Monday, September 12, 2016

political plays on fear


THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF

Hal Pepinsky, pepinsky@indiana.edu, “peacemaking” at pepinsky.blogspot.com

September 12, 2016

 

                That phrase in Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 1933 inaugural address was FDR’s call to relieve national suffering at the low point of the Great Depression.

                Candidate Hillary Clinton is taking heat for criticizing “half” of Donald Trump’s supporters for being racist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, “you name it.”  Yesterday, at ground zero to commemorate 9/11/2001, walking pneumonia and dehydration forced Clinton to take a rest break from her campaign.  Without having personal new today from Clinton herself, Trump’s ads feature that clip, leaving out “the other half” who Clinton says are move by threats, like loss of jobs.  Her staff clarifies whom Clinton meant to name examples of Trump’s plays on fear.  Yesterday and today, as by Trump spokespersons and journalists alike, it is that it is a political no-no to criticize voters rather than the candidate him-/herself.  Thinking back to FDR’s appeals to overcome blaming their misfortune on outsiders, as Hitler was doing to solve the Jewish problem, I suggest a way of framing what Hillary said, to clarify, reframe or rephrase what Clinton meant to say:

                The main thing we have to fear is playing on fear itself.  Love and peace, hal

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