When we were kids our parents realized at an early stage that while reasoning with us was preferable, instilling fear was a sure-fire technique. Do you remember all of the warnings we used to hear about crossing the street, talking to strangers or perhaps taking gifts from someone you don't know. I'm sure that you can remember many more, but more importantly these warning, whether based on reality or fantasy, always had the same result. They instilled enough fear in us so that we would abide by these warnings without question. Remember, what made the 60s so revolutionary is that we began to question this blind obedience to fear and think for ourselves. Yet, there are still many who are susceptible to the fear gambit. Lots of people are willing to believe whatever someone in authority proclaims to be the truth. It is a fact that the GOP's tactic of choice for many years is to press the "fear" button. If we listen to them we find that there are so many things to be afraid of, to be very afraid of.
First we all remember that they proclaimed that birth control and abortions would lead to an unprecedented period of sexual promiscuity and unwanted births. It is a fact that the birth rate of babies born to teenagers has significantly diminished.
We need to be afraid of all gun control laws because "they" are trying to take away our 2nd Amendment freedoms. This is nonsense on its face of it. The modest attempt at a national background check system would have no negative impact on those who would have guns. It would however, perhaps, refuse to put guns in the hands of those who, for all of our sakes, should not have them.
Resolving the immigration issues confronted by our nation will only cause Americans to lose jobs and increase the crime rate. It is clear that resolving the immigration issues will increase the tax revenue of our country and will provide much-needed workers in sectors that are in need of them. It will also tighten the borders and reduce crime and drug smuggling.
Continuing unemployment insurance will only lead to people not willing to look for jobs, since we are paying them not to work. This one is not even worth a comment.
Of course we additionally need to be afraid of the IRS and it supposed harassment of right leaning organizations.
We hear that marriage equality will endanger the institution of marriage. How? Nobody has ever explained this.
We need to pass new voter registration and voting laws to prevent voter fraud. There has been virtually no voter fraud, but the new laws will prevent many who typically vote Democratic from getting to the polls.
The Ukrainian Crisis, the Iraq Crisis, the Benghazi Crisis, the Syrian Crisis, the current border crisis all are reasons to be very afraid of this President's willingness to ignore security issues we confront. These outcries and warnings come from those foreign affairs experts that brought us the Iraq War. Do they really think that they still have any credibility?
The list can go on and on. It is a tactic that was used against Civil Rights advocates and Anti-war demonstrators and women's rights advocates. 'They are all trying to change our country and take away your freedom to live in the America we love", we were told. "They are dangerous and we need to protect ourselves from them or all will be lost.' . We are not little children anymore. The fact is, maybe what WE should really fear is the GOP.
Cross-posted on rationalpolitics.co