Reverent & Free came across a pro-Souder letter to the editor in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel (most of the post has to do with a pro-Hayhurst letter). The letter states:
“If you want to protect America and defeat Islamo-terror-fascists, vote Souder.”
Craig at R&F notes how perfect “Islamo-terror-fascists” is. It fairly screams the need of some citizens for an enemy. Just give us someone to fear and hate, then make us feel safe from those people. The description of the enemy lets us know that this isn’t reasoned fear we’re talking about. Reasoned fear would do a better job of articulating that certain groups of Islamic militants hate Americans and/or their government, and find it useful to use terrorist tactics against us. But, reasoned fear would also do a better job of putting the actual threat into perspective and, therefore, not be terribly useful as an electoral tool since one’s chances of being hurt or injured in a terrorist attack are miniscule in comparison to one’s chances of suffering a similar fate in an automobile accident.
No, the fear of “Islamo-terror-fascists” is an irrational fear. It conjures up legions of amorphous boogie-men comprised of our worst nightmares. The only thing worse, perhaps, would be “Commie Islamo-terror-fascists.” But, throwing the Communists into the mix is probably over the top. After all, Souder only needs a win, not a landslide. Besides, we probably don’t want to anger the Communist Chinese lest they decide to stop funding Souder’s & Co.’s deficit spending.
I thought of you when I read this a few weeks ago:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71743-0.html
How is it that the Republicans and their supporters are seen as big and strong, when they spend most of the time pissing their pants and making up multiple, progressively scarier names for our enemies?
Islamo-terror-fascists is a perfect name for the administration to use during the run-up to the November elections.
With a tag such as that they can court votes from the Christian right, who think we are on some kind of latter-day crusade, from those who believe America is on a mission to make the world safe for democracy, AND those who are wetting their beds in fear due to the propaganda we are all spoon-fed every day by the media.