Is mere FEAR the basis of all EVIL?

[Enraged_Ape]

I know the Bible says that "the love of money is the root of all evil", but isn't "love of money", i.e. greed, just a form of fear? Fear of not having enough money to whisk you gently through any kind of power struggle, health matter, calamity, addiction, or whatever misfortune life might possibly throw at you, at any time? Isn't greed just a hyperfear of being caught "without"?

When I think of the two most evil men on Earth today, Dick Cheney and George Bush, I see the two biggest cowards that ever lived. Bush has a long established history of wimping out in almost every possible area of human endeavor. He won't accept any criticism whatsoever, and he's always relied on his daddy's friends do the clean-up on the many mishaps he's constantly blundered into. He ONLY speaks in front of friendly audiences. He NEVER answers questions that would involve confrontation or the painful truth.

Bush's handler Cheney also has a long history of craven behavior--he of the five deferments and "undisclosed location".

These guys promote fear constantly. They terrorize and control us. This fear turns otherwise good people into apologists and accomplices to the masters' evil. It makes half-way intelligent people vote against what is obviously in their own best interests...again and again and again.

So I ask you, is it FEAR that is to blame? How do we fight it? Most importantly, how do we turn a currently fearful person into a courageous one?

[seabeyond]

1. such a right on kick ass post enraged

yes yes yes i couldnt agree with you more. i see it more in the pathetic. i see bush in fetal position, sucking thumb in such fear

that is what the religion is doing today. so fearful as they talk faith. they have no faith as they fight so hard for it, looking for it, praying for it. it is all about fear

you are right on. thanks

[converted_democrat]

2. I do believe that fear is to blame....

Most by nature "fear" what they do not know. The "knowing" capitalize on that fear, and control the fearful. I think the only way to stop the cycle is to introduce the fearful to their fear. Once most see their "fear" on manageable terms, they stop fearing it.

on edit- left an important word out

[Loonman]

3. Fear is the mind killer

Fear is the little death that brings on total oblivion.

[LisaLynne]

4. I've slowly been coming to this realization.

I think it is. When people act out of blind fear, they do terrible things. In order to make themselves feel less afraid, they will let others do terrible things in their name.

[quinnox]

5. don't think so

I think some people are just evil to the core. Also, I think there are far more evil people running around than Bush and Cheney.

[Enraged_Ape]

12. Don't know many others today who've killed 2,100

American soldiers; murdered untold thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of Iraqi civilians; blown the arms, legs and heads off perhaps thousands of little children; stolen and/or misplaced BILLIONS of American taxpayer dollars; and enriched their own coffers to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars via a war started for bogus reasons.

Even Charlie Manson would have a hard time topping that feat.

[pitohui]

6. no of course not

all sensible people and animals know fear, it is one of our most valuable tools, people w.out fear do not plan for the future nor do they concern themselves w. the consequences of their actions, fear requires the ability to imagine that what comes next won't always be in yr favor

it actually takes more work to be actively evil, if you've ever been close to a sociopath, observe how much effort she expends needlessly stirring the shit

i don't doubt that * and cheney, like all men who have and don't want to lose what they have, know fear, but they are evil because they are greedy sociopaths, not because of fear

[rman]

11. i'm not so sure

fear indeed is a valuable tool, but i think it is "emergency mode" - it is what causes such behaviour as panic. Panic may serve a purpose; blindly running in any direction may well save your life where stopping and thinking may not. But it's kindof a last resort when all else (rationality) fails.
Moreover, what if the state of fear is permanent?

[leftofthedial]

7. fear is to blame for religion

which is the basis for evil.

[Desertrose]

10. No, the basis for evil is fear...

fear of lack. religion is just a way to keep the elites in power. Religion (at the top) has damn little to do with spirituality and way more to do with materiality)

People come in and try to control by the use of fear so that they will not "lack"- be it money, love, food, etc etc.

They believe that if they can control "whatever", they will have "power" which will keep them safe from lack and therefore fear.

Vicious cycle....

[sam sarrha]

8. The BUDDHA said that the sourse of suffering is desire/grasping and ego

[Desertrose]

9. Its not the fear itself- its the people who USE that fear

to their own gain and greed.

Fear is simply an emotion...but those who promote that fear and use every manipulation to keep it fueled and use it to control people to their own advantage...AFAIC...that's the "evil".