Over the weekend, I was accused by a left-wing blogger of profiting off of what he calls "fear-mongering." I found this to be a very entertaining accusation considering that Barack Obama has used fear-mongering to push every agenda item since his first day in office.
With each passing day, Obama finds a new "crisis" in which the only "solution" is higher taxes, less individual freedom, and more government control. His latest, of course, is ObamaScare -- his radical health care plan that continues to fall in the polls. Rather than believing in the American spirit, he hopes to crush it, and in its place, leave a country that is more in line with Europe than the America in which we were raised. So, tell me, who is the one making a living off of fear-mongering?
In a post by left-wing blogger John Medaille, the prime target of his writing is me. I guess I should be honored that I am the subject of a column, but it amazes me that he talks about the politics of fear without noting that Obama and company are at the head of the class.
One of the more interesting "advertisers" on A Prairie Home Companion is the "Fear-Monger's Shop," catering to all your phobia needs. Garrison Keillor is of course satirizing what commercial advertisers have long known: that our fears are stronger than our loves when it comes to our purchases. Fear of losing our looks, of appearing unfashionable, of getting old, of life itself, leads us to spend a great deal on objects of questionable utility, while constantly throwing away objects that are perfectly serviceable. Love may make the world go round, but fear keeps the economy humming.
Long before the commercial world discovered it, politicians grasped instinctively the value of fear in selling themselves and creating political dependency. This is especially important in an electoral democracy, where keeping your supporters loyal is often a matter of demonizing the alternative. The road to power is paved with phobias, and even positive terms like "hope" and "change" really refer to darker fears that we hope will change.
Medaille then goes on to talk about the Internet, and the success of GOPUSA:
"I am in absolute awe of Eberle's achievement. Within a few years, he moved from obscurity to being a power broker." He believes that GOPUSA works because people are motivated by fear, and he notes that "if there is a Democratic equivalent of this, I haven't seen it."
First of all, let me say that with Barack Obama in the White House and the Democrats in control of Congress, I AM fearful. I'm fearful of what they can do to the country before we have a chance to turn things around. When I write about a policy, I look at what it will do to the country. If it's good, I write about it. If it's bad, I write about it.
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