Fear of death, of hunger, of homelessness, of old age, of terrorists, sharks, immigrants, homosexuals, atheists, etc, etc. Fear of the Other. Fear is the common ingredient in all forms of control. Realize this, let go of your fear, and you're free. To a degree.
So, now that OBL is dead, we can stop being afraid of terrorists, right? I ask ironically, but in truth: The only power terrorism has is instilling fear in the terrorized. Let go of this fear, and they have no power over you. Sure, you might have the bad luck of getting blown up some random day, but you also have a far higher chance of dying in a car crash. Are you afraid of driving? No! So, let's all agree that from now on, none of us will be afraid of terrorism.
And thus, no need to spend astronomical amounts of money on an expansive security state, and instead spend that money on infrastructure, new sources of renewable energy, and education. I guarantee you these investments will produce a stronger country than more heavily armed SWAT teams.
Peace!
2 comments:
The Harper's index this month notes that U.S. combat deaths were 450 last year. There were 407 suicides.
I think we should still be watching our backs, but there's a lot to be said about the example of the Brits during the Blitz. I've been seeing the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign in a bunch of NYC poster shops lately. Maybe the times are changing. (Tinged, inevitably, with nostalgia and irony.)
While I'm hopeful, the cynical side of me thinks there's too much money in the game now, which means Lobbyists, which means scaling back spending on the spy state is an uphill battle in the extreme, no matter the deficit.
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