I've often wondered what would make "leaders" try to misinform the public. I've wondered what would make them behave in such a way that was so utterly dishonest that it makes my head spin. I know Politicians put spin on things, it's just their nature, but a flat out no-holds-barred BS lie, well that's getting more common place by the political cycle.
Enter Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). He is All about fear. Fear of a war that has been raging in the Middle East for over a Millennium. The war of Religion. Which Sect is right, and which is now dead. But it isn't about Religion for Sen. Cotton n, it's about oil. Sen. Cotton's main objective is making sure the right side has control of the oil. And if he thinks things aren't being done right he will use fear to change the minds of the People of the United States of America.
Here is Senator Cotton on Wolf Blitzer of CNN
"We just haven’t rolled back the Islamic state at all over the last six or seven months, which would begin our air campaign. They’ve continued to hold the ground they’ve always had. They haven’t advanced. But we’re not holding back either. And that’s not going to be enough to defeat them."
Tom Cotton is using the fear of ISIS and the thought that they aren't being moved to gin up support. When in reality,
ISIS has lost a quarter of its Territory in Iraq. But reality is inconsequential when it comes to trying to scare you into believing something different.
Politicians on the right use fear to get people to vote for them. I should know, I used to be a Republican, until I realized how they used fear. That and how their policies just failed to work.
With fear it's simple. Find out what people are afraid of, and blame that on their lot in life. It's not a complex concept. It's just a cheap one. It's an easy mark. You figure people are angry so they need something to focus their rage on.
It works for people who feel they are lost and they are losing something in their life. The Salon.com article I Lost My Dad to Fox News is a prime example of how it all works. They are losing their way of life, but it's not really true. Those individuals can live their lives as they want, but they need to understand others should be free to live their lives free from fear or persecution.
In the movie "The American President", President Andrew Shepherd is at the podium talking about Senator Bob Rumson and his constant attacks on The President and his new girlfriend. The line that stuck out to me the most was "He is only interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it."
That, in its current status, sums up how the Republican Party operates. It's all about fear. Fear of Gay Marriage. Fear of Affordable Healthcare. Fear of The Government. Fear of a Black President. Fear of the Other.
So, what are you afraid of?