RE: weapons of mass panic

From: Amara Graps (amara@amara.com)
Date: Thu Feb 27 2003 - 08:00:27 MST

  • Next message: spike66: "Re: weapons of mass panic"

    Emlyn:
    >I think both Steve and Amara are talking about a more general
    >propensity in people toward letting fear dominate their thinking,
    >and thus behaviour. They're not talking specifically about mad
    >survivalism.

    Yes.

    However, I am not sure the word 'letting' is the right word;
    it looks like "default" behavior.

    >The problem is with a general trend toward a focus on safety and
    >security, rising from fear, in the west. It comes out in all kinds
    >of funny little ways,

    ..these 'funny' little ways to me are not funny. I see precious time
    passing and precious lives spent.

    I would be so happy to see Spike thinking about ways of boosting
    rockets for our explorations of the universe. Instead I am
    distressed to see him analyzing how subways are vulnerable and
    unsafe. (Does that help you understand my comments Spike?)

    Whether or not Spike's comments were driven by fear (which I doubt),
    one sees fear driving many of the topics on our mailing lists, as
    well as comments by strangers speaking in public places, in
    newspapers, on the radio, at the corner market, and so on. People
    are bombarding each other with words about safety, security,
    terrorist, destruction, weapons. Even though governments are expert
    at it, notice that governments are not as necessary now to act as
    fear-triggers because now people have learned how to apply the
    fear-triggers amongst themselves.

    >It also comes out in more sinister ways. Our government (here

    and here and other places

    >And now, we've had the growing example of the mother of all scare
    >campaigns, beginning just after September 11 and continuing, with
    >increased frenzy, at the present moment. The War of Terror is a war
    >on a concept. "Terror" is a difficult enemy to pin down, but it
    >scares the willies out of simple folk (seemingly about 80% of the
    >population). Now we're about to go to war with Iraq, which I wont go
    >into here, suffice it to say that the fear tactics being used by the
    >government are constant, and fairly unsubtle. There is a campaign
    >asking us to look out for terrorists in our midst, and report on
    >them to the government, with the slogan "Be alert, not alarmed"

    Yes, U.S too (from what I saw and experienced in the U.S., still
    learning about Italy, although I could provide some good rants already)

    >The mania in question is an obsession with personal safety.

    Yes.

    Although I am not as sure as you, that the obsession I see with
    personal safety is consciously driven by oneself. It looks more to
    me that it's unconsciously driven with a steady influx of triggers
    from external sources.

    >How can you reconcile an ideology of individualism, optimism, and
    >freedom, with networks of civilian spies, massive military
    >mobilisation, and the general and ongoing degradation of freedoms
    >that have come in the ensuing years?

    You can't.

    Thanks, Emlyn, your words were alot better than mine.

    Amara

    -- 
    ********************************************************************
    Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara@amara.com
    Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
    Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
    ********************************************************************
    "You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants
    don't help."  --Calvin
    


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