No, this is not a trailer for the latest action blockbuster from Hollywood, this is instead an advert for a political campaign. Now apart from feeling like my intelligence is being assaulted, I think this reveals a great deal about the mentality of the electorate in America.
Politicians, though more Republican politicians, run their campaigns on the basis of fear. With the direct result being more votes for them, and a growth in a fear of America throughout the rest of the world.
Since 9/11 America has been a very confusing place for those of us on the outside, and I wonder how much of that is because of decisions made out of a fear that we simply don’t feel. What would the world look like today if the Bush administration were not provided with such an incredible "enemy" (terrorism) on which to focus and build fear upon, a practice demonstrated perfectly here by the Republican front runner.
I always think back to the time when I was in the US and Anthrax was being sent through the post. This "attack" lasted for several weeks, and did in fact kill 5 people. Of course that is 5 too many, but through the entire time I was there, which was around 2 weeks, the news networks provided updates constantly. Most of the time of course there was no additional information to offer, but it made me feel like I was personally, directly and unavoidable at risk.
When I contrast this to the way London responded to the bombing of the underground, that is a message of "Please go about your business as normally as is possible, the police are handling it", I can quickly see which offers the healthier and more rational response.
Of course this could also have something to do with the quality of the media, the good old beeb making the blatantly right-wing Fox News network look like the tabloid it is. Don’t believe me?
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