Why the Fear Factor has Vanished From Among Us

[Land Shark]

Why the Fear Factor has Vanished From Among Us

(originally posted as a letter to the editor by Paul Lehto ([e-mail]) at Salon, 11/22/05 in response to "America's Tipping Point" found at <http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2005/11/22/engelhardt/> and reprinted here in full with permission of the author.)

In 2005, the ground situation in Iraq has not made a quantum leap to match the sea change in public opinion that has moved against the war, although the worsening ground situation has no doubt contributed to public opinion shifts.

But the thing that has indeed made a quantum leap during 2005 is the dual lens through which middle America is forced to view the administration now: This dual lens can not forget and must focus on Iraq and at the same time also can not forget and must focus on the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

In Iraq, the Bush administration executed with shock and awe the optional and pre-emptive invasion of another country *regardless* of law, world opinion or political consequence, because this country called Iraq *might* be a *future* threat to American security. The invasion made clear that for the Bush administration, no law, rule of war or consideration of diplomacy would stop the might of America from doing the right thing in Iraq.

In contrast, with Katrina, the Bush administration failed to execute (to our shock and awe) a desperately needed invasion of bottled water and aid into an American city under the most *definite* and *present* threat to American security imaginable. The Bush administration then claimed as a primary reason for its failure to timely assist the people of New Orleans a lack of *permission* or a lack of "invitation" to do so, even though had the Governor of Louisiana in fact actually objected to such federal aid, a federal FEMA preemptive "invasion" of New Orleans with such aid designed to roll past the supposedly objecting Governor would have posed no political consequence to the Bush administration whatsoever, but would in fact have been seen as heroic and greeted with all of the flowers, candies and gratitude an entire Nation could muster.

Though I credit Mr. Engelhardt's essay and agree completely with its conclusion, I nevertheless disagree that the tension between terrorism policy and Iraq policy has driven the loss of fear in the American public. Instead, we've taken a big casualty hit deep in the heart of America, we've lost untold thousands of lives right here in America together with an entire American city called New Orleans, and now we've realized that we have nothing to fear but the fear-mongers themselves.

For more on the mission not accomplished I heartily recommend this pamphlet, written in the spirit of Thomas Paine's Common Sense:

<http://missionnotaccomplished.us/WTPv17n.pdf>

[autorank]

1. What's left to fear when the threats are so dire and pervasive?

Right, we lost an entire city, the people dispersed to a variety of locations without any real support or "right of return." It was only a few days after the failed levees compromised an entire city that the wealthy class started talking about a new New Orleans, with less "black people." Then Denny Hastert said, maybe we wont even rebuild it at all.

If they can destroy our cities, repopulate them with a "preferred demographic" or simply sow salt in a farewell forever, what do we have to fear?

Three more years, that's my main fear.

It's time to go, "Say good night George and Dick."

The pamphlet is superb, click on the link and enjoy a real Thanks Giving.

Great post. RECOMMENDED.

[Febble]

3. I wrote my fear

on September 7th and hoped it wouldn't come true:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/7/84026/80348

I'm still hoping.

[Land Shark]

5. Yes, as you write "a city is its people" so what will New Orleans be?

Politically as a national issue, N.O. won't die because (though for a few brief days the overwhelming consensus was "don't rebuild") if the Dutch can do it, we can do it....

What we will see is the comeback of New Orleans as a piece of real estate rather than as a true city of people, as a corporation you might think of as New Orleans, Inc.; It is the Disneyification of a living culture and people into a dead shadow essence repackaged for profit, killed off and allowed to stay dead in the name of making it live forever and in the name of a commitment, discussed and reified in the halls of Congress, to the "never say die" spirit of America.

We'd bring the people back, but for some dang reason FEMA just never bothered to really track 'em all that well, you know?

[Febble]

6. I know

it makes me weep.

[Wilms]

2. I opposed the war before it was cool.

Maybe it was Katrina. Maybe it was Cindy. Maybe it was the price of gas for their SUV.

What makes Americans tick? What ticks them off? What wakens them from their slumber? And how fast will they go back to sleep? And how much is it their ignorance that permits a transparent criminal cabal to loot the main street in broad daylight?

I don't think * won either presidential election. But I'm sure that despite that, a lot of people did vote for him. Too many. And a lot of congress members "authorized" his Iraq adventure. Again, too many.

But a lot of Democrats DIDN'T. They don't have to claim, now, that they were misled (be it on WMD's or the idea that you could redecorate Iraq, or both) because they knew better, and voted against invasion.

So what are they, and we who knew better supposed to say, now? "So glad that opposition to the war is in vogue this holiday season."?


I've got a neighbor who said United States was "the only country where people are free". I called out the names of a few other nations like a glass of water slapped in the face of a drunk who nodded off. She knew better except for the trance she was in.

There's a lot of people with blood on their hands.

[Land Shark]

4. Under the old-fashioned Anglo-American law system, a trance is a defense

because the person doesn't know what they are doing, but under the newer and very intolerant system, there is as you point out the "blood on their hands" problem. Precious few do that on purpose, they just end up that way because of various trances. Strategically though, who wants to wake up out of a trance only to be a defendant at a capital trial?

[Joe Chi Minh]

22. I've got a neighbor who said United States was "the only

country where people are free". I called out the names of a few other nations like a glass of water slapped in the face of a drunk who nodded off. She knew better except for the trance she was in.

Very funny, but kind of scary, too.

[Land Shark]

23. Interesting new book call "They Thought they were Free"

it's about WWII GErmany and how there was never a clearcut point at which it was all clear that NOW was the time to oppose..... that's how the slippery slope went. At all times, the regime we think of as among the most oppressive in world history thought they too, were free.

[Joe Chi Minh]

24. Amazing, isn't it, Land Shark? As long as people think

they are in the box seat with the leaders, they'll blind themselves to reality. The problem for Bushco is only the simplest souls can believe that now; and the wickedest, who are in the box seat and remain so, for as long he is. And that doesn't look as if it's going to be long - with some of them falling from grace before him.

[Land Shark]

25. If you're riding in the passenger seat, or even "shotgun" then ....

"he may be an SOB but he's OUR SOB". Then you get dumped by the SOB and it comes as a shock....

[Joe Chi Minh]

26. Absolutely.

[Land Shark]

28. Yup.

One word posts. Now we're gettin' down to basic "male" communication. I trust I guessed right. I didn't double check your profile, if it's even disclosed.

[Joe Chi Minh]

29. I'm male, if that's what you mean. And even if it's not!

It's funny you should have brought the topic up though, as I've just thrown away a clipping from a daily paper with the following story.
parenthetically, you may or may not know that there are features of our NHS that are distinctly Third-World n their nature.

Apparently, an elderly construction worker woke up in a mixed ward, after a gastric operation, and hearing the elderly women in the ward gibbbering away to each other, after a while couldn't take any more, so pulled out a tube or two, got out of bed, got dressed, staggered out of the hospital and went home. When the hospital realised what had happened, the police were asked to look for him. He was found by them sitting in front of his fire with a cup of cocoa. He said he must still have been a little under the influence of the anaesthetic. A gentleman and a diplomat.

[Land Shark]

30. Interesting how we tolerate Third World conditions thinking them the best

[Joe Chi Minh]

31. That was the great thing about Catch 22. Nothing Heller could

think up could ever match the reality of what the "Great and the Good" has since dream up for this sorry world of ours.

But there was Yossarian in a world still as crazy as a kite, and though his maverick antics seemed crazy on the prosaic day-to-day level (which, we absolutely have to be reconciled and resigned to, or we'd go mad), yet it was in fact he who was the only sane one in his whole flight or squadron - Major Major having resolved to gain medals at the risk of their lives!

[Land Shark]

32. Presently those who attempt to gather and argue evidence rationally

that the 2004 election was stolen are derided by those who take that result on the pure faith of a report of pure results --- on the grounds that those gathering the evidence are being 'irrational' nad/or 'conspiracists'.

[Joe Chi Minh]

35. To the irrational, it would seem irrational wouldn't it?

On the other hand, paradoxically, "conspiracist" is like "paranoiac"; no reason why a perfect simulacrum of paranoia should not be based on the very plain and obvious truth that the eponymous individual is indeed a victim of persecution: a perfectly rational conclusion to reach.

The neocons seem to have an endemic penchant for demonising rational behavior; not just rational behavior, but thoroughly commendable behaviour. Indeed the minimally requisite behavior of decent human beings. So many examples: bleeding heart liberal, tree hugger, and I'm sure many others. The implicitly pejorative imputation of a neocon's scornful burbling should always be questioned and exposed for the pitiful lunacy it will be.

[Time for change]

7. The comparison between the invasion of Iraq and the lack of intervention

in New Orleans is most appropriate. It's hard to imagine our country being in worse hands than it is now.

[Land Shark]

8. Obviously, I thought the contrast quite marked as well. thanks TFC

[whatever4]

20. And, at a more dangerous time in history for us to be in those hands nm

[Al-CIAda]

9. Bravo, thanks for posting. n/t

[Land Shark]

10. Thanks for reading my stuff (it was easy to get "permission of author") nt

[Al-CIAda]

27. kick!

[Peace Patriot]

11. 58% of the American people opposed the Iraq war BEFORE the invasion.

I'll never forget that stat. It was burned into my memory. Feb. '03. 58%!

63% of the American people oppose torture "UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES." May '04.

These stats have to include some Republicans. These are big numbers--in fact, overwhelming majorities.

I think the American people are in truth quite savvy, good at reading between the lines, well informed, progressive, and hate Bush & Co.. But they have been disempowered and, above all, DISENFRANCHISED. They are not in a trance. They are demoralized and many feel helpless to change things. One thing they are not savvy about--because it happened too recently, and under the radar--is how their votes are now being counted and by whom. (--by RIGHTWING BUSHITE corporations, Diebold and ES&S, using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code in the new electronic voting systems, and then, in addition, with the war profiteering corporate news monopolies acting as one and ALTERING their own exit polls, on election night, to FIT the results of Diebold's and ES&S's secret formulae).

There is a difference between what Americans really think--their opinions, beliefs and ethical bottom lines--and what the war profiteering corporate news monopolies portray them as believing and want them to believe about themselves. Call these "reality" and "reality-2": real reality (what Americans really think) vs. corporate reality (illusion/delusion, propaganda, Rovian "talking points).

We often get them mixed up. Because the corporate news monopolies decide to turn their spotlight on something doesn't make it THEN real. It was real all along. But they make it seem as if THEY create what is real. And even the smartest among us sometimes fall for this illusion.

That's what they did on election night. They told us Bush won, and suppressed major evidence to the contrary, creating the ILLUSION of a "surprising" Bush win. The facts to the contrary--and there are many--fell outside of their spotlight, and thus became "not real."

"Reality-2" is most definitely at work on many important matters, but it does not create real reality, nor does it accurately reflect what people really think. People go on thinking what they think--in truth mostly NOT influenced by this propaganda--but the impact comes in what people think that OTHER people think, and in making the dissenting thinkers (most people) feel isolated, alone and in the minority, feeling powerless, helpless and depressed, and further sometimes feeling that everyone else has gone nuts.

I object to those who call the American people "sheeple," and this recent language about them suddenly awakening, or having been in a trance.

I do think there is a discontinuity occurring--a big discrepancy between reality and corporate news monopoly illusion-spinning--which Americans are having a great deal of trouble reconciling. ("If it's not 'in the news,' it can't be real.") But I don't think most Americans are stupid, in a trance, uncaring, uninformed, or "sheeple." I think they can't figure out WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG--where did their country go? what happened to their democracy? how can our government be torturing people? how could it tell us a 100% pack of lies about this war? how can it be outing a CIA agent for political revenge? how can it be IGNORING hurricane victims and LETTING THEM DIE? what happened to conservative talk about DEFICIT SPENDING? how could the vice president's company be getting billion dollar, no-bid contracts? how can such an idiot be president?

They are not asleep. They are MYSTIFIED--PUZZLED, BAFFLED. They can't reconcile "reality" and 'reality-2."

The miracle is that the propaganda hasn't worked. When you look at the issue polls over the last couple of years, you find an amazing, overwhelming disagreement between people and president, on every issue, way up in the 60% to 70% range. You name it. The Iraq war. Torture. The deficit. Social Security. Women's rights. Rightwing views are a distinct minority--30% to 40% of those polled. Progressive views utterly overwhelm them--despite the relentless propaganda and fearmongering. Americans have been subjected to the most intense, clever propaganda campaign in the history of the world--and yet they are holding fast to their desire for peace and for diplomatic solutions, their abhorrence of torture and other unlawfulness, their belief in social progress, their desire for good government. So, where does this PERCEPTION that Americans have somehow turned into fascists and warmongers come from? It comes from "reality-2": from the highly selective, narrowly focused, corporate news monopoly spotlight on rightwing views, to the exclusion of almost all other viewpoints.

And some of these polls are actually corporate news monopoly polls, so, just as with the exit polls on election day, they are deliberately ignoring their own information, in order to create the illusion that they want to create--that best serves their profit margin or their fascist political goals.

The trance that needs to be broken is not any enchantment with Bush, or with war. There is, and never has been, any such enchantment (except for a very brief period, a matter of weeks, just after 9/11). The trance is that most people think OTHER people are enchanted with Bush and with war--deluded, nuts, inexplicably stupid; sheeple. They feel very alone in their progressive views, because those views are not reflected in the news media, even though they are the views that most people hold.

I've read numerous anecdotes of progressives having a conversation with some rightwinger that sends them into despair, thinking all is lost. It gets funny sometimes. How easily we are discouraged! But the trouble is that they go from reading news reports or opinions, or watching/listening to the same in broadcast media, that are severely skewed toward rightwing, fascist views, then, when those views seem to be confirmed by someone they talk to, they screen out (from their consciousness) everyone else they talk to, or live with, or work with, and all other information, and become depressed, because of this random contact with one rightwinger, who repeats all the garbage that HE has been fed. A self-feeding spiral of despair occurs--amidst a dim view of other Americans.

IF there were an adequate political dialogue, with a wider spectrum of opinions, occurring within the news media, this despair would not occur. The individual would be able to place this conversation with the rightwinger in context, as a minority opinion, which it, indeed, is. But he can't gain that perspective, because his own views--majority opinion--is almost nowhere reflected in "reality-2."

So, instead of talking to the vast majority of people who would agree with him about the war, or about torture, or about Halliburton--and instead of consulting with them about how to get our country back--he wastes his time trying to convince, and falling into despair about, a hardened winger, of the type that will always be with us, and who will never be a member of the majority in this country, and whose views would not be trumpeted in true democratic conditions (without fiddled elections and illusionary "news").

The real struggle (the trance to be broken) is with the members of the MAJORITY who believe themselves to be in the minority--and are also in despair. They need to know that the great majority of Americans have ALWAYS been against this war, have ALWAYS opposed torture, overwhelmingly despise Bush and every one of his policies, tried to vote him out of office, were thwarted, and now need to get together and figure out how to restore democracy in this country. They need to break their enchantment by corporate monopoly news and what it is telling them about what other people believe.

[Peace Patriot]

14. P.S. I do think there is something happening within the war profiteering

corporate news monopolies, and I agree with Wilms that multiple factors are at work, but I don't think that the things that they are suddenly deciding to cover--to put their "reality-2" spotlight on--or the quavering we see in some of their fascist commentators and political columns means that the American people are waking up from a trance. I think it means that they are being forced to spotlight certain things for unavoidable reasons.

For instance, the Katrina horror was so outfront and visible, with Americans plainly dying on screen, in an American city, due to neglect--hard to spin that. And it provided suppressed reporters with a chance to spotlight Bush & Co.'s failures. Then there are the matters of Judith Miller, Bob Novak and Bob Woodward--journalist collusion in crime, coverup and spin. Government/news corporation complicity is getting a bit hard to hide. They need to distance themselves from it, or completely lose credibility and power.

And there's Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald and his prosecution. He left them little room for spin--and in fact directly attacked the spinning, when, in answer to a question about the triviality of his indictment of Libby, replied, "That talking point won't fly." (Gauntlet thrown!)

And the mightily unhappy military and intelligent communities--of which Murtha is a sterling example. All of these things have been evident all along--Bush & Co. incompetence (Katrina) was evident in Iraq from Day One. News monopoly complicity with a war mongering government was also clear from Day One (Miller, Novak, Woodward, et al): the UN weapons inspectors were hung out to dry, right at the beginning; major allies and most of the world opposed us, yet our media kept spinning the lies, for all to see. The Bushites outed a CIA agent and put her and her entire counter-proliferation network at risk of being killed--an act of treason--and internal CIA elements, and Joe Wilson, wouldn't let them hide it. It happened. It was known. But not until Fitzgerald came forward with his first indictment did the corporate news monopolies really have to pay attention. A big Bushite--Libby--was headed for trial, and possibly to jail. And he put Judith Miller in jail for participation in the coverup. That could not be hidden, and has had repercussions in the corporate news organizations; as had Woodward's complicity.

Cindy Sheehan was an odd factor--sort of forgotten (in our corporate news saturated minds). How did that happen? Slow news days? Early warning of things to come? Behind the scenes difficulties over Traitorgate, resulting in early signs of a desire to dump Bush-Cheney? Dunno. Maybe it was just her passion, and her ingenuity (trapping Bush at his ranch), and her plight.

The corporate news monopoly spotlight does not make these things real. It puts them in the dark, or puts them in the light, according to the news monopolies' financial bottom line, and their political goals. And now it's becoming clear that Bush-Cheney is a serious liability for the Republicans, so I think moves are afoot to blame it all on Cheney, dump him out, get a fresh face in there as VP to be run in '08, and for the '06 by-elections, because, despite their control of vote tabulation, they really can't run, and can't 'win' elections, on a 37% approval rating. Nobody would believe it. The whole scam--of electronic voting--would be exposed. They have to LOOK LIKE they are being responsive to public opinion.

Or maybe the powers-that-be are going to go with a War Democrat--to do 'a better war,' as John Kerry's policy seemed to promise. Keep the U.S. military machine in the Middle East forever, but just stop the killing temporarily; calm things down. Get oil from the Kurds and the Shias, and keep a sharp eye on the Sunnis, but let the Kurds and Shias do the dirty work on that, and, when the time is right, pull a 'Gulf of Tonkin' on Iran and/or Syria. Meanwhile, get a U.S. military Draft (which Bush can't do). They also may wish to start pinning some of the blame for Bush's financial and foreign policy disasters on the Democrats, preparatory to a worse fascist coup in '12 (Jeb?). Can't do it without a Dem in the White House. (Look out Hillary, John, Al--whomever they 'select'! Beware!)

None of this has much to do with what the American people really think. They would have elected Howard Dean by a landslide, if they'd had their druthers--and we'd be well out of Iraq and well into investigation of the unaccountable billions 'lost' in that war, and a number of other heavy scandals. They never wanted the Iraq war, hate torture, murder and mass thievery, and don't understand what's happened to their country.

So, I wouldn't expect these temblors we're feeling within the corporate news monopolies and other fascist circles to result in any substantial change--maybe just a bit of relief for a while. Substantial change can only come about when all the votes are counted in transparent elections. Only then will we see peace and justice prevail, and the will of the great progressive American majority implemented.

[Land Shark]

18. R U saying that attacking press complicity creates fairer coverage?

It might.

[Zan_of_Texas]

36. Standing, applauding, Peace Patriot!

Thank you!

[understandinglife]

12. Excellent post, as always. And, thank you for linking to the pamphlet ...

..."We The People ... Have No Clothes" -- which I hope someday soon will be published!

I hope that by helping inform our fellow citizens of how fear and lies were used to ruin much of our Nation's credibility and do deathly harm to both our soldiers and others, they will transform their fear into informed and persistent action.


Peace.

[Amaryllis]

13. kick

[mod mom]

15. Unfortunately the only competency the bu$h administration has shown is in

rigging elections. Even that is abhorrently sloppy to the point is should be obvious.

Thank you Paul not only only your letter, but your commitment to the issue of election reform.

recommended!

[Peace Patriot]

16. Help! I can't get the pamphlet to fully download, just the cover and a

few words of page 1. Is the text itself accessible anywhere (other than as a pdf.)?

[Land Shark]

17. You can PM me and I can email you a pdf is you like

You can also find links on DU here:
<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=401497&mesg_id=401497>

and link from this main webpage here
<http://www.missionnotaccomplished.us/>

[donkeyotay]

19. I think you're right. People do a good job of ignoring Iraq

and the media helps us out, but when Katrina hit it was a new kind of shock and awe, the realization that we are truly on our own. Not just social security, health care, jobs, pensions, etc., but in basic survival. Many thought the "adults" were keeping us safe.

In contrast, with Katrina, the Bush administration failed to execute (to our shock and awe) a desperately needed invasion of bottled water and aid into an American city under the most *definite* and *present* threat to American security imaginable.

[Land Shark]

21. Yes and No. our neighbors will pour out with aid and love as well

if we are hit by Katrina II. The "on our own" part may be with regard to the federal government's aid.

But, given that the * administration wants to make govt so small and ineffectual it can be "drowned in a bathtub" like perhaps Lake Pontchartrain, we should not be surprised by such a dismal performance.

(bathtub metaphor popularized by Grover Norquist, liaison to the * administration with Christian conservative evangelicals and former aid to Newt Gingrich)

[lildreamer316]

33. KICK

'cause it's kick-ass....

[Land Shark]

34. thanks for kick compliment