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The politics of fear have been with us for a good long while, indeed. In the states, they really rolled into high gear after 9/11. All (or almost all) decisions, recommendations, and policies were influenced not only by fear itself but how fear could be used to good advantage.

For years and years, the US couldn't find and dispatch OBL. My opinion is that he was worth more alive; a dead boogeyman doesn't scare people. But after a while, people get complacent and the enemy of the day starts to lose his spicy salsa flavor. Time for a new one, which is just what happened shortly after the big raid. The wheel must turn. Best to recognize it for what it is and carry on.

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Indeed. Currently it seems they're doing all they can to hype the RSV "epidemic" and there are a bunch of others in the pipe that are "possibly" very serious as well (because death and destruction is always a possibility, no matter how remote). It's laughable until you realize that while you were laughing, you just lost another ounce of freedom and some more piece of mind.

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