Back in 1964...

...there was a book written by Richard Hofstadter called "The Paranoid Style
in American Politics". For those too young to remember, those were the days
of Johnson and Goldwater. Hofstader defined this style of politics as
"heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy". These
types view the world as fundamentally hostile. This type of politician
collectivizes his conspiratorial delusions and convinces others that they
share his victimization. Conspiracy for these, he said, becomes the motive
force of historical events".

Typically, this might be the "New World Order" normally depicted by the
United Nations. You can see this at its best in the "Left Behind" series,
mixed in with Revelations and religious dogma.

That was 1964. It seems that it has become the dominant force in American politics. The enemy has changed form the USSR and the United Nations to the "Islamofascist". Ignoring the fact that this group is a small minority of Muslims, it gets front page as the
arch-villain as the recent visit if its President to Co.,umbia University showed all too well.

"I live in a kill zone" says one. Others worry that if Iran gets a bomb
(which according to the international inspectors, it is not doing) a
suitcase bomb will be delivered if not to their doorstep, to a "kill zone"
close by. What has happened to the American psyche to cause this fringe
tactic of politics to become the dominant force?

9/11 was indeed a terrible event, a disaster. Yet countries such as
Germany, Great Britain, Spain and many more have gone through disasters
without becoming paranoid about bombs and fanatics. They respond in a
reasonable manner, with police actions, not bombing a country or invading it
based on mere suspicion made real by lies. And yes, in the case of Iraq,
the evidence is clear that there were indeed lies designed - successfully -
to intimidate and to create this paranoia. The evidence was manipulated to
give the answers wanted, regardless of the root cause (which we many never
know for it certainly has not been given out thus far). Jack Straw in
England saw this clearly and resigned.

Is it because the United States had never had a war on its territory for
over one hundred years? Did that historical and geographic advantage make
its residents too complacent - "It cannot happen here"? I don't know, but
what I see in posts from Americans is a paranoid state driven to
extremes. For it is indeed extreme to speak so casually about bombing
another country that has not attacked yours. Indeed, to speak thus about a country that could
not attack yours given its present state of development. Iran has no way to
deliver any weapon to the USA. And that assumes that it cannot
only make such a bomb, but make one to fit in a suitcase.

I suspect it goes deeper. Canada has not had a war on its soil since the
American attempts at invasion, in 1812 and before. Yet we do not wish to
bomb anyone even if we could - and our technology is well advanced. Nor does
any European country support such antics. Is the propaganda of paranoid
fantasy driven so deep that patriotism is confused with aggression? Has
reason been lost in fear? It certainly seems so. Perhaps it ties in with the rise of fundamentalist Christiainity in the United States. "Revalation and rapture are on the way and we msut speed them up!"

And so every rational thought is answered through the lens of paranoia. To
bomb America or Israel would be for Iran to commit suicide. That is answered by
those who see Muslims as all wishing to go to paradise based on a fringe
fanatical cult of that religion. Even those religious leaders in power wish
to retain power, not in heaven but here on earth. They may have a different
religion but they are not mad dogs. A book presumes that Muslims will take
over Europe and fear comes. The world is indeed changing but not by any
grand Islamic conspiracy. It is simple demographics. Birth rates are down
in Europe and North America. We cannot or will not do certain jobs. So we
import labour and that labour stays and has children. One example showed up
last night on TV. Holland now has one sixteenth of its population as
Muslims - one million out of sixteen million. The fastest growing religion
in Europe is Islam, driving by a population explosion amongst new arrivals.
"Mohammed" is the most common European name. To some, that is seen as a
threat, and from a threat comes fear and conspiracy.

In the United States, the privilege of being the only superpower has brought
unparallel military ability. The US spends over one half of all the world's
military budget. Spending on the military is greater than it was during the
Cold War. Yet a small group of fanatics living in caves whom the world
despises cannot be rund to ground. They have become powerful. The American military has won all the battles but onece again seems liekly to loose the war driven politically and not militarily. Indeed, it seems all military advice, unless it agrrees with the administration, is cast asside. The lesson of Vietnam, not to direct military tactics from
Washington has been not only forgotten, but the error repeated. As a
result, the Taliban is not only resurgent in Afghanistan. It is being asked
to form part of the government.

Billions have been wasted and literally thrown away - $9 Billion is missing from the kitty in Baghdad. A third world population has lost by death over one million souls and another four
million have left for other countries. Twenty percent of its population. Yet if this was not bad enough, the paranoia demands that yet another country, similarly without proof and based on fear of "kill zones" and the like be bombed.

One must wonder. An administration that has lied and deceived its public,
that has the lowest popularity of any - even Nixon - is able to manipulate
fear into yet another war, yet another military adventure.

It is madness, as paranoia is defined.