Do Americans "need" to fear an imaginary "Boogeyman"?

Question

Seriously, whenever anyone mentions Muslims there's at least one "all Muslims are terrorists, they are our enemy" comment, and then there's this enormous "threat" posed by illegal immigrants from south of the border.

I find it amazing that this xenophobia seems to cut across all religions, socio-economic levels - even education levels, which is the scariest part.

Is there something in the American psyche which "needs" something to fear?

Obviously I don't mean ALL Americans, but a heckova lot from what I've seen here.

Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, is literally on my doorstep. Indonesians live in overcrowded poverty, under restrictive military regimes. Yet here I sit on this vast, prosperous island with an enormous, largely unguarded coastline. If anyone should feel threatened by invasion or illegal immigrants it's me.

Yet I don't feel threatened.

Am I brave, stupid,

As far as I know pretty much all the military - well-equipped being in the eye of the beholder - is off "fighting for peace" in the Middle East. A whole "shipment" of reservists had to go off and help in Samoa the other week because there were no regs left!

Answer 1

There are genuine risks and concerns, but there has been a total loss of perspective, proportion.
Americans who fear sudden unexpected death, if they are afraid of Muslims, should be terrified of motor cars.
They kill a hundred Americans a day in the USA.

If one person in a million in America is a terrorist, there's 298 of them. But, in a democracy, you're letting a one in a million minority (or smaller) set the agenda, grab the headlines?

No, the proportions are all wrong.

Answer 2

Is it possible that the fact that they blew apart the USS Cole
with a suicide bomber, planed bombs in the basement of he World Trade Center and when that didn't work, flew 767's into them killing 3 thousand people, The Embassy bombings, The Bali Bombings, the fact that the Islamic Militants claim they want to kill all Jewish people,and all Americans constantly on Al Jazerra TV and on their web sites. Think maybe the fact that all this is happening here has anything to do with it? Remember all those attacks on America, except 911 happened right after we saved Muslims from the Serbs in Bosnia, and Clinton and the Democrats were in power so you can't say it is because of Bush.

Answer 3

Yes, and when we defeat that boogeyman, we'll go after the next! And when the entire world is subdued, the threat will be from above. God will come down, and man, in his arrogance will try to woop him to! Ok, maybe God will send angels, or giants, or meteor showers. The point is, it's not an American problem, it's a human problelm.

I'm glad you feel safe. Perhaps you can explain the well equipped, and higly trained military on your island, and elsewhere in the world.

Answer 4

Isn't that the point of terrorism? To make people feel afraid. So slamming some planes into a building to kill 10,000 innocent people on any given day worked.

You probably don't feel threatened because the military regime will kill anyone one tries to defect to your country. So thank God your comfortable and other people struggle under oppressive governments.

Answer 5

Hope they grow to a level where they treat every individual equally, be brave, not to suspect.

One can win anyone with good heart. Terrorists are not born, they are made mostly. Our suspicion and the way we treat them might make them more voilent. When living with others in the society is inevitable, better we try and learn to live amicably at peace.

Answer 6

Political propaganda, brother, can make us believe 2 + 2=5, if repeated a million times over.

Answer 7

Thats how you wn an election, by pointing fingers and saying be afraid very afraid!

Answer 8

I only fear high prices.