First entry in a while---I apologize for any egregious grammar mistakes.
I was just looking at a chart called the "Real Threat to Americans." It is a standard bar graph, with it's legitimate sources listed underneath. It shows how many deaths in the United States occurred from 2000-2005 due to various causes. At the very lowest is terrorism, with 3,000 deaths, essentially all caused by the 9/11 attacks. Next is homicide, with 96,000 deaths and it slowly moves up the ladder (with lack of health care, obesity, suicide, and cancer all players). Finally, the graph reaches, Heart disease, which caused approximately 3.1 million deaths during the specified years.
Now why, might you ask, if the terrorism-related deaths are so low, do Americans fear it so much? I believe it roots in a common psychological concept called the "Availability Heuristic." This is also why most Americans fear airplane travel much more than car driving. (Which is statistically thousands of times more dangerous) Based on a small sample size, the mind distorts one's entire view of a subject due to emotional overreaction. The notion is simply "more available."
Politicians play off the Availability Heuristic all the time. In my opinion, this is why George W. Bush is our president today. Obviously terrorism is not something to fear nearly as much as the mainstream media pushes, however Americans are being emotional, not rational.
***
Let me digress. On the topic of terrorism, I would just like a moment to rant. Why on earth is Ward Churchill no longer a professor at the University of Colorado - Boulder? For those of you who don't know, Churchill published an Essay in 2001 that suggested those who died in the 9/11 attacks 'had it coming'. Well, that's what the media announced in 2005. However, that is a BLATANT over-simplification and plays off the American archetype of rah-rah, gung-ho bullshit. What Churchill was saying is FAR MORE rational and based in fact. Let me explain:
1) Just like the Ron Paul controversy, Ward's essay contains a stigma in Bush-era America. It suggests that *gasp* America's aggressive, imperialistic, militaristic foreign policy ACTUALLY HAS A CONNECTION to provoking terrorism! (what an idea, right.)
2) This idea that both Ron Paul and Ward Churchill have become famous for saying is not by any means a radical, conspiritorial notion. The CIA, the CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, and the 9/11 commission report both unambiguously state that America's foreign policy has exacerbated, not alleviated terrorism and caused hatred towards our country. This is not an issue about freedom or jealousy, but as a token mobster would say "You fuck with my people, I fuck with your people."
3) So if the CIA (not exactly a progressive institution) can conclusively agree, then we shall move ahead. The World TRADE center, played a large part procedurally and symbolically in both the military-industrial complex and American imperialism.
4) Now let me move to a metaphor quickly to exhibit my point. Let's say your uncle decides to take a walk through Compton at 3 A.M wearing a bright red T-shirt. (The color of the bloods). He gets shot up and is found dead the next morning. Now, of course no one is going to say, "Wow that motherfucker really had it coming!" because although it may be true, it's insensitive. Most people will say, "Wow that's unfortunate, but he was walking in harm's way...."
5) This is equivalent to some of the people in the WTC. Just like Ward Churchill, I am saying SOME of the people. Any individual working for the military-industrial complex KNOWS what they are a part of. They know how the world feels about them. And of course, there are people who deserved to die infinitely more than the poor people in the WTC, however, they were in harms way. If saying that is treason, then I guess I'm guilty.
It was quite simple for Wild Bill O' Reilly and the rest of the punditocracy to feed off that story for months. When I flipped through Fox News today, Geraldo was STILL harping on it! He called Ward (for the ten-thousandth time) "a despicable man." You know what? Geraldo is the despicable man. Geraldo is a right-wing cheerleader with Red, White and Blue pom-poms---ignoring rationality, ignoring emprical evidence, and promoting ignorance in this country. Unfortunately, due to the Availability Heuristic and theories of memetics, these idiotic nationalistic clowns will continue to thrive like mold spores on a wet piece of toast.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - FDR
ps. Life is fun. I'm looking forward to more intellectual stimulation in Santa Cruz.
Now why, might you ask, if the terrorism-related deaths are so low, do Americans fear it so much? I believe it roots in a common psychological concept called the "Availability Heuristic." This is also why most Americans fear airplane travel much more than car driving. (Which is statistically thousands of times more dangerous) Based on a small sample size, the mind distorts one's entire view of a subject due to emotional overreaction. The notion is simply "more available."
Politicians play off the Availability Heuristic all the time. In my opinion, this is why George W. Bush is our president today. Obviously terrorism is not something to fear nearly as much as the mainstream media pushes, however Americans are being emotional, not rational.
***
Let me digress. On the topic of terrorism, I would just like a moment to rant. Why on earth is Ward Churchill no longer a professor at the University of Colorado - Boulder? For those of you who don't know, Churchill published an Essay in 2001 that suggested those who died in the 9/11 attacks 'had it coming'. Well, that's what the media announced in 2005. However, that is a BLATANT over-simplification and plays off the American archetype of rah-rah, gung-ho bullshit. What Churchill was saying is FAR MORE rational and based in fact. Let me explain:
1) Just like the Ron Paul controversy, Ward's essay contains a stigma in Bush-era America. It suggests that *gasp* America's aggressive, imperialistic, militaristic foreign policy ACTUALLY HAS A CONNECTION to provoking terrorism! (what an idea, right.)
2) This idea that both Ron Paul and Ward Churchill have become famous for saying is not by any means a radical, conspiritorial notion. The CIA, the CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, and the 9/11 commission report both unambiguously state that America's foreign policy has exacerbated, not alleviated terrorism and caused hatred towards our country. This is not an issue about freedom or jealousy, but as a token mobster would say "You fuck with my people, I fuck with your people."
3) So if the CIA (not exactly a progressive institution) can conclusively agree, then we shall move ahead. The World TRADE center, played a large part procedurally and symbolically in both the military-industrial complex and American imperialism.
4) Now let me move to a metaphor quickly to exhibit my point. Let's say your uncle decides to take a walk through Compton at 3 A.M wearing a bright red T-shirt. (The color of the bloods). He gets shot up and is found dead the next morning. Now, of course no one is going to say, "Wow that motherfucker really had it coming!" because although it may be true, it's insensitive. Most people will say, "Wow that's unfortunate, but he was walking in harm's way...."
5) This is equivalent to some of the people in the WTC. Just like Ward Churchill, I am saying SOME of the people. Any individual working for the military-industrial complex KNOWS what they are a part of. They know how the world feels about them. And of course, there are people who deserved to die infinitely more than the poor people in the WTC, however, they were in harms way. If saying that is treason, then I guess I'm guilty.
It was quite simple for Wild Bill O' Reilly and the rest of the punditocracy to feed off that story for months. When I flipped through Fox News today, Geraldo was STILL harping on it! He called Ward (for the ten-thousandth time) "a despicable man." You know what? Geraldo is the despicable man. Geraldo is a right-wing cheerleader with Red, White and Blue pom-poms---ignoring rationality, ignoring emprical evidence, and promoting ignorance in this country. Unfortunately, due to the Availability Heuristic and theories of memetics, these idiotic nationalistic clowns will continue to thrive like mold spores on a wet piece of toast.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - FDR
ps. Life is fun. I'm looking forward to more intellectual stimulation in Santa Cruz.