Fear Factor
My friend and collaborator at Depth Charge Len Edgerly had an interesting conversation earlier via Skype that motivated me to think through and write this post.
We were discussing the hope and optimism cased by Barack Obama’s message and style and similar feelings for Larry Lessig (who happens to be a Barack supporter) and Lessig’s attempt to bring the balance of the political machine back to the people from the special interest groups. I have been an admirer of Lessig’s for a while. Obama is certainly starting to get some traction in my mind share. Yet I digress.
I mentioned to Len the concern I had about Obama being a target of special interest groups for assassination, and they’d probably use a white supremacist type to do it. Len admonished this line of thought saying that, “fear of him getting offed has the effect of enfeebling our hope and energy, which needs to run pell-mell to the future. If he dies, by a bus, a virus, or any other means, the nation will mourn more deeply than it did for the Kennedys and MLK. I pray every morning for his safety, and that of the other candidates. “
Len then went on to say, “I heard interesting comment by NYT editor on podcast who covered Mandela and Gorbachov, saying what was exhilarating in both cases was to see a leader help his nation come out from under the shackles of fear into the light. That’s what Obama can do here, I hope. We’re ready. Roosevelt did it. perhaps every great leader in their own way does it, except for the ones like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin - who lead by feeding the fear and controlling the people with it as a bloody tool.”
I agree with Len on the point of fear. It is an excellent albeit it wicked motivational tool. It saddens me deeply to see how this device has been employed to a great degree in the US that is hailed in it’s national anthem as “the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”
I sure hope the next US President helps us get back on track US to being the “Land of the Free” once again.
