Riddle me this: What’s the fastest two ways to get people to abandon all reason and often their freedoms as well? Answer: create panic and stir hatred.
For those who didn’t guess, this is another post inspired by my frustration with seeing so many “End of the World” stories, posts and rants in the media and other blogs. My opening premise is absolutely true also. If you get people scared enough about something, they’ll do anything they’re told is a fix, and attack or shun anybody who disagrees. It’s how the Nazis took power in Germany, and it’s a tactic seen almost everywhere in politics and social issues nowadays.
I wish I had the energy to go on the major tirade this deserves. God knows I could spend all day verbally tearing up the extreme left, the extreme right, the environmental movement and other social justice causes. Maybe I will in future individual posts also.
The bad part is that most of the social causes I agree with in principle. It’s the extreme they’re taken to and the lies told to advance them that annoy me AND ultimately hurt their cause. The extreme elements of the environmental movement have been saying life is going to end in 10 years for 30 years. The updated science is always better though.
That kind of exaggeration only hurts a VERY important cause. There are several serious issues related to the environment that deserve attention. Lies only hurt the cause. They give nay sayers ammunition and they make some believers feel overwhelmed and like nothing they do could make a difference either.
I picked on the environmental movement here even though that wasn’t my original plan. There are plenty of other groups out there that deserve a kick in the rear also. I’d be here forever though. With that in mind, let me try to get to the bigger point here.
If your cause is using scare tactics and stirring up hate to get people to act, you should question the cause’s leadership and methods at the least. The cause has given up the moral high ground at that point. You should also thoroughly question the “facts” you’re being told at that point. At best they’re going to be half truths spun for a secondary purpose (like somebody’s personal power and wealth).
Beware of anybody who says they have all the answers and they’re the only ones who can fix all your problems. If they tell you that anyone who disagrees is the enemy also, RUN! In the old days, we called that a cult. Nowadays, sowing fear, anger and division is just business as usual.
It will only stop when the silent majority finds it’s voice and says ENOUGH.