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9 September 2004 Jay Bookman expresses one of the problems that I've had with this administration in general and this campaign specifically. For years, we've been hearing that you're either with us or you're with the terrorists. For quite a while, The Washington Times ran ads on their site saying 10 out of 10 terrorists would vote for Kerry. This kind of appeal to fear is dismaying, to say the least. Although I'm not a Democrat, I'm also certainly not a Republican. I'd guess that according to this administration, I'm with the terrorists. I suppose that's okay. I'd rather them think that than think that I'm a sheep -- or worse, a lemming. This November will be an interesting time. Part of me has little doubt that fear will win and Bush (along with his cronies) will be with us for another four years. Machiavelli, of course, asked the question of whether it is better to be feared than loved. He answers: [O]ne should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. While we aren't being led to fear Bush himself, we are being led to fear the absence of Bush. And in some situations, we are slowly watching our rights to dissent melt away. As a marketing ploy, the use of fear is quite clever. People are concerned for their safety. September 11 did shake us up. But the way to run a campaign is not to half-accuse your opponent of being with the terrorists, especially when it's not true. There is a world of grey between the black and white world of "good v. evil" this administration tries to put to the American people. I only hope that we have the good sense to realise it's a marketing scam, that the world really isn't just black and white, good and evil, us and them. But, then again, I look around and see a lot of sheep milling about. |