Changing Fearful Minds

On my last blog, “Departure of Irving Kristol,” there was a comment asking what can we do about “fearful minds” that are being influenced by conservative bigots, falsifiers, and political right wing scoundrels? The hate talk on the televisions right wing-nuts is beginning to take on a far more ominous tone. Open talk about “killing the President” seems to be now acceptable behavior. This is typical example of how “fearful minds” become storm troops against democratic traditions. Having lived through the rise and fall of fascism I wonder if there are lessons that can be useful in the present struggle?

There are some similarities and some important differences between then and now. The present economic crisis, while not as severe, is a similarity. The difference is the present rapid response on the part of the governments to save the economic structure. That saved the banks and Wall Street but has left us with double digit unemployment. This is the root cause of the rising resentment amongst many Blue Collar people who rightly feel that the millionaires have been bailed out but they are the “forgotten.” That feeling is similar to how a much larger population in the 30ies felt about their situation. They were the “fearful minds” the fodder for the legends of fascist organizations that were springing up all over the western world.

Of course the extremes were in Germany and Italy. In the US we had similar but far less successful organizations. Father Couglin in Detroit or Huey long in Louisiana the German American Bund in New Jersey promising the world to the “fearful minds” of those who had lost their livelihoods, their homes and their hope for the future. The Couglin group actually tried to copy the Nazis with their publication of Henry Fords anti semitic diatribe, “The Protocols of Zion.” Did it catch on? Yes with some of the, “fearful minds” who were in dire need of someone to blame for their misfortune. The Jewish Bankers were handy or the Negroes for the Southern “fearful minds.” But as history has shown in didn’t quite catch on her as it did in Europe. The question is why not?

I believe there are a number of factors that played a critical role. First compared to Germany or Italy, there was a far more solid democratic tradition in the US going back to the founding fathers. Second President, F.D.R. was very empathic to those who were suffering the effects of the depression. I strongly believe that empathy grew out of his own struggle with infantile paralysis that left him with two totally useless legs that he needed to hold up with heavy steel braces. Third, he surrounded himself with a group of strong minded people who were determined to make some very critical changes in society. Finally and probably most important was the vibrant and powerful left that literally forced the F.D.R. administration to make serious economic concessions to the working class. The Wagner Act, Home Relief, Unemployment Insurance, Social Security just to name a few created in the 30ies. We now take them for granted. We refer to them as “the safety net.”

What can these lessons of the 30ies teach us for today? First the Obama administration needs to take some real action to help those victims of the recession who are the lowly wage earners down at the bottom of the economic ladder. Second the “new internet left” needs to swing into action to send President Obama a message that he needs to use the same kind of vigorous support he gave the banks to help those folks lower down on the economic scale who are suffering the most. The “fearful mind” folks need to see some leadership that is directing solutions in their direction. The important thing for those of us who believe in equality and fairness is to not cede the political playing fields to the right wing conservatives. They want to take us back to the dark ages of derivative Ponzi schemes that simply put, “make the rich richer at the expense of the working poor.”

Thanks Kate N.H.W.Y.