Untrue myths and legends are born out of fear and ignorance. The more fearful and ignorant people are, the more believable those myths are. For example, the Big Piney Monster lives in the caves around the Big Piney River and eats canoers. Now, if you've floated and camped along the Big Piney for your entire life, that legend will not keep you awake at night when you're camping on a gravel bar. But if you've never been camping anywhere before and you hear the story of the Big Piney Monster, you are more likely to think something sinister is lurking the bushes. That's because you're easily frightened and simply don't know any better.
Scared and ignorant people make really, really bad decisions. There's scared little voice in our heads that override all common sense. That little voice tells us to shoot the monster grunting and rustling in the bushes in the dark. In truth, it's one of you fellow campers taking a crap in the bushes. That little voice tells us to swerve around the deer in the road. In truth, you're swerving into a semi in the other lane. That little voice tells us that the crowd fleeing from a nightclub fire must be headed to an exit. In truth, that crowd is heading to a locked door. You see that big, loud voice of panic will get you and other people killed.
That is why I would consider keeping people scared and ignorant to be the greatest tyranny one can exert over the minds of man. Even calm and informed people are sheep. Keep them scared and ignorant, you can manipulate people to do almost anything. And once you manipulate one, the herd will follow.
All of this is a metaphor for the current state of "the" economy. Right now, millions of Americans are scared and ignorant about economics. They are told in every news broadcast the latest, worst economic news the media can find. Seizing on this, Obamabiden became the scared little voice in everyone's head that sounds so logical in a time of crisis.
They tell us that the rich are monsters and must be punished. In truth, they are just as innocent as a guy crapping in the woods. They tell us that we must allow the federal government to take drastic steps and take away more of our money to help those less fortunate. In truth, we are avoiding a minor impact to our wallets and steering to a major impact that will take even more money and freedom away from us all. And they tell us that we are all in an economic crisis together. In truth, they are herding us toward a locked door.
So, for the sake of our economic well-being and freedom, take a deep breath and let some common sense creep past the voice of panic and be the one who lets the guy crap in peace, hits the deer to avoid a semi, and doesn't get trampled in the herd.
