Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to The gullible americans!

re: The gullible americans!
S — (archived)

When? It's a done deal, my friend. In fact, faith came first - it's perhaps the oldest cultural tool for controlling the masses.

However, recall that a few Americans raised some, ahem, pointed questions and objections, and not only about Iraq and WMD. Nobody yet has been able to fool all the (American) people all of the time. (Abe Lincoln didn't really say this, btw)

Further, I would note that it wasn't only we Yanks who were a bit worried about the Red Bear during the Cold War, but your point is well taken.

Authoritarian regimes need enemies to generate the fear and hysteria needed to make otherwise rational (OK, a stretch) people suspend logic and willingly sacrifice "essential liberty" for what is perceived as a little extra security. (See Ben Franklin)

When real enemies don't exist, there's always the option of creating a few.
A good way of doing this is to spawn fear and insecurity by funding crackpot regimes, and planting poison stories in the press - doesn't matter if they're true.

Finally, if all else fails, a country can more or less shoot itself in the foot, as we have seen.

With a big enough budget, you get the best enemies money can buy.

Happy Holidays,
S

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