Government Growth and Fear

As I was doing research for my Junior Theme, I came across some information that I found to be pretty interesting. The simple fact of the matter is, the federal government set the precedent for its involvement in education by creating a narrative based on fear. I can't say that I'm really surprised, as this is the way it's been going for decades now, but not only does it give me a good chance to discuss the history behind my topic, it provides the perfect bridge into a land I like to call, White Noise!

So after the Soviets launched Sputnik I in 1957, the American government became concerned with falling behind in science, math, and technology. Congress then passed the National Defense Education Act, which authorized the National Science Foundation to grant $500 million dollars to curriculum and teacher professional development over the next twenty years. Not only did schools receive money, but the NSA began playing a part in dictating the curriculum. Note that this was completely unprecedented - never before had the federal government made such a prolonged commitment to schools. And also note that this development occurred as soon as the fear propaganda began rolling. Boom! As soon as Americans experienced their first dose of fear, they coalesced and stood behind the consequential actions of the government.


Now, the reason I find this interesting (as I always do) is because there's is an incredibly close correlation between fear and government growth. Take the PATRIOT Act for example. Or the stimulus package. Or even the United Nations for crying out loud. They were all created out of fear, and that's the truth. It's a very clear pattern here, and there's no use denying it. Even many of the things people like today were originally started because of fear.


As I was thinking about all this I began to realize the profound role that fear played in this novel called White Noise. On page 117, shortly after the airborne toxic event had struck, the reader is told that the siren was saying four words over and over again: "toxic event, chemical cloud". If you look closely at the exact language that was used, you'll notice it was intentionally chosen to instill fear in the public. Anybody who hears the word "toxic" or "chemical" gets scared immediately. And this is a perfect example of how government operates. Granted, the situation in White Noise might be more appropriate in the midst of a disaster, but the point remains true - government uses fear to progress its agenda. The more frightening the words the better. If you ever wonder why you hear so much fear mongering coming out of Washington, this is why.


What do you think? Is it appropriate for the government to use fear to get legislation passed or take some sort of unprecedented action?