Have you seen it ? Olbermanns special comments features the commercial of the two new right wing spokesmen. Osama Bin Landen & al-Zawahiri. Why would this administration show this propaganda that was made by the terrorist to inflict terror on the American People ? Why would Bush give Bin Landen what he wants ? Osama will never have a bigger audience than the one provided by this Republican party.
GOP sinks to a not so new level of fear mongering
- Thread starter bryanz
- Start date
you know you & others on this forum act like the republicans are the only ones who do "fear mongering".
well i hate to break it to you but both parties have been doing this for years.
go look at the 1964 presidential election between barry goldwater & lyndon johnson. specifically look at the tv commerical lbj ran with the little girl picking flowers & how he used this little girl's image with that of a nuclear war if goldwater was elected.
unfortunately this has been & will always be the way politics is fought...as long as there will be tv.
well i hate to break it to you but both parties have been doing this for years.
go look at the 1964 presidential election between barry goldwater & lyndon johnson. specifically look at the tv commerical lbj ran with the little girl picking flowers & how he used this little girl's image with that of a nuclear war if goldwater was elected.
unfortunately this has been & will always be the way politics is fought...as long as there will be tv.
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And look at the fear Clinton used, your whole life could come crashing down around you if get your **** sucked:scared :scared
couldn't resist
couldn't resist
still not much new under the sun...
still not much new under the sun...
use of fear in politics was pretty nicely covered by Corey Robin in his book "Fear: The History of a Political Idea"
The Ancient Greeks wrote it's importance.
Fear is the first emotion metioned in the Bible.
Even more powerful, we see in the past and at present, happens when politicians are also priests and thus can threaten physically and spritually---a double whammy of fear.
Robin covers the history from way back to the present Terrorist era, and wrote that fear as a ?political tool, an instrument of elite rule or insurgent advance, created and sustained by political leaders or activists who stand to gain something from it, either because fear helps them pursue a specific political goal, or because it reflects or lends support to their moral and political beliefs?or both.?
He writes of how some folks need fear for furthur political gain, and others welcome it 'cause it gives a sense of belonging, purpose, "reasons" for certain beliefs.
Richard Nixon said "people react to fear, not love. They don't teach that in Sunday school, but it's true"
Machiavelli's famous lines on fear (for "punishment" he means not just personally from the leader, but generally all threats the leader voices--external invaders or "social security" for your poor old age, etc) :
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.
and can't forget Machiavelli's point:
"the temper of the multitude is fickle, and ... while it is easy to persuade them of a thing, it is hard to fix them in that persuasion"
The people tire, or see through, the lastest fear or big warning. Politicians then need new ones (large or small) for publicity and elections, researchers for funding, media for ratings, activists for crusades and so on....
still not much new under the sun...
use of fear in politics was pretty nicely covered by Corey Robin in his book "Fear: The History of a Political Idea"
The Ancient Greeks wrote it's importance.
Fear is the first emotion metioned in the Bible.
Even more powerful, we see in the past and at present, happens when politicians are also priests and thus can threaten physically and spritually---a double whammy of fear.
Robin covers the history from way back to the present Terrorist era, and wrote that fear as a ?political tool, an instrument of elite rule or insurgent advance, created and sustained by political leaders or activists who stand to gain something from it, either because fear helps them pursue a specific political goal, or because it reflects or lends support to their moral and political beliefs?or both.?
He writes of how some folks need fear for furthur political gain, and others welcome it 'cause it gives a sense of belonging, purpose, "reasons" for certain beliefs.
Richard Nixon said "people react to fear, not love. They don't teach that in Sunday school, but it's true"
Machiavelli's famous lines on fear (for "punishment" he means not just personally from the leader, but generally all threats the leader voices--external invaders or "social security" for your poor old age, etc) :
Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.
and can't forget Machiavelli's point:
"the temper of the multitude is fickle, and ... while it is easy to persuade them of a thing, it is hard to fix them in that persuasion"
The people tire, or see through, the lastest fear or big warning. Politicians then need new ones (large or small) for publicity and elections, researchers for funding, media for ratings, activists for crusades and so on....
They dio it because it works. Fear wins votes and when you are power hungry you will stoop to any level.
