Weaponizing Fear
At some point most of us have either read or heard the singular phrase regarding fear taken from Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first inaugural address. But there is an even more compelling and relevant meaning found within the words just before and after that famous line. His speech was given on March 4, 1933 to a public deep into the first years of the Great Depression. Panic had gripped the nation as the stock market had not begun to recover from its 1929 crash, the unemployment rate had topped 25 %, and there were not yet any safety nets in place for those facing dire circumstances.
“This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.” *1
Roosevelt was well aware that the biggest obstacle he faced was the intangible nature of rumor, of uncertainty, and of an unknowable future. But in this situation he had allies; the government of the United States along with a solid faith by its citizens in the institutions as laid out in the U.S. Constitution. He understood the strength of this nation was secure, though perhaps a bit shaky, that working together we would be able to overcome almost any set of circumstances.
There is no way he could possibly have known that 90 years after his admonition regarding fear, that the “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror” he warned of would take the form of uniformed, jack-booted thugs given free rein to beat and even murder citizens of this country. Or that our Constitution and the laws of the land would be trampled on and ignored by a sitting President of the United States.
Currently, the brutality dished out by this modern-day gestapo is perpetrated on an extremely small percentage of us. I say this not to diminish the horror experienced by people who have come face to face with federal authorities, but to note the intent of Trump’s work is to terrorize the rest of us into submission and to instill a fear of falling victim ourselves for speaking up. And so despite changes in many of the circumstances, the essence of Roosevelt’s words remains relevant to the vast majority of Americans. It is the specter of fear we react to rather than an overt tangible threat.
Even so, the fear of personal reprisal feels very real. We hear about it every day when we see journalists rounded up for doing their jobs or peaceful protesters held down and pepper-sprayed in the face for doing nothing other than exercising their freedom of speech rights as guaranteed under the First Amendment. As noted, these tactics are used on only a tiny percentage of our population and yet are extremely effective in scaring the crap out of everyone else. In other words, the main thing, as Roosevelt suggested, is that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. By allowing ourselves to remain silent while any member of our country is subjected to brutality is tantamount to acceptance of this kind of behavior.
A few friends have suggested that we are helpless in making a difference. They feel that one person can do very little in the great scheme of things when faced with thousands of militarized goons. But instead of feeling helpless, we must ask ourselves why we are here at all, alive on this planet. Is it not our mandate as a creature on earth to secure a future for our children and to leave our only home in better condition than when we arrived? If that’s not it, perhaps it’s just to enjoy the time we have and to give short shrift to any future generation. Apparently this is the attitude of the majority of the ultra-wealthy, for many of them don’t seem to care what happens once they’re gone.
From a personal perspective I feel an obligation both to those who came before me, the ones who granted us their extraordinary gifts in music, arts, the sciences, philosophy, and so much more, and to those who have yet to be born, who will be able to discover the wonders waiting in a future that has so much promise. I cannot allow the intent of these authoritarian greed mongers to bludgeon me with their fear tactics, and so I will do everything I can to mitigate the direction in which we are currently headed.
I realize this declaration may seem silly in many ways. This old guy sitting at his keyboard thinking he can make a difference, but it’s not just me. It’s the possibility for millions of us to band together, shake our collective fists and stand our ground. To state that this is not right and for us to turn our nation around to create a better world.
The only way for us to accomplish this is if we refuse to allow fear to rule the day. We only have this one life to make this happen, so please, don’t be afraid and let’s get busy.
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Since we, the people, are endowed with the capacity to be emotionally paralyzed IF WE SO CHOOSE, it follows that we have the capacity to be emotionally invigorated IF WE SO CHOOSE. Roosevelt pointed that out then and you sort of are doing that now, but only sort of. What’s missing is the energy of outrage that’s in the Epstein files by the bloody buckets full. What kind of blood? Little girls and boys, just for starters. Don’t believe me? IF YOU CHOOSE TO be a good journalist and look it up.. then tell it like it is.
Yes, Ern. I am quite aware of the missing data that is clearly in the Epstein files. My focus this week was on the individual fear of speaking up that I believe has permeated much of this country. People are not going to express their outrage if they are afraid of the personal consequences. That is unless they realize it will only get worse if they sit on their hands. I applaud your energy and commitment to working towards a better world. We all must do everything we can.
What, me worry? The rest of us need do nothing as you’ve got us covered!
I do wonder about those who (I’d think) should be outraged, but continue to call everything a, “Joke.” Everything happens for the best in this best of all possible worlds if it allows us to own the libs!
Thank you Mr. Alfred E. Newman. There is no rhyme or reason any rational person can come conceive of with regard to the hypocrisy of those on the right. Only things that fit within the narrative of greater power and greed can navigate these waters, at least as far as I can see.
Tobin – some loving kindness to you for continuing to state what many are feeling. I do find it interesting that you chose to title this one “Weaponizing Fear’, which is, of course, what they are doing. The language of war is a primary tool of this regime. It helps them boil our blood, jack up their supporters with the adrenaline of battle. It raises the question of how to counteract it. Do we need to lean into the same kind of language? Do we need to weaponize love, kindness, gratitude, neighborliness, virtue? We tend to try and soften language but faced with those that would want battle all day every day we might need a different way of “fighting back”.
In the face of fear, can we hold that fear at bay with a different kind of joy? Not the joy of escapism but the joy of creativity, imagination and wonder that as the actual majority in this country we still have power when we both stay committed and united. We also can work with our local communities, as they are doing in Minneapolis, to organize and help each other. I’m finding their efforts to be creative, imaginative and even joyous in the face of the real fear and terror they are facing. And, they are then being supported by protests large and small all over the country. That provides hope in the struggle to defeat (another war term) the efforts of this regime to have us be fearful and not respond.
Paul, thank you for your words of calming intelligence. I know that I continue to deal with the visceral reactions I have in terms of the thugs who are fomenting violence around the nation. I fantasize about fighting fire power with fire power (literally) until I calm down and realize that this would only fans the flames of a possible civil war. [An odd phrase when one thinks about it. There is nothing “civil” about war.] Keeping decorum at the top of our regimen is critical to rebuilding on culture once this era of dysfunction has passed, but in the meantime engagement is just as important. Be it marching, videotaping the violence on the other side, speaking at rallies, writing letters, voting, and generally making our voices heard is extraordinarily important. And most of all, it is continuing to work together towards a common goal. This has never been easy for democrats, but we must place our personal agendas to the side for the time being and focus on removing this stage three cancer that is eating away at all of us.
Roosevelt said: This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes…
That was then. a time of our fathers and grandfathers.
Seems to me that we presently have a number of bills that are long overdue. 1. The myth of “opportunity” that America represents — now produces market distortions, social trauma that portends implosions which echo that of 1929. 2. We’ve not recognized to any extent that our nation was founded as a slave holding society, north and south colluding in the expropriation of labor from people of color. 3. We’ve yet to confess our practice of genocide against the indigenous peoples who lived here before we arrived. 4. Women have always been and continue to be second class citizens. The testimony of multiple female victims of the human-trafficking-Epstein-organization ought to be sufficient to result in prison time for any white male implicated in Epstein’s circle of influence. The word of a woman has marginal weight
All of these bills are overdue. The convulsion of fear itself is a pre-rational response of the body. Is not fear a reasoned response to what we have done, and continue to do?
Is the “collector” now at our door? Are they wearing uniforms, reminiscent of the old Confederacy?
Everything throughout history (and not just ours) clearly takes place within the context of those events. In other words, Roosevelt’s remarks were crafted for a specific time, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have relevance in today’s situation regardless of how different things may be at this moment. There are lessons that we can learn from any source. The Tao te Ching was formulated thousands of years ago and yet we can learn vast amounts from the verses because sometimes wisdom is ageless.
Certainly there are aspect of our cultural past that need to be addressed. But we cannot even begin to think about adjudicating those issues until we eradicate the main problem of ignorance and myopic madness that grips our nation. It’s not just DJT since he is but a symptom of the problem. Tens of millions of people fully buy into the rhetoric supporting Trumps’s god-like nature and until we pop that balloon, nothing else matters. At least that’s my take.
The Epstein disclosures should be enough to dispel the fantasy of this demigod in the White House. There’s no standard of propriety more egregious that I can think of.
What other options can you imagine?
Still, life is nothing other than unanticipated twists of fate…