Summary: The Chapman University Survey reveals American’s top fears. Many of them are exaggerated; some are delusional, most are influenced by the sea of propaganda that blankets America. Here we see one reason why the reform of America is so difficult.
For the third year, the Chapman University Survey of American Fears asked 1,500+ adult Americans about their fears (details here). The slide show presentation of their results appears below, with a video at the end of the post. The top 10 things we fear the most are…
- Corruption of government officials (also #1 in 2015).
- Terrorist attacks.
- Not having enough money for the future.
- Being a victim of terror. {Twice on the list!}
- Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition.
- People I love dying.
- Economic or financial collapse.
- Identity theft.
- People I love becoming seriously ill.
- The Affordable Health Care Act/”Obamacare”.
Conclusions
This survey shows the power of propaganda to shape American’s perceptions. Terrorism, numbers 2 and 4, is a long-standing aspect of US society — and a microscopic cause of deaths and damage (guns are a bigger killer of children). Disease and automobiles are serious killers. Floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are big-time destroyers.
Rather than prying guns from people’s cold dead heads, carrying — even brandishing — guns is less regulated than in most of US history (less so than in the towns of the Wild West). Even laws against open carry have been rolled back.
Identify theft sounds scary — and often is horrific on TV shows, where people can be electronically erased from society. Losses to consumers were $21 billion in 2012 (0.13% of GDP), but only $12 billion in 2015 (0.10% of GDP). Not one of life’s great worries. Media accounts of the March 2014 hack into the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shows the hysteria about identity theft. The trivial effects two and a half years later shows the reality.
Considering Obamacare a major threat is delusional, especially six years after it was signed (with few signs of the predicted apocalypse, other than the usual cost overruns).
A real threat: the fear bombardments of America
Our odd top fears are natural for a people who let their government lie to them so often, about such important matters. Americans have experienced almost continual fear bombardments since WWII, as our elites find this the easiest way to influence us. When we learn to see the world more clearly, when we develop sense and courage, we will have taken a big step to reforming America.
Here are a few posts about the fear epidemic. They can flood the media with scary stories, but we can make the decision to believe. The truth about these things is out there.
- Manufacturing climate nightmares: misusing science to create horrific predictions.
- Debunking the hysteria about cyberterrorism. Some sensible advice.
- Stratfor: Debunking the Myth of Total Security.
- Fight the hysteria about the hack of OPM’s files. It’s probably not a big threat.
- Remember the Ebola hysteria. What did we learn from it?
- Dreams of apocalypses show the brotherhood of America’s Left & Right.
For More Information
Recommended: for a deeper understanding of this read Tom Engelhardt’s The United States of Fear
- Requiem for fear. Let’s learn from failed predictions to have confidence in ourselves & our future.
- Threats come & go, leaving us in perpetual fear & forgetful of the past.
- Good news about the fear epidemic: we’re learning!
- Journalists suffer from the crisis crisis, warping America’s vision.
A video presentation of their results
