Fear
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Partisan politics can be driven by fear. As an election nears we not only hear the slogans of judgement (“two legs bad, four legs good” from Orwell’s Animal Farm), but also cringing forecasts of Judgement Day. If “they” win, it will be the end of who we are or all that we value.
Paul Revere’s gallop from village to town, or should we update and say from channel to channel. This is of course “politics,” and some of us feel that we have seen it before.
Perhaps it is this simple. Another “call to arms” in a long political history of periodic histrionics, the established theater of American politics. And we will again, as always before, return to normality and treat the people next door as “neighbors.”
But fear is not so easily tamed, and we have probably in the past reported more reconciliation than actually occurred. Fear is a very elemental human reaction and the flee or fight response can be unstoppable.
Fear distorts our ability to evaluate evidence, to credit new ideas, to make the necessary distinctions of degree and number. And it is potentially a chain reaction. Captured by FEAR we put aside our normal “lessor” dread of unbound power and embrace the “Man on Horseback,” the Savior, the Great Leader, our homegrown version of a Hitler or Stalin.
America today is not at a crossroads. The Republic faces real challenges and our government will continue to make choices that create “winners” and “losers.” There will be more or less “Justice.” There will be more or less “Fairness.” There will be more or less “Equality” of opportunity or reward. Hard choices and the hand of self or group interest will still be on the scales.
Apprehension, anxiety, doubt, even distrust—all good things. But real FEAR. The fellow next door is not pointing a gun at your head….yet.
But saying all that, and recognizing the irrationality of fears, especially those worked up in political campaigns, we still need to be on guard. Fear has a twin. Hate. And hate can follow fear and together spin out of control.
FDR may have spoken for our time as well as his, perhaps more for our time. “The only thing we have to fear… is fear itself.” And we do.
Perhaps it follows, then, that we should reject the candidate who sows fear and hatred by trying to overthrow an election, inciting violence, vilifying immigrants, and extolling dictators. After having falsely framed the Central Park 5 and insisting that the first black president was illegitimate, among many other lies over the past few decades.
Good