Poem: Politics of Fear

[meridian_rose]

Politics of Fear

The easiest way to control people
Is to have them do it themselves

Conjure up a boogeyman
A certain race or sexual orientation
Or an impending disaster or disease
Play on their fears
Whip up hysteria
And tell them that their safety depends
On doing exactly what they are told
To burn witches and inform on Jews
To ostracise gay men and fear the weather
To keep inside or they’ll die – or kill someone
A terrified populace won’t just let you take their freedom
Their civic rights and their humanity
If they are terrified enough they will demand it

If we are petrified enough we police each other
If you give people a figurehead or a cause or a religion
We are capable of inhumanity in its name
We don’t burn witches now
But we still inform on our neighbours
And treat them with suspicion
Will history judge us
(For screaming abuse at someone
Who gets within six feet of us
For reporting our friends for visiting loved ones
In defiance of government edicts)
As we judge those who did what was then
“For the public good”
Who were “just following orders”
Who let fear take their humanity?

Comments

[under_the_silk_tree]

Wow very powerful. Thanks so much for sharing.