October 10, 2021 Updated: October 13, 2021
A woman wears a Stars and Stripes bandana for a face mask, amid COVID-19
fears, in Washington on April 2, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Commentary Many
U.S. citizens wonder if life will ever return to normal. 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. To
live in the United States is to live in a permanent state of fear. This, as
many readers know, is by design. A more fearful nation is a more passive
one—easier to manipulate and easier to control. In
the United States, according to Dr. 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. 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? Today,
across the country, fear dominates the narrative. 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. When
it comes to the mechanics of government-induced fear, the economist Robert
Higgs is perhaps the most knowledgeable man in America. After
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. 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. By
introducing more programs and more oversight boards, such “ratcheting” comes
with significant costs—including freedoms we once took for granted. The loss of
freedom brings a loss of privacy, and with these losses comes a loss of what it
means to be human. Clearly
inspired by Higgs, the U.S. government, aided by mainstream media outlets, has
weaponized fear to full effect. 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. Now, to be clear, fear is a highly
complex emotion. Context is everything. If you find yourself being chased by a
bear, fear is natural. To feel joy in that situation would likely result in
your swift and all too painful demise. However,
in modern society, our predisposition toward fear is largely maladaptive. Your
chances of being chased by a bear are minimal. In fact, your chances of dying
from unnatural causes have never been lower. The world has never been safer.
With COVID-19, though, we are constantly fed the life-or-death narrative. The
message from the government and MSM is clear: “If you enjoy living, then listen
to those in power. If instead you enjoy dying, then, by all means, do your own
thing.” Don Lemon, CNN’s anchor and part-time preacher, has spoken about leaving the unvaccinated
behind.
Again, to be clear, I am not advocating against vaccines, but every adult
should be free to make their own decisions. They shouldn’t be coerced or fed
false, fear-filled narratives. A Culture of Fear We
are bombarded with news stories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—many of these are
of the tragic variety. Not surprisingly, as we are hardwired to sense danger,
the human mind provides fertile ground for the planting of fears. However,
fears, like plants, can also be uprooted. Sadly, our ability to uproot is being
compromised by those in positions of genuine power. Because of this, to paraphrase
James F. Byrnes, the late politician and judge, too many people now find
themselves obsessed with the idea of security. By failing to acknowledge
opportunity (also known as freedom), “they seem to be more afraid of life than
death.” Fear
works best when an element of truth gets exaggerated to epic proportions. With
COVID-19, we know the virus exists; we also know that far too many people
around the world, including at least 709,000 Americans, have died. But—and this
is of vital importance—if you happen to be reasonably
young and reasonably healthy, your chances of dying from the
virus are minimal. One of the major reasons COVID-19 has had such a devastating
impact in the United States has a lot to do with one, simple fact: 40
percent of the country’s adults are obese. Instead of fearmongering,
Fauci should be advising people to get fitter. This is one of the surest ways
to avoid succumbing to the illness. Why
does this get excluded from the conversation, either intentionally or
otherwise? Because it’s much better to keep control of the masses—including the
younger, healthier citizens—if tens of millions live in a perpetual state of
fear. An
individual has a far greater chance of being killed in a traffic accident or
from the flu than they have of dying from COVID-19. Obviously, no one wants to
get the flu or experience a traffic accident. Nevertheless, we don’t live our
lives in constant fear of both. That’s because our salience biases, also known
as perceptual salience, predispose us to focus on novel threats. What’s more
novel than a novel coronavirus? Fear is a prison largely of our own making.
Let’s free ourselves. I
will finish with a quote from Frank Herbert, author of “Dune”: “I must not
fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total
obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through
me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where
the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the
author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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