The Fear Factor

The US has become the world’s prison. Mexico just sent us 14 top criminals. Columbia, in spite of the billions we send them, has some new crooks for us to incarcerate. Now we have arrested 270 undocumented “aliens” in Iowa. Yesterday they were working in meat packing plants earning money and paying taxes. Today they are in prison costing the taxpayers $25,000 a year to feed, house, and cloth each one of them. You thought you knew from crazy?

All of this comes from the growing epidemic of fear that seems to be gripping the planet. Look at what is happening in South Africa. Brutal attacks against “foreigners,” implying they are responsible for the conditions of the poor. Increasing fear comes from natural disasters--tsunami in Myanamar, earthquakes in China, tornadoes in the US and so on. Adding to all those unknowns are the real estate and gas crises here at home. People have never been asked to think about the impending credit crunch or the coming crisis of peak oil. If you go to robertschrank.blogspot.com and take a look at Hugh Jones’ guest blog (Peak Oil, 12/13/07) he was warning that $4 a gallon was immanent. And $5 is on its way. Not a single political leader has been willing to bite the bullet and tell the American people the horrendous truth that we will be confronting.

You wonder why people are fearful? The natural disasters we are experiencing may very well be the Planet hitting back for our years of abuse particularly our unsustainable over population. What were people thinking when they built cities on top of earthquake faults or tsunami prone waterfronts? They weren’t thinking they just did not know what to do with all those people.

Wow, if there ever was a time to reconsider FDR’s “we have nothing to fear but fear itself,” it is now. In these troubling times what we need in the White House is a steadying hand that could diminish the level of fear. Instead we have had an administration that just keeps adding to the fear factor. The upcoming election will give us an opportunity to take a look at the candidates in terms of who can help solve some of the problems facing the planet and who will add to the fear. Be careful how you vote.

Thank you Kate N.H.W.Y.