Astronomy

It’s often said that we live in a society that has great fear surrounding it. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself” is the famous quote, but how often do we really listen to this message? While it’s of course important to keep ourselves safe and our families in good health, we can’t let fear get the best of us. It’s a great idea to make sure workplaces are safe, with fall protection and rail guard in place where they are needed, but when keeping our own notion of safety intact borders on becoming damaging to ourselves and others, we need to reconsider the kind of society we take part in.

The events of September 11 ultimately, made the largest effect on our perceived safety of the world. Terrorism was surely in existence, but it was not in the top of our minds. When the attacks occurred Al-Qaeda terrorists were quickly pointed to as the perpetrators of the violence, and retaliations were eagerly put in place by the Republican administration.

The response made by the Government of George Bush and Dick Cheney is one of the most controversial decisions since Vietnam. The decision to invade Iraq, a place where it was acknowledged Osama Bin Laden had no connection to, and the only seeming reason to invade was a large amount of oil stocks and a chance to engage in wider penetration through the Middle East, is one that was at first thought of as a conspiracy theory, but now is the majority view of the truth. There can be no doubt that the Obama campaign would have had little chance of success had the decisions of eight years of Bush’s reign not been so damaging to American security.

It’s here that we can note an interesting irony about fear and the desire for safety. While many supported Bush whole-heartedly as they thought this was best for our safety, the reality is that this giving into fear was what ultimately has made America a less safe country to be in, as the damage caused by the Iraq war to the global standing of America has been massive.

Today, there is another fear present in the world such as the fear of climate change and Earth warming. Is this fear valid? One of the major points of contrast between global warming and the fear of terrorism is that there is no real enemy to battle against when it comes to global warming. In fact, those who believe that climate change evidence is present; are less and less likely to trust their government. A belief in a widespread terrorism threat, though, leads us to look to support the power structure that is already in place.

In conclusion, we need to think deeply and properly about any aspect of our lives that brings fear out within us. By disconnecting ourselves momentarily from our panic, and looking dispassionately at the evidence involved, we can make an informed decision as to the kind of measures need to be taken to keep ourselves and our families safe.

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