Freedom Over Fear
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Every four years, Old Party candidates up and down the political ballot are setting the stage for what can only be described as a political thriller so terrifying that even Alfred Hitchcock would yearn for a cozy rom-com. In the grand theater of politics, every speech is a dramatic soliloquy delivered with all of the intensity of an over-caffeinated squirrel on a sugar buzz, and every point/counterpoint could easily be mistaken for a horror movie trailer, minus the popcorn but with extra existential dread.
It’s often been said that knowledge is power, but in the twisted world of political rhetoric, "fear" is the true sovereign. Picture a land where every issue is a crisis, and every solution involves a new regulation, law, or the immediate construction of a giant, impenetrable wall. Sounds like fun, right? In the Kingdom of Fear, every morning begins with a press briefing about how everything from the weather to your breakfast choice could lead to an apocalypse. It's a place where the only thing scarier than the latest headline is the prospect of not having a headline to read. It’s like living in a never-ending disaster movie, where freedom is a distant memory and paranoia is a national pastime.
"You may be right; it's all a waste of time. I guess that's just a chance I'm prepared to take, a danger I'm prepared to face."
Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here but allow me to be real for a moment: as a statistician, even I know that the possibility of me actually winning this election is about as likely as a cat winning a dog and pony show, or more to the point, a porcupine winning a donkey and elephant show. As a result, I can say pretty much whatever I want, and my opponents can't really respond out of their own fear that doing so will give me a credibility that they believe I don't deserve.
So, I'll say this: thanks to Old Party candidates like these, the American culture has become one based out of fear. The majority of the population operates out of that single emotion and most of them don't even recognize it. Most Americans are afraid not only of what people say, but how they say it, especially if it's something they disagree with. They are afraid of someone -- anyone (except the government) -- taking what they believe is theirs. They're afraid of anyone who is not "them" having too much freedom, or at least more than they do. And the vast majority of them appear to be compliant, even eager, to allow violations of our own civil rights out of that fear.
“Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.” - John Kenneth Galbraith
In Fearland, political debates resemble scenes from a horror film more than reasoned discussions. Imagine a political ad that starts with an eerie voiceover saying, “If you don’t vote for Candidate X, the Earth’s magnetic field might reverse, causing global chaos and a shortage of avocado toast.” Even weather forecasts come with a side of existential dread. “Today’s weather: partly cloudy with a 100% chance of societal collapse if you don’t take immediate action!”
Now, let’s compare this with the slightly less glamorous, but infinitely more refreshing world of political freedom. Political freedom is like a buffet where you can sample different ideas without fearing that the mashed potatoes will turn into a Trojan horse of doom. You’re free to debate, discuss, and disagree without needing to wear a hazmat suit or stockpile canned goods. It’s democracy with a side of sanity. Want to vote for someone who promises to make the world a better place without resorting to end-of-the-world scenarios? Go for it! Prefer someone who believes in pragmatic solutions rather than predicting the apocalypse? Your choice!
A popular movie from before the turn of the century pointed out that a political candidate only needs to do two things in order to win an election; make you afraid of "it" and tell you who's to blame for "it". The candidate who does that best is usually the one who wins.
"I'm old enough not to care to much about what you think about me, but I'm young enough to remember the future and the way things ought to be."
Regardless of which office they are running for, Old Party candidates often paint a picture so bleak that it could be mistaken for the opening scene of a sci-fi apocalypse: “Our roads will be filled with potholes so deep they’ll be mistaken for portal entries to other dimensions!”
But don’t worry, they always have a solution, which usually involves an extensive array of policies designed to combat every conceivable threat. For instance, “If elected, I will implement a nationwide initiative to install bubble wrap around all of our vulnerable infrastructure to cushion us from the impending doom.” Because clearly, nothing says security like a giant inflatable safety net. They also propose a “Fear-Free Fund,” dedicated to funding research into fears we didn’t even know existed, like the possibility of extraterrestrial beings using our Wi-Fi, or the alarming rise of rogue garden gnomes plotting world domination
Living under constant fear is a bit like being in a perpetual state of “Are we there yet?” but with existential stakes. It makes every policy decision feel like a high-stakes game where losing could mean the end of civilization. Freedom, on the other hand, allows for the delicious luxury of perspective. It’s about dealing with issues as they come, without assuming that every minor inconvenience is a precursor to global annihilation.
Political freedom might not come with the thrill of daily apocalyptic warnings, but it offers the far superior benefits of rational discourse, a variety of choices, and a general sense of not living in a constant state of dread. So, as we continue this political season, remember that freedom doesn’t just feel good — it’s also a lot more fun. And let’s be honest, who wouldn’t prefer a healthy dose of liberty over a heaping serving of panic?