Scaremongering

Here’s something I’ve noticed in both Tayyars in this country.
Much like George Bush, they’re using scaremongering and victimization to drum up their bases.

Arman Homsi, Annahar

Yesterday, the Future Movement mobilized its media with loud headlines about a Syrian plot to assassinate 36 Lebanese figures, just to get one message across to its core Northern Sunni constituency: “They’re out there to get you”

Also, for the last two days, Michel Aoun’s FPM has been mobilizing its media with news about Qouwet baddies getting armed and wanting to assassinate their leader, and today, invade their party offices. The purpose, also, is to send their supporters one message, you guessed it: “They’re out there to get you”

My problem is not with the news themselves. There might as well be Syrian terrorists on the lose or plans to invade the FPM’s offices. What I find appalling is the loud, nerve-breaking media alarmism which is clearly serving as a political tool. If there are terrorists on the lose, fine, but do you have to shout loud about it in a newspaper manchette? let the security people take care of it. Same with the “Qouwet invadors”. In both cases, arrests have already been made.

The technique works in the short term, but in the long term, it will create resentment and people will feel used. But there’s another reason why politicians should quit the scaremongering: people have daily lives to take care of.