The Only Thing We Have Is Fear
A great American president once said this:
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
–President Franklin Roosevelt
What did he know, he only led us through WWII against history’s greatest villain, Adolf Hitler.
The new Republican motto must be “the only thing we have is fear.” Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) is not happy that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not afraid to try terrorism suspects in New York:
SHADEGG: I saw the Mayor of New York said today, “We’re tough. We can do it.” Well, Mayor, how are you going to feel when it’s your daughter that’s kidnapped at school by a terrorist? How are you going to feel when it’s some clerk — some innocent clerk of the court — whose daughter or son is kidnapped? Or the jailer’s little brother or little sister? This is political correctness run amok.
Yes, Michael Bloomberg will be really sorry when the special forcefield over Guantanamo that keeps terrorists from doing bad things is broken, won’t he?
I’m having trouble reconciling the Republican attitude of fear with their “America is #1” mantra. Do they believe in what America stands for, or is all their talk suitable only for bumper stickers?
And, if they’re serious about it being too dangerous and scary to try terrorists in our court system, then why the hell are they always screeching about spreading Democracy? Bumper stickers… it’s all they got. Bumper stickers, and I’m beginning to think wishfully thinking about tragedy.
I read an analysis about this somewhere. Conservatives simultaneously believe these things:
— Our government can’t try terrorism suspects safely and fairly
— Our government can simultaneously run the governments of Iraq and Afghanistan.
So obviously, conservatives have no problem contradicting themselves in their own mind.
So conservatives have moved from “Bring it on!” to cowering in fear at the thought of a terrorist in prison in the same country as they are. I think everything is explained in terms of fear, actually. Striking out blindly because they’re afraid, cowering in fear because they’re afraid.