Samantha Bee: The Proud Tradition of Fear Mongering

Chris Christie Buries Special Election on a Wednesday in October

Image from ABCNews

When Senator Frank Lautenberg died this week, Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governer was on the hotseat to nominate a successor. Christie is currently doing a tightrope dance (tricky for anyone, but him?) with his image, both trying to be his brash, gruff self to some people, and a cuddly teddy bear to others. He clearly has Presidential aspirations, and he has to be weighing every decision he makes. So, rather than appoint a Senator, he's going to have it put to a vote. But not in just any election. That could be risky for a number of reasons. So, he's burying the vote in a special election (which costs millions) just a couple of weeks ahead of the real election. Some critics are understandably interpreting this move as bald fear on Christie's part. Which is amusing for lots of reasons.  I couldn't decide which of these clips would irritate Christie worse, so I'm running them both. First, Rachel Maddow accuses Christie of being a wussy. Then Lawrence O'Donnell does. They're both highly entertaining.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CDC Launches Graphic Anti-Smoking Campaign

You know what would really freak the kids out?
This picture, and Rule 34. Image from HuffPo.

It has been long enough since my last cigarette (14 months ago) that I can confidently call myself a non-smoker. But I smoked for almost 20 years. And you know what didn't make me quit? Threats. Taunts. Finger-wagging. None of that stuff works on a smoker, it just makes you more defiant. It's not like smokers are in the dark about the negative health consequence of the habit. They know. But those consequences seem somehow off in a possible but not certain future. After all, everybody knows somebody who smoked from the age of 14, and died sometime in their nineties, right?

As a current non-smoker--one who is very happy he quit, and wonders why he waited so long to do it--I am rather indifferent to this current campaign. It won't make many current smokers quit. $5 per pack would have done that, were it that easy. But it might make cigarette smoking a bit less cool to the kids who haven't started yet. Or maybe not, who knows? Kids love gory movies, and kids think they're indestructible. If I could rationalize that health consequences were a ways off in my forties, certainly to kids it seems like a hundred years away. So, I don't know.


[Excerpt]

CDC Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign Set To Launch 

In a graphic new ad campaign announced Thursday, the government is trying to shock smokers into quitting with the sometimes-gruesome stories of people damaged by tobacco products.
The new effort confronts a hard truth: Despite increased tobacco taxes and bans in many public places, the adult smoking rate hasn't really budged since 2003. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

The Politics of Fear

There are times when fear is a motivator. There are times when fear is justified, and where reacting to it can save your life. But fear is a very unpleasant state, and not all fears are rational, justified or necessary.

One of my favorite political commentators/pundits is Randi Rhodes, a liberal talker. She's got a loud New York accent, and is quick to either laughter or irritability. If you are a conservative, you probably react to her name--if you know of her at all--with derision and scorn. But you've probably never listened to her, outside of an out-of-context clip on the internet. Randi is a somewhat out sized personality, and is not for every taste (even if you're a liberal/progressive). But she is somewhat unique in this area: she tells you not to trust her. Seriously. She says that she knows the company she keeps on AM talk radio, and that you should trust none of it. Question everything, and do your homework.

That's quite a bit different from someone like Rush Limbaugh, who tells you that you need listen to no one else, he'll do the work for you. Right? And one of the big points Randi has been making of late is that her political opposition on radio and tv are exploiting fear. This is not new of course, but it is perhaps more prevalent right now. She said--and I agree--that if your favorite politician, tv personality or radio host spends the bulk of their time trying to make you afraid of something. . .there's probably something wrong.

Think about it for a second. Picture Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Bill O'Reilly, Michele Bachmann. About what percentage of the time to they spend trying to scare you about something?  Think about what you're watching and listening to, and analyze it with a little objectivity, please. That's all I'm asking. Don't buy everything you hear lock, stock and barrel (to use a favorite right-wing gun metaphor). Consider that just maybe there is an agenda behind all the fear.

Here's an example of blatant fear mongering from the most recent election cycle. Do you see through it?

GOP Uses "The Gay" to Gin Up Their Base

I almost filed this under Captain Obvious. The GOP uses gay people to get their base to the polls in much the same way that evangelical shysters use it on their flocks to get them to open their pocket books. Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

[Excerpt]

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Former right-wing gay Republican confesses GOP uses gays ‘to gin up their base’



David Brock, the former closeted gay Republican-cum progressive media watchdog, appeared Wednesday on Chris Matthews' Hardball to discuss the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and the creation of his new watchdog group fighting for gay equality, "Equality Matters. . ."
 
Read more at: Raw Story

Politics of Fear: The Drudge Report

Oh, come on!  This is just naked fear mongering. Screenshot taken at 5:40 edst, from DrudgeReport.com.

Steven Weber: GOP and Fear

Photo from AOL

I haven't posted a Steven Weber piece in a while, and this one is pretty good. Once again, he writes what I'm thinking, only better.

[Excerpt]

Wasted

It must be a nightmare, clinging to beliefs that are regularly refuted by empirical facts, embracing myths of a country which only exists in the febrile Right Wing imagination, cringing in fear of contrived boogie men and having the world look upon you with a mixture of amusement and pity.

Because that is the reality of being a Republican today. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

The Latest Health Care Reform Scare Ad

Be afraid! Be very afraid! Despicable. . .



You can find links that debunk all of this hokum at: Shakesville

Newt Gingrich Still Using Politics of Fear

My theory is that Newt Gingrich spent the weekend watching Jessica Alba's short-lived sci-fi series, Dark Angel, on DVD. That show, besides featuring the sexy young Ms. Alba, was about a dystopian future, where the US became a wasteland after an electronic pulse rendered all of our technology inert. The show was a hoot, and Alba kicked ass. But I wouldn't try to build our foreign policy around it.

[Excerpt]

Gingrich Still Clinging To Fiction Novels As The Basis For His Foreign Policy Ideas



. . .This morning, during a speech at the Heritage Foundation, Gingrich was at it again. He lamented how the world’s democracies “hid from reality” in the 1920s and 30s and failed to confront the emerging threat in Europe and East Asia. Citing what he had read in “novels,” he then linked that to his perceived EMP threat and deplored the “failure to translate the ability of the imagination into public policy.” “We are living at the edge of a catastrophe,” he said. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Sonia Sotomayor Pallin' Around With Terrorists?

Holy crap. And I don't mean, "Holy crap! Sonia Sotomayor pals around with terrorists!" I mean, "Holy crap! The GOP is nuts!" While that may not be a major revelation, it is amazing that they're still being this brazen. As far as I know, the Puerto Rican Defense and Education Fund is not a terrorist organization. And not one fact is cited to support that slur in this ad. It's the old "politics of fear" that. . .well. . .didn't work in 2008. And neither did the looming spectre of Bill Ayers. But they're still tryin'. All that is missing is the scary O Fortuna musical score.

Republican Health Care Horror Show!

I like it! Well, not the Republicans, or their scare tactics, or their claim that we have "the best health care system in the world." But this video is well done. Kudos for getting most of my favorite horror movie icons in there!

Another GOP Scary Movie!

Ham-fisted, obvious, absolutely lacking in any subtlety whatsoever. The message: "Be afraid! Be very afraid (vote Republican!)." Oh, and "cliches are good." By the way, isn't "Fortuna, Imperatrix Mundi (O Fortuna)" played out as scary music by now?

Iowa Rep. Steve King: Terrorists Will Cheer Obama

Photo from source, CBS News

While the Democratic contenders for President shoot spitballs at each other (and the press calls it nuclear war), it's a Republican that throws napalm. Iowa Rep. Steve King (R-Naturally) claims that terrorists will be dancing in the streets if Barack Hussein Obama gets elected. Talk about the politics of fear.

[Excerpt]

GOP Rep.: Al Qaeda Would Cheer Obama Win

An Iowa Republican congressman said that terrorists would be "dancing in the streets" if Democratic candidate Barack Obama were to win the presidency. An Obama spokesman said such comments "have no place in our politics." U.S. Rep. Steve King based his prediction on Obama's pledge to pull troops out of Iraq, his Kenyan heritage and his middle name, Hussein. . .

Read more at: CBS News

Bush, Chertoff Raise Terror Alert Over Vegas Ricin

Photo from source, Unconfirmed Sources

It's either that, or they're at a gay pride event (oh come on, that color-coded dealie looks just like a rainbow flag!). Is it just me, or does Michael Chertoff have a future in horror movies? Yikes.

[Excerpt]

Bush Elevates Homeland Security Risk over Las Vegas Ricin, Chastens Democrats

President Bush, appearing with Homeland security Director Michael Chertoff early this morning at a White House press conference, officially elevated the national terror alert system to the color code Orange, representing a high probability for terrorist activities. The elevation came in response to the presumed discovery of the highly toxic chemical ricin at a Las Vegas motel late yesterday [Feb. 29] . . .

Read more at: Unconfirmed Sources

Politics of Fear: The Truth on Protect America Act

Last week, the GOP released a deplorable ad (view it here) criticising the House of Representative's denial of President Bush's request demand to have retroactive immunity for telecom companies put into the "Protect America Act." It was the politics of fear at its zenith.

Crooks and Liars has put together an answer to that ad, shooting down its claims. Check it out.

We're All Gonna Die!

I have had a pretty full day, but thought I'd sit down and write just one more post. But I couldn't find anything to write about. Then, I happened upon this post at FireDogLake, and found out this blogging hobby really doesn't matter anymore.

Why not? Well, sit down. . .ok. . .sitting? Right. Well, it would seem that we're all gonna be dead by Tuesday. Now, now, don't cry. You can take solace in the fact that it's all the Democrats' fault.

Seriously, I love the writer of this piece. Just the right amount of sarcasm and disrespect for The Decider. And not only is the writing good, they included a clip of The Kids in the Hall, doing a skit about the necessity of following Our Great Leader, even if we don't understand why. Since it's a YouTube clip, I'll post it too, right after the excerpt. Enjoy.

[Excerpt]

Late Night FACT: You Will Die Horribly No Later Than Tuesday

Last week I informed you that your favorite candidate sucks. This week I bring you even better news. It doesn't matter that your favorite Democratic candidate, who sucks, has no chance to win the nomination, much less the election. Why?

Because you are going to be dead by Tuesday. It's a FACT. Deader than Julius Caesar. Deader than Fred Thompson in Iowa. As dumb dead as a ham sandwich that just got hanged for murder most foul. . .

Read more at: FireDogLake

And if you don't make it there, here is the video clip:

Politics of Fear: Yet Another Tom Tancredo Ad

It's become a favorite political tactic, particularly from the right side of the aisle lately: fear as a vote getter. Tom Tancredo is desperately in need of a boost, and so he's released another ad. Another fear ad. It's a little sad, really.



[Excerpt]

Tancredo's new campaign ad blames lax border for gang violence

Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is airing another television ad with ominous warnings about immigration, this one saying that "vicious Central American gangs" in the U.S. are killing mothers, raping children and selling drugs.

The ad, which began running in Iowa on Tuesday, weaves images of tattooed Hispanic men and bloody bodies and blames "gutless politicians who refuse to defend our borders."

Read more at: AOL News

Scary News: Uranium Thieves Busted

Photo from source, Times Online

My first scary story in a while is a doozy. I find the constant usage of "the politics of fear" generally abysmal, especially when that fear is used to further policies that could not be enacted otherwise. In this case, I think it's OK to be a little wigged out. But hey, at least they caught the guys.

[Excerpt]

Gang arrested trying to sell enriched uranium

A gang arrested by Slovakian police was trafficking uranium so enriched that it could have been used by terrorists in a dirty bomb, it emerged today.

Two Hungarians and a Ukrainian man were arrested as they tried to sell the uranium last night. The consignment had been tracked by police after it came to their attention inside the former Soviet Union.

Read more at: Times Online

Politics of Fear Ruin Halloween?

Image from Wikipedia

Halloween has come and gone. We got less than 20 trick-or-treaters at our house. And this is in a neighborhood that was only recently the fastest growing segment of the fastest growing city in the United States. Now, far be it for me--ha ha--to slip into tinfoil hat territory. . .

But could it be that the politics of fear, the all-pervasive "be afraid" bugaboo has even ruined Halloween? That may seem like quite the conclusion to jump to, but bear with me. As a child of the 70s, I remember trick-or-treating with massive hordes of kids, and virtually no adults. Sure, our parents let us do more--a lot more--than parents of today. But we were given boundaries, areas of the neighborhood we had to stick to, and would have been severely embarrassed to have our folks tag along.

I remember stories of razor blades in candy, and needles in apples, but we never took it very seriously. Mom's rule was that she got to go through our haul, and eliminate anything homemade, suspicious, or her favorite candy bar. And I seriously don't remember even one kid having anything unfortunate happen to him, beyond tripping over his costume, running into a tree because of a badly-formed mask, or maybe getting hit by a car because he was dressed all in black. And that was rare.

Today, police groups, and other organizations hold contained, "safe" Halloween events. Here in Vegas, there is a "Trunk or Treat" being held at the Hard Rock, where kids just go from car to car to get their treats. Police group or not, that sounds worse to me than house to house. Even weirder, here in Vegas sex offenders are banned from participating in the holiday in any way. They must keep the lights off, not answer the door, and pretend they're not home (and risk an egging).

Now, far be it for me to defend sex offenders, but tell me, doesn't that seem extreme? The class of "sex offender" is rather broad after all, not just kiddy-philes, and we're talking about people who have completed whatever sentences were handed out to them. They can't even be in the same home as someone who is handing out candy, or even take their own children out trick-or-treating. Sounds draconian to me, even accounting for the ick factor.

But back to the politics of fear, of which the above is a part. Parents go to great lengths to make sure their kids are safe, and that's a good thing. But like all good things in this country, we take them to ridiculous extremes. Parents take their kids to these "safe" events, with a sense of satisfaction that they've "saved" their children from the predators, the razor blades, and all manner of urban legends. And bravo! You've instilled in them a fear of their own neighborhoods.

Read about the Halloween Urban Legends at: Snopes.com

Read about the Las Vegas rules for sex offenders, and "Trunk or Treat" at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Paul Krugman on the Politics of Fear

Photo from Wikipedia

Paul Krugman of the New York Times has an excellent editorial up on the politics of fear, and the Republicans' embrace of it. As this is a topic I've written about before, I thought it would be a good fit for this blog. See if you agree.

[Excerpt]

Fearing Fear Itself

By PAUL KRUGMAN

In America’s darkest hour, Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged the nation not to succumb to “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror.” But that was then.

Today, many of the men who hope to be the next president — including all of the candidates with a significant chance of receiving the Republican nomination — have made unreasoning, unjustified terror the centerpiece of their campaigns. . .

Read the piece at: New York Times