The Fear Factory: How Conservatism Thrives on Doom and Gloom
Unpacking the Conservative Obsession with Crisis
I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that many conservatives thrive on fear, judgment, and existential threats. I wonder, would their whole psyche collapse if they didn’t have something to fight against or be afraid of? From all accounts, it seems to give them meaning and purpose — something to “live” for.
I have been hearing the same doom and gloom for nearly 40 years, and honestly, I’m over it. But there was a time when I was firmly in that camp. I bought it hook, line, and sinker. But first, I was marinated in that fear until I came to believe it to be true.
The ‘80s
I still remember my aunt explaining to me how she was convinced that the internet was not only evil — but of the Devil. She wanted me to avoid it, practically making me promise to never use it. She was also certain that Christ would return in 1988. That’s 37 years ago, folks. And still, that fear (or hope) persists, each year with a new prediction put forth by some prophet… err charlatan.
Politicians used that fear and dread to drum up support for their cause — Nikita Khrushchev was the anti-Christ — so any war, cold or otherwise, was justified. He even conveniently had the “mark of the…
