![]() If you find yourself being chased by a bear, fear is natural. Now, to be clear, fear is a highly complex emotion. Aided by behavioral experts and masters of spin, a number of highly influential people have exploited this deeply wired reaction to further erode human agency. government, aided by mainstream media outlets, has weaponized fear to full effect. The loss of freedom brings a loss of privacy, and with these losses comes a loss of what it means to be human.Ĭlearly inspired by Higgs, the U.S. By introducing more programs and more oversight boards, such “ratcheting” comes with significant costs-including freedoms we once took for granted. In “Crisis and Leviathan,” which was published in 1987, Higgs discussed a phenomenon known as the “ratchet effect.” Just like a tradesman uses a ratchet to allow effective, one-directional motion, governments often use emergencies to “ratchet” up their responses. When it comes to the mechanics of government-induced fear, the economist Robert Higgs is perhaps the most knowledgeable man in America.Īfter reading a fantastic article by City Journal’s John Tierney, I picked up a copy of “Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government,” a book written by Higgs, an economic historian who has been warning about the dangers of government creep for more than 30 years. As someone currently completing a doctorate in psychology, I am intimately familiar with the mechanics of emotional salience. As a key attentional mechanism that contributes to our survival, fear is currently being weaponized for nefarious purposes. Today, across the country, fear dominates the narrative. Fauci?” What is the point of vaccines and booster shots if we can’t be with our loved ones? Haven’t we sacrificed enough over the past 18 to 20 months? Anthony Fauci, it’s far “too soon” to tell if Christmas gatherings will be allowed. Considering Christmas is more than two months away, one is forgiven for raising their eyebrows and asking, “What are you talking about, Dr. A more fearful nation is a more passive one-easier to manipulate and easier to control. This, as many readers know, is by design. To live in the United States is to live in a permanent state of fear. Are masks here to stay? On TV, news channels are busy spreading fear. Meanwhile, some of the most widely read publications in the United States are warning about the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. citizens wonder if life will ever return to normal.
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