tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post8061673593246280959..comments2024-03-28T00:11:33.489-04:00Comments on bensozia: America's Worst Terrorist ThreatJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-70070995755343700422015-06-16T19:56:55.686-04:002015-06-16T19:56:55.686-04:00"But it is interesting to compare the level o...<i>"But it is interesting to compare the level of journalistic attention and public alarm these guys get compares to the distant threat of al Qaeda and the Islamic State."</i><br /><br />Xenophobia sells, and self-criticism doesn't.<br /><br />People are always afraid of the "Other", never of the "Same".<br /><br />It's why people are afraid of letting strangers interact with children, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of child abusers are their direct family members. <br /><br />It's why comfortable middle class people get anxious and nervous in poor working class neighborhoods, despite far greater odds of being victimized by <i>white</i> collar crime in their lifetimes than by blue collar crime.<br /><br />It's why for some, riding in an automobile most every day of their lives is unconcerning while triding in an airplane every once in a long while is absolutely terrifying, despite flying being by far the safest way to travel and driving being by far the most dangerous.<br /><br />So why does the media circus prance and sing about radical Muslims instead of radical Americans? Because familiar things like right-wing nutjobs are boring, while exotic foreigners who speak and dress and think strangely are mysterious and attention grabbing.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.com