The Politics of Fear
Vote for George W. Bush, or the terrorists will strike again!

October 21 2004
Counterbias.com
Scott C. Smith

Fear can be a great motivator. It's very much a part of corporate America; since no one, for the most part, works for the same company until they retire, a worker, depending on the corporation, is always in a position that they could lose their job, whether it be through a corporate reorganization, massive layoffs, or the outsourcing of jobs to India, China, Malaysia, and other countries. Workers know that the possibility exists of their position being eliminated, so they put in more hours, hoping the extra effort will save their job. In some industries, such as high tech, working long hours is no guarantee of job security. But fear motivates employees, and they work hard.

George W. Bush knows the power of fear. His campaign knows it. They know that Bush's record, both foreign and domestic, is poor. The war in Iraq is claiming lives nearly every day. Bush's domestic policy accomplishments boil down to several tax cuts. It's not a great record to run on.

Not that the administration is running on Bush’s record. Instead, they’ve focused on one single issue, terrorism, and how George W. Bush is the best person to deal with terrorism. The campaign has even warned ominously the possibility of terrorists attacking America again – if the wrong man is in office.

At a town hall meeting in Des Moines, Iowa on Sept. 8, Vice President Dick Cheney warned against a possible terrorist attack -- if John Kerry is elected. Not that he mentioned Kerry by name, but the implication was clear: “It’s absolutely essential…on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we’ll get hit again and we’ll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States," Cheney said.

The Bush administration has been creating a climate of fear since the attacks of September 11. In March of 2002, the Department of Homeland Security unveiled the color-coded terror alert advisory. And, every few months, some vague threat would be announced, and the terror alert would be raised for a while, then lowered, and then raised again, causing a near-constant state of anxiety for some people.  Americans were also warned of all the possible ways terrorists could attack the United States, from the smuggling of biological weapons into the country or the use of remote-controlled model airplanes armed with explosives. Every few months a new terrorist alert would be released; Americans were told to be vigilant but not to change their daily routines.

The Bush campaign is now counting on that anxiety to win a second term. Vote for Bush/Cheney, and you'll be protected from terrorists. Vote for Kerry/Edwards, and watch your ass.

There is no indication at all that a President Kerry would deal with this issue in a way that would cause another attack on America. George W. Bush wants you to believe Kerry will let down our guard and be attacked again.

As the administration would point out, we have not been attacked since 9/11. This is an indication of the success of Bush’s anti-terrorist measures. But is it? Terrorists may not be attacking the United States, but they are attacking other countries: in May, terrorists struck train stations in Madrid, Spain, killing at least 192 people and wounding over one thousand. Insurgents in Iraq attack U.S. and Iraqi targets almost daily. The State Department’s Patterns of Global Terrorism report for 2003 showed an increase in terrorist activity for that year. Terrorists may not be attacking the United States, but they sure are active in other countries. Osama Bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, remains at large. Not to fear; team Bush will save us all from that evil terrorist. As soon as we find him. 

So, the United States remains on alert, never knowing when or where the terrorists will strike again. President Bush will keep them at bay, Bush’s campaign might say. President Kerry, on the other hand, will open the borders and send first-class plane tickets to terrorists everywhere as an incentive to attack us again. 

Terrorism has been quite the boon for Bush. His war on terror can last indefinitely, and Bush knows that many Americans are worried we'll be attacked again. Bush has no problem with exploiting that fear for his own gain. There's no way our terror alert will ever drop down to green (low) while Bush is president. Keeping a nation in a perpetual state of anxiety is Bush's goal. And it looks like it's working.