Selling Fear Is Evil

 

I’ve been under a lot of stress, recently.  Problems at work.  I’m not sleeping much, and I feel lousy.  Which is why I’ve been posting so much recently.  Sorry about that, but it keeps my mind off of other things.  Anyway, I’ve been trying to focus on the big picture, telling myself that overall, things are good, which is true.  I’ve got a thriving concierge practice with a waiting list.  This is what I’ve been trying to build for decades.  But it’s easy to get caught up in the little distractions along the way.  Because at the time, little distractions are all that matter.  At that particular moment.  But they’re generally not as important as they seem, in the grand scheme of things.  In order to focus on the long view, one must have confidence.  In a great many things.

My path to this point has been complex.  I grew up on a hog farm in a poor area of southeastern Ohio. We lost our farm when I was sixteen. I then went to college and medical school, borrowing money all the way, figuring that if this worked out, I could pay everything off later.  Somehow.  I went into family medicine, built a solo practice over several years, got a second board certification in lipidology, and built my practice from there. The longer I practiced, I kept seeing patients while I continued to work on becoming a better and better physician, through more and more education, and more and more speaking at conferences and such. Now, I’m 52 years old, and I’m good enough at the various aspects of this job to run a concierge practice in Hilton Head, with very wealthy patients who pay me big money to keep them alive. So things have worked out very well.  Eventually.  But really, all this started in my early teens, as I built a long-term plan, which is only now coming to fruition in my 50s.

I’ve worked hard and taken a lot of risks.  And things have worked out very well.  Eventually.  But there are many things that could have prevented me from achieving all this.  For example, fear.  Fear of failure.  Fear of my obvious inadequacies overwhelming my less obvious attributes.  Fear of significant changes in the field of medicine between when I decided to pursue it as a career as a child, and when I could actually capitalize on my investment of time and hard work (forty years later).  Fear of something beyond my control that I could not overcome.  Fear of all sorts of things.

Fear is poison to long-term plans.  Fear leads one to focus only on what is directly in front of you.  Understandably.  Fear limits your ability to focus on the big picture, and look past your more immediate setbacks.  Making long-term plans is possible only if one is not afraid of what will happen in the meantime.

My need for courage was mitigated by my belief that medicine is what I was supposed to be doing with this brain, and my general tendency toward stubborn single-mindedness.  But still, one thing that could have stopped my progress right in its tracks is fear.  Any type of fear.

What does the Democrat party derive its power from?  Fear.

They encourage blacks to fear whites.  They encourage whites to fear riots.  They encourage all of us to fear COVID, global warming, unemployment, and all sorts of other things.  They encouraged everyone to fear the heartless Christianity of George W. Bush.  And the secret malice of Mitt Romney.  And the mean tweets of Donald Trump.  And the racism of whoever Republicans nominate next.  They encourage fear of the intolerant Jews of Israel, against the open-minded tolerance of the Muslims of Hamas.

Fear is the lifeblood of the Democrat party.  Without fear, why would anyone vote Democrat?

Which works for them.  Democrats can’t get elected without fear.  So they sell fear.

But what does the fear they’re selling do to their constituents?

It destroys hopes and dreams.  It prevents ambition for a better tomorrow from ever crossing someone’s mind, let alone actually come to fruition after decades of hard work.  The fear that empowers Democrats makes their followers weak and helpless.  And completely dependent on Democrats.

And that’s ok.  It’s ok with Democrats, at least.  Which makes sense.  Unless you consider ethics.  Which Democrats, apparently, do not.

I look at my life experience, and I think of what would have happened if I had bought into the fear promoted by the Democrat party.

And then I look at the Democrat party, and I see evil.

I know it’s more complex than that.  But all I can see is evil.  They’re not a wet blanket.  They’re a destructive force.  Destroying everything they touch.  From race relations, to women’s athletics, to abortion law, to professional sports, to energy independence, to inner-city crime rates, to the lives of anyone who trusts them.

I know it’s more complex than that.  It must be.  I hope that it is.

But from my perspective, it’s not.

Selling fear is evil.

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  1. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    They shall have their reward. I doubt they’re going to want it. I guarantee their voters won’t.

    The live ones, that is. The dead ones are remarkably disciplined. They even vote in alphabetical order.

    • #1
  2. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Dr. Bastiat: Selling fear is evil.

    When I was a kid, it was immoral to do that.

    I agree with every word you’ve written here about the Democrats. It upsets me every time I listen to them. And they really outdid themselves in this past election.

    I know of three older women who did not venture out of their homes for the duration of the pandemic. They told me they were terrified. Nothing I said could allay their fears. The press and the politicians had completely overtaken their mind.

    I admire you for being able to write about this so calmly. It makes me so angry that I can’t think. The Democrats have violated the most important principles I believe in.

    For one thing, faith in God should give us courage. That’s what they can’t sell because they don’t have it. I suppose I should pity them. Which I would if they didn’t hurt so many people.

    • #2
  3. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    I never really feared anything but failing.  The rest I considered just window-dressing.

    • #3
  4. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    If you have a willing seller and a willing buyer in a free market, what’s the problem? 

    • #4
  5. John H. Member
    John H.
    @JohnH

    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    Joe Biden may have got a lot of fake votes but he sure got a lot of real ones. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. Fear may figure somewhere in their, uh, calculations. But I doubt it is a major factor.

    • #5
  6. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever. 

    • #6
  7. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    • #7
  8. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me!  Me!

    • #8
  9. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right? 

    • #9
  10. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right?

    Humans are weird. They love adventure and great struggle but they hate boredom. Liberal Fascism has some very interesting chapters about how German philosophers were obsessed with boredom. Now we have many very interesting WWII movies to watch. 

    • #10
  11. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):
    Humans are weird. They love adventure and great struggle but they hate boredom. Liberal Fascism has some very interesting chapters about how German philosophers were obsessed with boredom. Now we have many very interesting WWII movies to watch. 

    Now you’ve made me curious.

    • #11
  12. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

     

    • #12
  13. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right?

    Better this:

     

    than this:

    Way better.

    • #13
  14. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

    Sometimes, instead of being evil, Democrats fit H. L. Mencken’s definition of puritans. They are terrified that someone somewhere, somehow, is happy. And they are going to stop that. 

    • #14
  15. JoshuaFinch Coolidge
    JoshuaFinch
    @JoshuaFinch

    Fear is the domain of non-believers.  When we fear, we demonstrate lack of faith — in the goodness of God, in the future, in anything. The decline of faith has made fear more widespread. The question before us is “How do we bring people back to believing in something higher than themselves?”

    • #15
  16. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Dr. Bastiat: But all I can see is evil.  

    And that’s because that’s all there is, and you’re wise enough to not be fooled.

    • #16
  17. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right?

    Humans are weird. They love adventure and great struggle but they hate boredom. Liberal Fascism has some very interesting chapters about how German philosophers were obsessed with boredom. Now we have many very interesting WWII movies to watch.

    Freedom is not boring.

    • #17
  18. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

     

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right? 

    If Patrick O’Brian is to be believed, on parting with each other Spaniards said “May no new thing arise.”

    • #18
  19. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Examples of current fears:

    The Great Replacement

    The Big Lie

    Islamofascist No Go Zones

    And yes. Obviously people prefer fake fears to get high on, which feed their theoretical oppression olympics score, to real things which actually impact their lives.

    • #19
  20. She Member
    She
    @She

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Absolutely true.  Look at Greta Thunberg  A troubled girl who’s spent her entire short life thus far convincing herself of exactly that and shrieking at a wider world that’s done absolutely nothing to her–and which should have spanked her and put her to bed long ago–for stealing her childhood.  She has legions of youthful followers, most of whom believe her apocalyptic visions and seem not to believe they’ll make it safely to adulthood.   Separating them from that delusion seems to be impossible.  I wonder if they’ll notice when they get there?

    • #20
  21. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    I don’t know many Democrats, or many people for that matter, so my close Democrats are a brother and a sister.  The sister (94) only watches mainstream media and hates everything she sees the Democrats doing.  She would like everything Trump did if it had been done by Democrats.  My brother is 83 still very active as a Democrat and in resource management.  He’s more aware but also mostly watches mainstream media.  He believes what Biden says he’s doing and appears convinced the BLM is irrelevant. My sons occasionally elaborate rational arguments for him, but it doesn’t matter. I hope it’s just age and that educable Democrats exist but I fear only after the nation falls into extreme disorder and stays there long enough for some to learn will we come back and the Chinese are not going to let that happen. 

    • #21
  22. Front Seat Cat Member
    Front Seat Cat
    @FrontSeatCat

    @drbastiat – you are not sleeping and have your mind in too many places which is something you can control. You cannot control what Democrats do, not now or ever. You also have control over what type of practice you have, the quality of your family life, etc. You can’t fix the world and were not meant to.  So let go of that thought. Stop reading and watching news or put a limit on it (to five min.). I’ve had to do the same.

    You work to improve the quality of others’ lives, but not your own, which is disorganized thinking. Do what you have to to change that. Plan some summer vacations – get an airstream and just go. Pray. If you don’t go to church, find one on line and watch the services – keep your spiritual perspective.  Keep the people closest to you close – they matter to you and you to them – forget the rest. Thank you for sharing this because we’re all in the same boat.

    • #22
  23. Eugene Kriegsmann Member
    Eugene Kriegsmann
    @EugeneKriegsmann

    They aren’t selling fear, they are giving it away in massive doses. Those who won’t take it are having it force fed. This, too, is a characteristic of leftism. 

    To a large extent this is a reaction to Trump. It was often cited about him that he forced his enemies to respond to him on his level. Having been a leftist most of his life that level was something the left wasn’t unfamiliar with. He learned it from them in their New York City homeland. He angered them so much that they came out of their usual camouflage and openly attacked, showing all to clearly what their real agenda was. Once Trump was gone it was too late to crawl back into their usual cover. They were out, and now they might as well go for it full force. That is what we are seeing now. 

    The Wilsonian version of government, experts ruling, telling everyone how to live their lives. This is really what the Democrats have always wanted, so long as they were the experts or the ones who appointed them. Our good Doctor, Bastiat, is a rare exception in his profession, a profession that sees itself as nearly god-like. Any doubts about that, just talk to or try to talk to a surgeon or a veterinarian. 

    I remember many years ago having a friend who was in medical school come over for dinner. He had just gotten the latest pronouncement handed down to him, this one about coffee being the worst poison we took into our system on a daily basis. Being a coffee drinker I disputed his claim. However, he was totally convinced. That claim has long since been debunked, and new ideas are currently being pushed. Each new idea comes with authority and is indisputable. I have known too many doctors in my life and too few who understood the idea of humility, particularly when they were found to be wrong. 

    I think this pandemic has shown a lot of people the fragility of expertise. Fauci, a true exemplar of his profession, lied repeatedly, reversed himself without acknowleding his previous errors, and covered up the ultimate error of being at least partially responsible for the existence of the modified Covid virus. He has done more harm to his profession than the occasional surgeon who leaves an instrument in a patient. He has demonstrated the Oz-like facade of the medical profession. 

    We need doctors, good doctors, men and women who know the limitations of their knowledge and skills. There are an awful lot of them out there. I am sure what Dr. Bastiat is feeling is not an uncommon feeling among them. They worked hard, studied hard, and cared deeply for their patients. They are being cast in doubt by the actions of a few “experts.”

    • #23
  24. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    @EugeneKriegsmann — Very early in the pandemic, an epidemiologist tried to warn the White House of what was coming; but they checked with Dr. Fauci and he told them there was nothing to worry about.

    Fauci had been embarrassed when earlier pandemics had fizzled, making him look like the boy who cried wolf, and he was naturally reluctant to put himself in that position again.

    The epidemiologist told the story recently, when he appeared on a podcast.

    • #24
  25. Eugene Kriegsmann Member
    Eugene Kriegsmann
    @EugeneKriegsmann

    Taras (View Comment):

    @ EugeneKriegsmann — Very early in the pandemic, an epidemiologist tried to warn the White House of what was coming; but they checked with Dr. Fauci and he told them there was nothing to worry about.

    Fauci had been embarrassed when earlier pandemics had fizzled, making him look like the boy who cried wolf, and he was naturally reluctant to put himself in that position again.

    The epidemiologist told the story recently, when he appeared on a podcast.

    That is fascinating, but not surprising. Fauci is fool. His ego is more important than his integrity. Once he was dishonest about the current epidemic it was easy for him to lie over and over. He should be fired, but given the proven dishonesty of his boss, it is highly unlikely that he will be, at least on the grounds of his lies.

    • #25
  26. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Zafar (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Examples of current fears:

    The Great Replacement

    The Big Lie

    Islamofascist No Go Zones

    And yes. Obviously people prefer fake fears to get high on, which feed their theoretical oppression olympics score, to real things which actually impact their lives.

    Are you trolling us Zafar. That seems rather petty. 

    • #26
  27. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Weeping (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right?

    Better this:

     

    than this:

    Way better.

    You’d be nostalgic for the hair-tearing days. 

    • #27
  28. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Eugene Kriegsmann (View Comment):
    I think this pandemic has shown a lot of people the fragility of expertise.

      Also the malevolence of self-serving expertise.  

    • #28
  29. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Weeping (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Dr. Bastiat (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    Me! Me!

    Yeah, you say that now, but you’d be screaming to get out if you spent more than a day there. Right?

    Better this:

     

    than this:

    Way better.

    You’d be nostalgic for the hair-tearing days.

    With my husband going on a year looking for a job, I’m living in hair-tearing days now. We were in this position for a year back when Obama was first elected. Not once did I miss it when my husband finally got a job – even though the job took him to California for 6 months. Throw in the fact that there is some pretty sharp disagreement with family members about getting one of the vaccines (I don’t want to. Family is pushing that I do.) and that I’m having to continue to wear a mask at work and at church services because of CDC recommendations – and no, I will not be nostalgic for these hair-tearing days at all should I live to see the end of them. Not at all.

    • #29
  30. navyjag Coolidge
    navyjag
    @navyjag

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    John H. (View Comment):
    No sellers without buyers. People – some people, quite a lot of people – love this stuff. They snap it up because it tells them they are living bravely in historic times and can do so by doing almost nothing. From their leader-heroes come more prohibitions than inspirations, and whether compliance is self-destructive, it is glorious.

    There is something quite appealing in believing that we live in the worst/most dangerous/most terrible time ever.

    Would anyone prefer to live in the most boring times, ever?

    The 50’s and 80’s were pretty good. Lots of excitement in the 60’s, 70’s and 90’s and beyond.  So will also take the boring.  Need another Eisenhower to run things. 

    • #30
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