FEAR APPEAL

Matrix Mechanics and the Disaster-Capitalism Paradigm

“Chaos is a ladder.”

— Bran (Game of Thrones)

“Never turn your back on fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed.”

― Hunter S. Thompson, Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

“Chinatown” — Detective, Jake Gittes(Jack Nicholson) was getting too nosy and was issued a warning.

• “Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.” — Hunter S. Thompson

The Fear

When I was a twelve-year-old schoolboy I was enrolled at a Private school that was both challenging and perhaps one of the most edifying educational experiences one might endure in a realm of banal governmental “Public schools.” It was the late 1960’s. The childhood imagery that still haunts my mindscape to this day is a collage of carefree play with friends and siblings as well as a backdrop of possible doom. The Fear was always lurking in the background. The expectancy of death was one particular defining event that was unavoidable and ever-present. The gloom of relatives’ funerals was a reminder as well. Then there was the fear of nuclear holocaust. The nuclear nightmare was a matter of conversation whether broadcast via TV newsrooms, or adult chit-chat. I even knew a family that had a bomb shelter on their property—it was in complete disrepair and useless—a mere artifact from the late 1950’s.

The ‘60’s decade was punctuated with dramatic events like the John F. Kennedy assassination, the Martin Luther King assassination, and the Bobby Kennedy assassination. Assassinations seemed a nasty form of death. The reports on CBS seemed seedy and dark as we watched Jack Ruby replays, as he shot Lee Harvey Oswald—in a repetitious video replay cycle over the weeks following JFK’s murder. To this day I marvel at how members of my generation seem to brush aside these three assassination events as if it’s just some callow aspect of ‘'business as usual.’ All three assassinations have been thoroughly investigated by independent journalists and sleuths, and the conclusion is fairly straightforward when rendered as a question: Why have the governmental agencies and the corporate media chosen to control the narrative and discount the credible forensic evidence available? And what on Earth was Allen Dulles doing on the Warren Commission—especially when he was already exhibiting signs of dementia? Those three events and characters like LBJ and Dulles could quickly use up a person’s lifetime in terms of research and sleuthing.

In terms of the Big Question— Why the coverup? … and the artificial narrative; and still no release of the JFK files in 2022 —the answer was suggested by HRW Bush, but you’ll have to read between the lines(or lies.)

The tag line goes: (in his own words—when George Bush was asked if he felt the American people deserved to hear the truth)…"They aren’t ready to hear the truth.” Or: “they can’t handle the truth.” I just made a quick sweep of the web(not using Google or DuckDuck Go, mind you) looking for the GHW Bush video clip with him in a wheelchair, telling the reporter, we “aren’t ready to know the truth”, to no avail. Thus, we may presume that this detail has also been handily swept from the Google-sphere(or: google’s fear). I believe I may have saved the GHW Bush video clip on some data storage device— that I’ll try to find when I have the time and inclination. As we curious types are aware, Rabbit holes can suck the life out of one’s timeline.

The other event that played out on the telly throughout the ’60s and into the ‘70's was Vietnam. I recall seeing daily footage of body bags being loaded onto helicopters. Imagine that! I was a kid seeing the ravages of war—death in my face, whenever the updates were broadcast on TV. It truly seemed the Vietnam drama would never end, and I only grew older. By the time Nixon announced US withdrawal from ‘Nam I had gotten my driver’s license.

Almost thirty years later—when GHW Bush’s Gulf War was in play, what we saw on the nightly news feed looked like a fireworks display compared to the body bags on choppers ‘Nam scenario—this new war footage was shot from a safe distance. Gone were the days of the reporters in the trenches. We had entered the realm of correspondents dressed in flak jackets against a green screen. [see Barry Levinson’s film, “Wag the Dog” for a great example of narrative control of war coverage.]

What the big three ‘60’s assassinations and Vietnam war share in common is a projection of the world as a very dangerous place to live. The assassinations and Vietnam and the nuclear threat have great Fear appeal potential. The doom and gloom were presented as a constant subtext. My entire life I’ve heard one particular phrase uttered with a numb, detached delivery: “Man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man.” And: “War’s good for the economy.” The economic angle actually makes sense as long as one responds with the question, “Who’s economy?” The war in Vietnam couldn’t have been very good for a Vietnamese farmer’s economy when considering how “Agent Orange” defoliated the crop fields. [From 1965 to 1969, the former Monsanto Company manufactured Agent Orange for the U.S. military as a wartime government contractor.] Or when a farmer stepped on a landmine and lost his legs and could no longer work his farm. It might’ve been an economic benefit for the defense contractor that built the claymore mines and exploding pineapples. In the macro-economic sense of reality—the idea that ‘wars are profitable’ is akin to dumbed-down eco-financial logic—a quick and easy write-off for ‘capital dominance.’ As if to justify the cost of human life and sanity in order that it may be framed as a bank statement. [for a review of landmines: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/the-claymore-mine-vs-the-m14-in-vietnam/]

As a kid, I watched Star Trek and Twilight Zone—and in these two shows, a deeper profound context regarding the human condition was often the basis for a show’s plot. The best writing always goes down the philosopher’s rabbit hole. Rod Serling(the producer of the Twilight Zone series) was no lightweight. Serling could speak eloquently like a hipster beat poet and historian when he was interviewed on TV. In fact, when compared with TV talk show content today—the types of interviews that were on Late Night shows, like the predecessor to Johnny Carson—Jack Paar, are in a pantheon of commentators who reflected on society, social anthropology, psychology, and were also incredibly witty. I was too young to know who Steve Allen or Jack Paar was during my early childhood, but I did discover them later and have enjoyed watching many of their interviews and comedy sketches.

Jack Paar interviews JFK

There was a brilliance found in comedians like Lenny Bruce and Jonathan Winters as well—a brilliance and unique pioneering talent that is lacking today. There are exceptions, of course—Ricky Gervais is certainly witty.

Within the context of the Fear—Winters was especially funny when he contorted his pliable face and reacted to a bad situation. Winter’s timing and wit were formidable to such a degree that had he made a cameo appearance in Coppola’s Godfather trilogy—the entire movie would’ve failed as a dramatic story and may have plausibly become a satire instead. Winters’ wit and innate sense of comic timing was that extraordinary.

fear and persuasion

Using television and various episodic plot structures as a guide, a fear factor is critical when constructing a plot line and script. Good and evil are often identified in a black and white/ good guy-bad guy narrative plot structure. The subtle complexities of circumstance and situational ‘either/or’ quandaries are more often found in novels rather than on prime-time TV; although there have been exceptions. Many TV critics have noted an improvement in the writing of episodic shows over the last 20 years. It’s often just a matter of production schedules and presenting a plot line that is relatable for people, and the dramatic assurance that primal fears and concerns are triggered. I might jump off this particular point and fast forward to a subheading: Everything I needed to know about drama and fear I learned from watching TV and movies. [insert ominous “Jaws” cello line here for dramatic effect… dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh.]

To get the whole Fear enchilada cooking, music is perhaps the greatest ally in order to pique a deeper emotional response. Consider the various TV News themes and the role this plays in preparing a person’s contextual interpretive associations. For example, the rhythm of the score—staccato punctuation, with various string pulses as if we are under siege by psychic mortar fire. Perhaps this sounds exaggerated, and yet—consider the 007 themes which are particularly effective in boosting adrenalin.

One of my favorite soundtracks comes from the recent version of Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig as 007. I play the CD from time to time in the car—transforming my humble Honda into an Aston Martin. Fantasy and the subconscious align quickly with sounds and music.

Sounds of violence vs the sounds of silence:

I have a cousin who reacted to loud sounds as if he was under attack on a battlefield. On two occasions I witnessed my cousin’s emotional trauma. Once while on the deck of a ferry when the ship’s horn loudly bellowed, and once when we were at a Fourth of July fireworks gala. On both occasions, my cousin who was possibly 7-8 years of age, broke out in a raging crying episode. The loud sounds triggered some form of Fear response that he normally didn’t experience.

Getting back to the realm of TV News formats—the music themes in tandem with flashy camera angles and swooping crane shots are there to set the stage and imprint a context in the viewer’s mind: (I’ll start with the subtext)

What you are watching is really REAL and very important and you won’t want to miss a minute of this exciting review of recent dramatic events! So stay-tuned, “…same Bat channel, same Bat time!” (ala camp version of the Batman TV show starring Adam West from 1966-1968.) As Robin Williams would say years later: “Reality, what a concept!”

Fear as a persuasion tool may be found in abundance when analyzing various TV shows and Film storylines. The mafia storylines frequently incorporate fear as a persuasion tactic within the realm of characters like Tony Soprano. Or consider The Godfather line, “I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

The double meaning infers that not accepting the offer may not be in a person’s best interests—especially if interested in living. [So definitely Subscribe Now—or else!]

“Definition and Theory of Fear Appeal”

source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/fear-appeal-in-advertising-theory-examples-quiz.html

“A fear appeal in advertising is a message that is designed to scare the intended audience by describing a serious threat to them. The advertising tactic is to motivate the intended audience to engage or not engage in certain behavior based upon a fear.”

• “According to the theory, appeal to fear will only be effective if there is a strong perceived threat and a strong efficacy component. Let's look at possible responses to an appeal-to-fear message.”

• extended parallel process model (EPPM).

  EPPM is concerned with how perceived threats and perceived efficacy can cause behavioral change based upon fear. According to the theory, a perceived threat consists of perceived susceptibility, which is your perception of the probability of the threat actually occurring, and perceived severity, which is your perception of the seriousness of the threat. Perceived efficacy consists of response-efficacy, which is how you perceived the safety and effectiveness of the recommended response to the threat, and self-efficacy, which is how easy or simply you believe you can engage in the recommended course of action. Basically, the theory argues that the perceived threat determines the motivation to act, and the perceived efficacy determines in what way you will act.

The next excerpt is from one man’s graduate thesis. Eric J. Meczkowski may indeed have a future working for the Langley folks!…or perhaps Pfizer’s marketing division.

FEAR APPEALS AND PERSUASION: TESTING FOR WITHIN-PERSON EFFECTS, The Pennsylvania State University, The Graduate School-© 2014 Eric J. Meczkowski

Introduction from a 63 pg thesis—

“Fear appeals are a prevalent feature of persuasive message campaigns (Hale & Dillard, 1995; Ruiter, Abraham, & Kok, 2001; Yzer, Southwell, & Stephenson, 2012). These campaigns may benefit from a more nuanced understanding of the discrete emotional processes that influence the relationship between emotions and behavior (Consedine & Moskowitz, 2007). Although their effectiveness has been called into question, general findings indicate that fear appeals have the ability to persuade (Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004; Witte & Allen, 2000). However, the factors which define this relationship remain a matter of debate. One factor that has been neglected in the literature is the structural form of fear arousal over time within a given individual (Shen & Dillard, 2014). Fear, like other emotions, is generally recognized as a state of temporary affect, such that the extent to which an individual experiences fear may vary throughout a short amount of time (Batson, Shaw, & Oleson, 1992; Dillard & Anderson, 2004). Notably, the shape of this change may be a key explanatory variable within the fear-persuasion relationship.”

NO-FEAR ZONE: "…some of us are looking in the gutter while others are looking at the stars..."

DISASTER CAPITALISM AND THE POWER OF PERSUASION

The “under toad” is author John Irving’s play on the word “undertow”—the sense of impending doom that is always at our back. The under toad is always ready to pull us under the spell of impending doom, like a tidal wave of emotion. Predictive programming or ‘expectation reinforcement’ [‘man has always been at war—thus, will always be at war.’ is a defeatist program; and yet a handy tool and a form of fear appeal.]

The under toad is cultivated and serves disaster capitalism’s goal—to support a protection racket. One friend uses a shorthand term for the mob schemes that we might witness daily: for brevity's sake, my friend defines “Fat Tony” as the hustler behind the schemes and scams, cutting deals. Interesting that some years later an actual Tony (as in, Fauci) played his part as a maintenance agent for the fear porn—again, disaster capitalism. When “capital-dominance” overrules individual sovereignty we are in essence supporting the continuance of slavery—as in, enslaved to a monetary scheme that merely toes the line for the establishment/status quo. I think of it as: rule by BANK.

• “How much do you value your freedom? Would you trade for some illusion of security? Freedom is something that dies unless it’s used.”

• “In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.” —Hunter Thompson

9/11—Fear appeal on steroids

In conclusion, the idea of Fear as anything remotely appealing seems oxymoronic and/or contradictory. I heard F.E.A.R. defined as an acronym a decade ago: False Evidence Appearing Real. That stuck with me. There’s something to the idea that Faith neutralizes Fear. For those of us insatiable researchers and truth seekers, it seems that the deeper we dive the deeper the rabbit hole gets. Hunter Thompson’s wise advice—to keep our eyes on the fear, never turning our back on it—is perhaps one of the greatest exercises in realizing who we are as humans, and discovering what it is that we are hiding from. Darth Vader is an example of the ‘shadow self’ in total control of the vessel formerly known as Anakin Skywalker. For society to heal and transmute the current un-sanity that passes for normal, we must explore the dark aspects of our psyches with detachment. It is time as a society to question how we choose who to listen to and who we choose to trust.

It’s a wake-up call…an appeal to reason and wisdom.

Orange grove tycoon and incestuous father/grandfather figure, Noah Cross(portrayed by John Huston) explains a few things to Jake Gittes. Jake had to discover who was telling the truth and who was lying, and he got a nasty cut while on the case.