Do people go along with things they normally wouldn't do if they can be held in a captive state of fear? Can a person through the use of propaganda be kept afraid of the boogie man? Can political propaganda suspend critical thinking skills? Can a politician's use fear proganda to seduce a mind and hold that person captive to his own will? Can fear mongering turn people into willing subjects, bent on murdering before the boogie man comes to get them?
2006-08-10 13:55:05 · 18 answers · asked by passenger204 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
YES!!! We americans are scared little sheep. Midterm elections are only a few months away. So until then you can expect the Republicans to bombard us with reports of how terrorists are trying to blow us up and the only thing stopping it is their vigilence.
Now!!! All of you!!! STOP READING!!!! IDEAS ARE BAD!!! REPUBLICANS ARE GOOD!!!
Now, go watch a rerun of Walker, Texas Ranger and remember to vote for war, and MORE WAR!!!
2006-08-10 14:03:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
I don't believe that this happens as often as some would say in a free, educated society. I mean the politics of fear is obviously used on both sides of the political spectrum: 1. "Bush is destroying the United States and soon we'll be a police state" and 2. "The Islamic Jihadists are going to put us all under Sharia law". To a limited degree you might describe it as successful, but as we have liberals, moderates and conservatives in this country it can't be out and out brainwashing.
On the other hand, in countries where the majority of citizens are cut off from the outside world and kept in poverty and uneducated, this is quite easy to do. Propoganda and fear mongering is used to keep the masses from revolting. Hate of the Jews for example is used in many places.
2006-08-10 21:01:55 · answer #2 · answered by MEL T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Can a liberal ask a question without belittling people? "boogie man"? Please. "bent on murdering" ? No civilian in this country is being driven to murder anyone - and the military is engaged in a war started by the people who hijacked 4 planes and flew 3 of them into buildings - failing with the 4th only through the heroic efforts of a handful of civilians.
No one who doesn't have first hand knowledge of what's going on can really 'know' anything. Which stories you believe and the ones you don't is a function of your biases. Your bias is as clear as is your elitism - you treat people you disagree with as if they were children.
2006-08-10 21:13:01 · answer #3 · answered by Will 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Absolutely!
Hezbollah has held all the Lebanese people hostage for decades. The clerics in Iran hold an entire nation hostage to their bigotry and venom.
Fear mongering is the goal of terrorism, after all. Kill a few, and the rest will live in fear for their lives.
As long as our governments (the Western World), choose to believe we can negotiate with madmen, nothing will improve.
2006-08-10 21:00:16 · answer #4 · answered by Karl the Webmaster 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't limit yourself to politicians. The news media, in print and on the air, has done more than its share of spreading propaganda. It stopped being "News" long ago. Now its sensationalism and election manipulation.
2006-08-10 21:33:53 · answer #5 · answered by RockHunter 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fear mongering is all part of politics. They inject fear into you and conveniently, they have the solution. Homeland Security was based on all of this. And what have they done for us lately? Well, they did come out with the color coded scheme which no one really undersands. Oh well, at least the Brits weren't sleeping at the wheel - thanks UK for saving potentially thousands of lives yesterday. My heart goes out to them.
2006-08-10 21:02:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Society, and for most people, yes. And that's what gives terrorists their power. They can control society by causing people to be afraid, which causes people to change the way they live and to give up the freedoms that they used to cherish.
Watch the 1998 movie The Siege by Denzel Washington. Most prophetic movie of it time.
2006-08-10 20:58:40 · answer #7 · answered by coragryph 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You're living in it. Read between ALL the lines, take NOTHING at face value, assume you're being lied to at least in part, and remember news reports are written by people with opinions too.
2006-08-10 20:59:18 · answer #8 · answered by twinks 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2006-08-10 21:23:35 · answer #9 · answered by Michael Q 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A definitive YES to all questions. However, I believe that there is little critical thinking done in the midst of any political propagandizing!!!
2006-08-10 21:26:17 · answer #10 · answered by Everand 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋