Post by chrisr07 on Nov 11, 2007 21:07:56 GMT -5
Chris Rhodes
Word Count-532
Ruling Through Fear: A Reoccurring Theme
When Arthur Miller wrote the “Crucible” he had a singular purpose in mind. That purpose was to expose McCarthyism for what it really is; a manipulation of the consensus to promote fear and anxiety, thus increasing the manipulator’s power and control. The character through which Miller demonstrates this manipulation is the judge, Danforth. The more witches he convicts, the tighter his reign over the consensus becomes. Miller’s intention with the Crucible was that such a thing would never happen again. He would be disappointed today if he were to see the techniques with which President Bush “leads” this country.
Today, it is agreed upon by almost everyone that the attacks on 9/11 were the most serious attacks upon America in recent memory. The U.S. government, mainly Bush, used the attacks to justify actions that he had been wanting to set forth for quite some time before the attacks had even occurred. The agenda for the government was simple, manipulate the opinion of the people through fear of another terrorist attack. If one were to examine their actions from their point of view he/she would see the “logic” in their actions. They know that the fear of another terrorist attack in America is gripping the hearts of millions. They also know that the only people who could possibly prevent such an attack are themselves. The philosophy is simple, spread fear and animosity throughout the citizens of the United States, by implying that another Terrorist attack is imminent. Then, establish the necessity of the government to the people in preventing such future attacks. Once the government has established that it is vital towards preserving the newly established consensus, it can begin doing things that it would not otherwise have been able to.
The first thing the government did after 9/11 was to carry out plans for a war it had planned long before the attacks had occurred. Publicly, they justified entering Iraq as a means to search for known terrorists, Osama Bin Laden and Sadam Hussein. Their ulterior motive was to enter and seize dominion over the Pursian Gulf in an attempt to take its oil resources. The second way the administration used the terrorist attacks to justify their actions was wire-tapping. Wire-tapping is a clear violation of the fourth amendment but because it is “for our own safety” there is nothing that can be done about it. It should also be noted that Bush was able to use the fear of terrorism to shield himself from the consequences of a former wrong doing. Bush had clear connections to former Enron executive Kenneth Lay. Lay was after all a leading supplier for Bush’s presidential campaign. When Enron went bankrupt, little was investigated into the connection between Bush and “Kenny Boy” because of Bush’s clear control over the consensus. It almost seems as if Bush can do no wrong and thus face no consequences for his actions. It seems impossible because of the various safeguards such as a system of checks and balances set forth in the Constitution. If one would simply look closer they could see that the Executive Branch is the only group which has the means to counter a terrorist attack. This means that the members of the other branches, who do after all fear terrorist attacks as much as we do, are manipulated by the rhetoric of Bush’s consensus in much the same way we as ordinary citizens are. It is my hope that one day we can stand up to the consensus and persecute those who manipulate it through fear as a means to achieve personal gain.
Word Count-532
Ruling Through Fear: A Reoccurring Theme
When Arthur Miller wrote the “Crucible” he had a singular purpose in mind. That purpose was to expose McCarthyism for what it really is; a manipulation of the consensus to promote fear and anxiety, thus increasing the manipulator’s power and control. The character through which Miller demonstrates this manipulation is the judge, Danforth. The more witches he convicts, the tighter his reign over the consensus becomes. Miller’s intention with the Crucible was that such a thing would never happen again. He would be disappointed today if he were to see the techniques with which President Bush “leads” this country.
Today, it is agreed upon by almost everyone that the attacks on 9/11 were the most serious attacks upon America in recent memory. The U.S. government, mainly Bush, used the attacks to justify actions that he had been wanting to set forth for quite some time before the attacks had even occurred. The agenda for the government was simple, manipulate the opinion of the people through fear of another terrorist attack. If one were to examine their actions from their point of view he/she would see the “logic” in their actions. They know that the fear of another terrorist attack in America is gripping the hearts of millions. They also know that the only people who could possibly prevent such an attack are themselves. The philosophy is simple, spread fear and animosity throughout the citizens of the United States, by implying that another Terrorist attack is imminent. Then, establish the necessity of the government to the people in preventing such future attacks. Once the government has established that it is vital towards preserving the newly established consensus, it can begin doing things that it would not otherwise have been able to.
The first thing the government did after 9/11 was to carry out plans for a war it had planned long before the attacks had occurred. Publicly, they justified entering Iraq as a means to search for known terrorists, Osama Bin Laden and Sadam Hussein. Their ulterior motive was to enter and seize dominion over the Pursian Gulf in an attempt to take its oil resources. The second way the administration used the terrorist attacks to justify their actions was wire-tapping. Wire-tapping is a clear violation of the fourth amendment but because it is “for our own safety” there is nothing that can be done about it. It should also be noted that Bush was able to use the fear of terrorism to shield himself from the consequences of a former wrong doing. Bush had clear connections to former Enron executive Kenneth Lay. Lay was after all a leading supplier for Bush’s presidential campaign. When Enron went bankrupt, little was investigated into the connection between Bush and “Kenny Boy” because of Bush’s clear control over the consensus. It almost seems as if Bush can do no wrong and thus face no consequences for his actions. It seems impossible because of the various safeguards such as a system of checks and balances set forth in the Constitution. If one would simply look closer they could see that the Executive Branch is the only group which has the means to counter a terrorist attack. This means that the members of the other branches, who do after all fear terrorist attacks as much as we do, are manipulated by the rhetoric of Bush’s consensus in much the same way we as ordinary citizens are. It is my hope that one day we can stand up to the consensus and persecute those who manipulate it through fear as a means to achieve personal gain.