Fear Mongering

Par-a-noia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, the man come and take you away
--Buffalo Springfield

Fear mongering is the use of scare tactics to influence the actions of others toward a specific end. Bureaucrats often utilize fear mongering when they want to maintain or increase State power. Usually, the idea is to make people afraid of what would happen if some government activity didn't exist or went away.

Government officials use scare tactics because they often work. Indeed, fear mongering is grounded in principles of human behavior under conditions of threat.

Many people believe that fear mongering affects others but not themselves. When people advise, "Don't believe the fear mongering..." they often imply "...because I don't."

But maybe you do. Test yourself:

Do you believe that the consequences would have been disastrous and unacceptable if government hadn't bailed out the banks in 2008/2009?

Do you believe that the consequences would be disastrous and unacceptable if the NSA, Patriot Act and other agencies and laws that enable and expand government surveillance of the citizenry were not in place?

Do you believe that the consequences would be disastrous and unacceptable if military spending was cut by 90%?

Do you believe that the consequences would be disastrous and unacceptable if entitlement spending was cut by 90%?

Do you believe that the consequences would be disastrous and unacceptable if the federal debt ceiling is not raised?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then how do you know that you have not been influenced by the fear mongers?