Is fear and scare tactics the only way opposition to anything occurs?
30 May 2010
9 Comments
The Invisible Hand/Illuminati asked:
Something I noticed online is tons of people declare, “Government has now eroded your rights, you will go to jail for not having health care.” The fear tactic goes on and on with tons of scare slogans. I agree everyone has a right to their opinion and that’s fine. But can’t opposition bring some more realistic opposition tactics instead of scare slogans that are unfounded?
Something I noticed online is tons of people declare, “Government has now eroded your rights, you will go to jail for not having health care.” The fear tactic goes on and on with tons of scare slogans. I agree everyone has a right to their opinion and that’s fine. But can’t opposition bring some more realistic opposition tactics instead of scare slogans that are unfounded?
Stick to the question when answering and don’t go off ranting and raving about the healthcare bill. This question is about understanding why opposition uses a tactic that is sometimes not credible and based off stereotypes.
Thank you for your time and answers.
The GOP has won multiple elections in the last few decades through dividing Americans, but times are changing, and they are having trouble adapting–it will be their doom
Let’s hope the fear-mongers are called to account for themselves in Nov 2010.
Sure. As I said before, I oppose this bill because of the individual mandate.
No scare-tactics involved.
I disagree with the policy.
I resist it on principle.
why assume it’s a tactic rather than a visceral reaction?
The most insulting aspect are those in power with funding to invade most Americans intellectual levels in the privacy of their homes with television ads or radio. Providing truth and allowing the populous to make their own decisions without manipulation is the pure American way of democracy.
Well, here’s the kicker..
This bill does erode your rights and freedom, and you will go to jail if you don’t pay for insurance.
Is it really a “scare tactic” when it’s true? Should nobody ever be able to point out the flaws in something? Or, does this protection only exist for things which you support?
Because scare tactics, fear mongering, hypocrisy and out and out lies. are planks in the Republican platform. You can’t be one without doing the other. Look at political history. Republicans have been using the same old rhetoric since FDR’s time. They put the stagnant in stagnant quo. As you can see by some of the postings. It is very apparent that most are uniformed and haven’t read the bill. Their talking points/lies are simply being taken from Fox. That’s were the term ditto head came from.
People seem less and less interested in thoughtful debate about any subject and short, memorable quotes with powerful emotional effect are sadly more memorable and effective than a well thought out argument. Nuanced disagreement is quickly branded as elitist and overly intellectual. Going to jail, death panels, and visions of fascist regimes are all quick, memorable, and trigger a strong negative reaction in people. Sometimes people will exaggerate or mislead people in order to get this reaction. Once the strong emotional negative reaction is associated with the other group, it is often reinforced with vague patriotic and freedom-loving symbols that produce a positive reaction.
Once someone has made up their mind on something it is very hard to change it. If one can get their views in first through whatever means (fear, misinformation and an appeal to patriotism and freedom) then the truth of the debate hardly matters to that person.
Yes, of course. I can understand the fears to a certain point, and sometimes the arguments have a small amount a validity, but ultimately, the arguments that the fear mongering is based on are not good enough arguments. They’re greatly exaggerated.
For example, when it came to outlawing slavery… in that day, every single major industry in the south was DEPENDENT on slave labor. The south fought against outlawing slavery because outlawing slavery was going to devastate the economy down south. Every major industry was going to lose the majority of it’s work force in one fell swoop. The big business owners were going to go under, followed by the small business owners. And when it came to that argument…they were correct. Outlawing slavery WOULD devastate the southern economy. And conservatives fear mongered to the point where the south tried to secede and ignited a civil war. But can anyone say that because of the devastating effect ending slavery would have on the southern economy, slavery should have been kept legal? Of course not.
And when it came to giving women the right to vote… men didn’t want women to have the vote not JUST because they wanted to keep women subjugated. In that time, it is a simple fact that women were not as educated as men. (I’m not saying they weren’t as SMART, I mean formally educated.) Women were raised to be wives, and mothers, and housekeepers. They were not raised to be business people. They were not taught to understand politics and the economy. This was a major concern for men when the issue of giving women the right to vote came up. Giving the right to vote to someone that has very little education, and not much of an understanding of politics or the economy could in THEORY have disastrous consequences. It was not entirely a bad argument, and they used to it fear monger that giving women the right to vote was going to ruin our country. Conservatives were against giving women the right to vote. They didn’t think of voting as a “right”, just as conservatives now try to claim that health care isn’t a “right”.
In every major decision in our country’s history, from ending slavery, to giving women the vote, to civil rights, to desegregating schools, etc., conservatives have fought tooth and nail against them, using the exact same sort of fear tactics that they’re using against this. Conservatives do have some valid arguments to make against health care reform…but the arguments aren’t enough to put them on the right side of this issue. Our grandchildren ARE going to look back with shame on those who fought against it in exactly the same we we look back on those who fear-mongered against all other historic issues that ultimately turned out to be the right thing to do.
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