Politics of Fear: Election Time Again

Things don't seem to be going too well for our conquering hero and his political cronies these days. The War in Iraq is, if not lost already, well on it's way to becoming all-out anarchy and civil war. The military alliance with Britain is on the verge of crumbling: A poll released today by the Guardian newspaper in London reveals that 60% of British voters want their troops withdrawn by the end of the year.

An article in the Telegraph, another leading British newspaper, carries comments by the Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett:

The growing pessimism in Whitehall over the prospects for Iraq's future came as the country's deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, urged Britain and the US not to "cut and run".

Mrs Beckett, after talks in London with Mr Salih, accepted that the invasion of Iraq might come to be judged as a "foreign policy disaster" for Britain. Daily Telegraph

The prospect of a fragmented Iraq, with each fragment battling for supremacy and resources with the others, and drawing neighboring countries into the chaos, is looming. The so-called government of Iraq is now in real danger of being forced, sooner rather than later, of actually having to govern.

Meanwhile, on the domestic scene, Bush and Co. are desperately trying to put on a good show for the voters, who will soon be casting their votes in the mid-term elections. Many pundits are predicting that the Democrats may take control of the House of Representatives and, perhaps, even the Senate. This circumstance has come about due to the administration's mis-handling of the Iraq War, the financial corruption of a large number of Republicans, and the lack of integrity and moral fibre exhibited by the Republican leadership with regards to the Foley sex scandal.

So, not one to let an opportunity to inject fear into the political arena, Mr. Bush has been parading around the country with dark predictions of death and disaster for the American people should, God forbid, the Democrats gain power. Fear-mongering has proven to be a vote-getter in the past for the Republicans, and they are not ashamed to use this tried and trusted tool in their desperate attempt to retain control of every section of national government.

Which brings me to today's little video. Again I have chosen Keith Olbermann to illustrate a point.

Olbermann's Comment on GOP Fear Ad

"Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” Herman Goering