse possible light, then use it as a recruiting tool. They go: look at such and such, they are taking away your rights; join the NRA and give money. I'm glad they are aren't the only ones supporting the Second Amendment.

Fear is used to motivate us all the time. Fear is used to keep us in harness. Do everything the boss says or you'll be out of work, homeless and starving in the street. Work until you are 72 or you won't have enough money to retire on. Buy life insurance or your family will starve.

I'm really sick of it. Shouldn't we all have had enough? Judging from past experience? Every time someone wants you to do something, ask yourself if they are using fear to manipulate you.

Then ask yourself why they want you to feel instead of think?

-Sixbears