Beware the Users of Fear

If you have been able to stomach the past few weeks, many have not, and have not simply tuned out, you have maybe noticed how the Tea Party Patriots have used fear at every turn to both shut down the government and now are on the verge of bankrupting the nation.

A major fear use is the absolute demonizing of the ACA.  Cruz and partners claim that the ACA will destroy American democracy, socialize the nation, and ruin our children.

Fear, absolute fear, as a motivator is used at every turn.

Fear is very powerful and very easy to use as a motivator.  It is easier than using logic or rational argument.

The next time, which should be almost immediately, just slow down  and and listen to the obvious talking points the Tea Party crowd uses.   You don't have to look that hard; fear is the first and last talking point.

Now, they also accuse the Democrats of using fear, when the Democrats  produce statistic after statistic showing the damage  the shutdown, and the default is causing.  They also claim fear mongering by the President for factually based damage their campaign is causing.

The  Tea Partiers (some party?), then pivot and blame the President for using scare tactics.

Next time you tune them in, if you can stand it, just wait for it, more fear.  The favorite is our childrens' children will lose their liberty; or will be doomed to everlasting poverty, or will be overrun by foreign enemies, if Obama care survives.

Their tactic of closing down the government and default is actually the thing to fear, because real damage is being done.

Fascists use fear to build power.  Even a cursory study of fascism shows the use of scapegoating and fear by fascist minorities to scare and harass the majority.  If the fear is effective the right can manipulate its minority status into a majority; and that is exactly the strategy we are seeing played out right now.

Senator Cruz, who bares a remarkable similarity to Joseph McCarthy, uses the exact same strategy "tail gunner" Joe used to scare people and gain power.

And it worked, at least for awhile.  The politics of Washington are so politically charged, and so self-serving, that fear of political consequences goes a long way.  This has not changed in the 70 some years since McCarthyism.  And we can see it being played out right now, as Republicans recoil in fear of political retribution.  So far, there is not evidence of ANY bravery in Republicans during all this.....none.

The politics of fear work.  It worked for McCarthy for about three years.  At that time it ruined several lives.  This time it may ruin millions of lives, if another Great Recession develops.

A long time ago, Roosevelt started his first Inaugural Address with "The only thing to fear is fear itself".  He knew the dangers the country faced, real dangers verging on starvation for many.  But he also knew, the greatest danger was of fear itself, having just witnessed Germany falling under the spell of Adolph Hitler.

You see the danger is not in Obama care, or in the socialist Democrats.  The real danger is in the fear that is being used right now by Ted Cruz and other Tea Party types, to scare us into the same trap Hitler used in Germany in 1932.

Because their tactics are the same, and their political philosophy is the same:   fascism!