It is the political season in the United States as we begin to see the F.E.A.R (False Evidence Appearing Real) merchants revving up their processes of spreading F.E.A.R.. It is a sad thing this has become one of the cornerstones of the American Political Process dating as far back as the Jefferson Administration. Though it has been a growing issue as mass media has became so pervasive in the 20th Century it looks as though the 21st Century will continue to add its imprint as blog sites, websites, and other venues of the Internet spring forth to present a narrow focus on the issues. Many times the statements made have no facts as the foundation for the information presented by the F.E.A.R. mongers.

An example of how they operate can go along these lines:
Candidate A is a very popular individual Candidate B's supporters cannot dig up any "verifiable" dirt on "A". They do find that the brother of a sister-in-law of the 3rd cousin to the Campaign Manager did not return "The Groucho Letters" a book written by Groucho Marxx. The next day the headlines across many major newspapers "Campaign Manager has Marxist Connection" it does not matter that the information for the articles was gleaned from a blog that was filled with inaccurate information that did not have any supporting information. The feed went out and the newspaper people were having a slow news day anyway as well as did not do their due diligence by checking the source. By the time Candidate "A" finds out about this a whirlwind of people step away from this fully qualified person. It may take a few news cycles finally to get the facts out to the world but the initial damage to the reputation is done as it lingers as a cloud, people won't remember the information was bogus just there was this issue the candidate had a "Marxist connection".

Now the above is a simplified version but many candidates get torpedoed by this type of irresponsible reporting of information. It is the fault of the entire process but most of all it is the fault of you and I for not researching things better. If someone posts on a website that individual "A" has done something then we as good citizens ask for the supporting documentation. Then do a little searching for our own benefit to see if the supporting documentation is being presented by a reliable source. We as a people have gotten to comfortable just to "accept" the negatives which get slung during the campaign season. Negatives without supporting documentation is F.E.A.R. mongering only we the American people can say enough by supporting those candidates that not only refuse to use those tactics but will stand up for election reforms that would close the loop holes the F.E.A.R. merchabts knowingly use to insulate their own candidate from the process creating a plausible deniability for their candidate.

During this election cycle if a candidate or their supporters spread on a regular basis F.E.A.R. about their opponents then it is time to strike fear in their campaign headquarters by demanding acts be presented that are verifiable if not time to retire that candidate from selection as a choice to represent the country. We have gone through 8 years seeing how the F.E.A.R merchants have operated within our government, it is not the F.E.A.R. merchants fault it is we the American public's fault because we do not demand a higher standards, we have been inundated with tabloid news, tabloid television, gossip radio, and innuendo masquerading as truth. We have allowed the process to become a mechanism for single interest groups to control the flow of information. We worry about the theocracy around the Islamic world but we are ignoring the same thing is happening to America in a slow erosion of our founding fathers foresight of separation of Church and State.

Only "We the People" can make the changes necessary if not the F.E.A.R. merchants will continue to grow into other segments of our society, how many Americans have witnessed the "new" Burger King advertisements that slam other fast food restaurants? It is a subtle use of the components of F.E.A.R. it does make for a memorable commercial. There will be more and more of these types of commercials appearing as we the American public are anesthetized by the drone of "pseudo real" information overload. We deserve better but only if we demand better from ourselves and not take whatever the "powers" that be decide to give us.

F.E.A.R. acronym was found in the December issue of Art Calendar. It inspired the above article though it was about the internal fear of an artist when venturing out into the art world. The acronym was very appropriate to this article.