Selling Fear

Back in the 1960s the war in Vietnam was sold by fear: if we don't stop the commies in Vietnam, next they will take Cambodia, then Thailand, the rest of Southeast Asia, then they will be at America's doorstep at San Diego.

Well... America lost that war, Vietnam went communist, and 30+ years later the two countries make big deals of signing joint treaties and opening up all kinds of trade between the two. They are like old friends falling into each other's arms despite the US killing 2 million plus Vietnamese and the Vietnamese killing 58,000 Americans.

The "rising red tide" fear never came true.

But the political right continues to sell that message in the US. Why? Because it works. The same idiotic "the bogeyman is going to get you and you can't hide under your bed" lie works, and works, and works.

Here is an example:



Notice the clever lie: "Obama's debt limit". Gee... you mean for the past 50 years Obama has been behind the scenes getting the US House of Representatives to pass spending bills that aren't covered by existing taxes? Even baby Obama in diapers was doing this?

The truth is that Obama can't spend a nickle -- no president can -- unless a spending bill originates in the House of Representatives and passes, then passes in the Senate, and then gets the President to sign it. So "Obama's debt" is a big lie. There is no such thing.

It is incredible that the fanatical right appears to be ready to destroy the US economy by defaulting on its legal obligations. But that seems to be what is about to happen. Insane.

And here's another example...



Where was this "Citizens Against Government Waste" when George Bush pushed through two big tax cuts which moved the US from having a fiscal surplus to having a deficit? Where where they when Bush started two wars without raising taxes to pay for them? Where was this "patriotic" organization when Bush pushed Congress to pass the Pharmacare bill without paying for it? All this "we don't have the money" is a big lie. The US didn't have the money 10 years ago. But it was OK to spend like a drunken sailor then because it was a Republican President and a Republican Congress. But now, suddenly, America is broke and has to default on its obligations! That's the kind of "patriotism" that is at the heart of the black-hearted ideologues of the Republican party.