Ep. 300 How and Why the State Thrives on Fear

The state and its compliant media want to scare us into compromising our liberty. Can we stop it? Scroll down for the show notes and mp3!

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The state thrives on fear. Connor Boyack, in his new book Feardom, explains why and how, and what we can do about it.

About the Guest

Connor Boyack is the author of several books and the president of the Libertas Institute, a public-policy think-tank based in Utah.

Book Discussed

Feardom: How Politicians Exploit Your Emotions and What You Can Do to Stop Them. Connor also has a special site for the book.

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Tom’s Foreword

Your host wrote the foreword to Feardom! Click here to read it.

Some Other Books by the Guest

The Tuttle Twins Learn About The Law (children’s book incorporating the ideas in Frederic Bastiat’s book The Law)
Latter-Day Liberty
Latter-Day Responsibility

Guest’s Website

Connor’s Conundrums

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Luke Perkins

I haven’t thought this through all the way, I have only noticed an interesting connection for all the Christian listeners out there.

Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly says variants of “be not afraid,” while in the Gospel of Matthew, fear is consistently held up as the opposite of faith.

Meanwhile, if fear is the foundation of government, then would not the foundation of government be the opposite of faith in God, or faithlessness?

Would this explain why one of God’s favorite punishments for Israels’ infidelity was to set up tyrants and despots over them?

If Christians are called to faith, and faith is the antithesis of
fear, what then would be the foundation of “Christian” government?
Ben Osborne

I’d like to see the video from the RNC referred to in the interview (the supercut of references to terror, terrorism, etc.). If anyone has a link, please post it.
cboyack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcz4_JL5b7c
David_Rogers_Hunt

Does respect flow from fear,… or from admiration?

The BIG problem here is that rational ignorance is so very prevalent, and so much knowledge is necessary before we can admire something, that, as a necessary consequence, it is ALWAYS easier to evoke fear than admiration.
Libertarian Jerry

Tom,you forgot to discuss one of the greatest fear mongers of all. That is your accountant and the fear of the IRS.