Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Threats: real and imagined

The terrorists want to kill us. Our government wants to tap our phones. The CIA wants to haul us away to secret prisons. Corporations want to poison our water, our air, and our food. You’ve got hurricanes, moody loners, e. coli, undocumented immigrants, drug dealers, shoe bombers, Mad Cow Disease, child molesters, welfare cheats, reality show contestants; if we were to believe the hype, there is much to fear in our daily lives. Here’s the rub: Distinguishing the genuine threats from the fabrications is often difficult in a society so dependent on media imagery. It’s no wonder so few people went to see Snakes on a Plane this summer. We already have liquids on a plane to deal with. Who needs cinematic frights and shocks when reality—or at least our perception of reality—is enough to leave us quivering in the fetal position?

Read the complete article here.