I wish I could say that I am surprised, or shocked, or even angry. But all I can come up with is sadness. Why would a government want its citizens to be fearful? There are two reasons. One, fear can compel people to submit willingly to control, even if that control is destructive to them. Rapists have mastered this technique, and are able to force women into quiet submission through fear and intimidation alone. The shame and humiliation that many rape victims feel after being raped comes not from the act itself, but from the realization that it was fear that destroyed their ability to resist. Fear paralyzes the mind and dulls the senses, the two most important tools of survival, leaving us defenseless and vulnerable. Prolonged fear overrides the distinction between gains and losses, including the distinction between "right" and "wrong". If, in this dibilitating stage of fear, a new crisis is introduced, the mind will panic. Critical thinking is supressed as the mind struggles for the cognitive abilities that are necessary to provide a solution for its distress, and will blindly grasp at even self-destructive solutions. Accidental drowning is a good example of how just the fear of drowning can be the cause of drowning. A person who cannot swim may show signs of fear when out in a boat. If there is sudden movement or rocking of the boat, they may react by freezing, or awkwardly flailing and grasping the sides of the boat. Sometimes, this very reaction will propel them into the water, where they now enter the stage of panic, and because their minds have become unable to provide a solution, they become entirely dependant upon intervention for their survival. The second reason a government might want its citizens to fear is more subtle than outright conrol. Fear can alter and undermine value systems, customs, traditions, and cultures (like the concept of inalienable rights of free speech, bearing arms, liberty, etc. ) that have been ingrained in people generation after generation, and fear not only can, but WILL compel people to accept a compromised solution for their own survival, rather than death. What ignorant governments keep forgetting is that fear is always a final solution that includes themselves. Fear is the father of hatred. History has shown us time and time again that when a government attempts to control society through fear, that society becomes hateful - of others, of themselves, and of their leaders. Once a society becomes hateful, self-destruction is inevitable.

	From:	Date:
	mrigor	Jun 19, 2008 07:25PM GMTJune 19, 2008 19:25:27