Politics of Fear

The recently passed legislation that allows the NSA to listen in on conversations without court order -- see the LA Times editorial -- legislation that saw a number of leading Democrats caving in to pressure so that they don't look soft on terror -- is part of an ongoing "politics of fear."

Why did George Bush win in 2004? The best answer is fear. He suggested that if John Kerry were elected president we'd be less safe from whatever attackers might come our way. That message is still a favorite one on the GOP side. In fact, it's the only reason why Rudy Giuliani has done so well among conservative Republicans. And too often Democrats fall into the trap as well. Fear has always been a political mainstay -- especially during times of transition, like today. People are afraid of a lot of things -- crime (support for the death penalty and 3 strikes laws emerge from this), terrorism, immigration (the reason why the immigration bill failed to pass), and on and on we go. Fear is the basis of bigotry and contributes to our acquiescence to saber rattlers.

There is, of course, another path to take. We can say no to fear and commit ourselves to making the world a better place to live in. But, of course, that's a more difficult path to take.

As for me -- I prefer a politics of hope over a politics of fear. That isn't in my mind a state of denial, it's actually quite practical. Fear keeps us from doing what's needed, hope ignites action!