Another Fear Tactic

Senator Christopher Dodd and Representative John Boehner were on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" yesterday. I don’t have the transcript, but the following took place during the interview (in general terms).

Both men told Mr. Stephanopoulos that when they were briefed last week about the fallout of the AIG and other financial institution failures and what the immediate results were going to be in the upcoming days (literally), the consequences were so horrifying that there was shocked silence in the room for 10 to 15 seconds.

Now here’s what gets me. Mr. Stephanopoulos asked them what was said that was so horrifying. Both stated that they wouldn’t relate exactly what was said in order to not “scare” the public, or to put it another way – “Trust us, it’s bad.”

Excuse me? Trust “them”?? We elected these people. Now that they are the “Elected Ones,” THEY feel it’s not in OUR interest to understand everything that’s happening? We are too “fragile” to hear what’s what? We poor, dumb folk just don’t unnerstan’ dem impo’tant thangs?

I’m sorry, but in my opinion (and I’m sure a lot of others) the biggest fear to have is fear of the unknown (or “fear itself” as Roosevelt once said). To not know exactly what is looming is worse than understanding and coping with the problems at hand. How dare these people (whom we elected!) pull this crap on us! I guarantee that those clowns in office think that everybody not in the Washington, D.C. establishment (or “elite”) are just a bunch of rubes who don’t know s**t from Shinola.

This is clearly another in a very long line of fear tactics that is being used by those in power to cow the people into letting them do whatever is necessary to benefit them and not us. Let me repeat: Them…not us. “If you don’t let us handle it they way we need to (read: “To further our interests and profits”), YOU will not BELIEVE what is going to befall you!” In other words, “Go shopping, we’ve got it covered – as long as you let us…or else!”

Just look at what happened. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson originally was going to be given full authority to disburse $700 billion, not be held accountable for his actions and not even have to divulge what he did with the money.

This ramming through Congress an economic “fixit” bill is strikingly similar to the ramming through of the Patriot Act. In a major climate of fear, the Patriot Act was passed without even Congress taking a long, hard look at it. The end result was a severe cutting of our basic freedoms. Now here we go again. Who knows what will also be in this “emergency economic fixit bill”?

Fortunately, so far, clearer heads are prevailing today, Monday. This free hand Paulson was being given might not be so free once it all shakes out (and I certainly hope so). Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research was on Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!” program this morning. He advocates that any banking outfit that comes hat-in-hand for any of our taxpayer money should be severely penalized for their actions, such as a major slashing of the salaries of the CEOs. I wholeheartedly agree.