Originally Posted by
bv3
Lets say that in Bruin Town there has been, in fact, a string a violent attacks by an unknown perpetrator. When 'news' of the presence of a big scary bear spreads, this 'news' synthesizes neatly with the anxiety of the townspeople, which is real and has been engendered by the actual string of violent attacks. A narrative is born of the truth and a half-truth, "Big scary bears exist, and have attacked people. A big scary bear is attacking townspeople right now." Predictably, the Towns People want to stop the bear, and fortunately the mayor has the solution! "Big Scary Bear attacks could happen to anyone, and there is nothing a single person can do about it. We must work together to stop this Big Scary Bear, I propose a tax increase to fund a Scary Bear Patrol."
Now, of course it isn't a Scary Bear attacking people in town, but the Mayor's nephew. While the Scary Bear Patrol beats the bushes around town for the "bear," the nephew continues to attack people. Casualties mount. "The Bear Patrol," bruits the mayor, "is underfunded. It falls on those of us able to give more, to do just that. We Must Stop This Bear, or it will attack us all." So the towns people pay more to the Bear Patrol, but the attacks continue unabated.
Thus, the psychological anxiety experienced by the Towns People is given an explanation that has no actual relationship to that anxiety, simultaneously inhibiting a response to the real threat while harnessing it in a way that is useful to "addressing" the perceived threat. By addressing, of course, I mean exploiting that anxiety for gain (financial, political, ideological et al).
I would add that a certain level of this anxiety seems to be ever-present in just about anyone. For they that know how to marshal it? A fertile source of mischief for the rest of us.
Plug in fiscal lunacy for violent attacks, and climate change for the scary bear. The Fed? I suppose that would be the nephew.
People, young people in particular, know they are $#@!ed. They don't know precisely why, but they know it none-the-less. Our deplorable position is the result of financial criminality, but to explain the anxiety that we feel at being so-very-$#@!ed we are given a Narrative: Climate Change, Racism, Plague, etc (the particular half-truth changes quickly, because they have to. If they don't change the program frequently, people may well get wise--though I doubt it). So the fear-at-being-$#@!ed (and anger) is elided from the actual threat, and marshaled into something useful for "addressing" the perceived threat and that useful thing being more, and more centralized, control.
Sometimes the Scary Bear is a black man, sometimes white, sometimes weather, sometimes plague, sometimes statues. But if I were running a multi-trillion dollar scam I guess I'd find as many Scary Bears as I could.
I am not sure I precisely understand what I am saying either.
Connect With Us