avatarworf

After talking about bike touring fears and shotguns on tour, I thought this blog might make some interesting reading:

Path Less Pedaled

I really like their writing, and this week they write about 'The Great Fear'

"The Great Fear starts in Prudhoe Bay Alaska, is what we are told. It is found in the Northern Territories of Canada, deep in the woods of Oregon, in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, hiding in the low brush of the plains, in the alleys of Los Angeles, at the border in Mexico and in the jungles of South America. It hunts you from the dim corners of your waking mind and like a vampire bat drains your will and constitution before you are even aware of it...."

And later they conclude:

"The Great Fear is everywhere and everything and nothing all at once."

arctos

Social control of the individual is the goal of the Great Fear. The message is -- Don't stray very far from the accepted behavior approved by your group. This method uses fear of the Other or some menace to pull the group together and prevent wandering off by the group members. Wandering endangers group unity, control and safety. Groups are afraid that your direct experience will destroy their propaganda.

Over the centuries the fear shifted from one outside group or menace to another. Protestants, Catholics, Communists, Anarchists, Nazis, Jews and Muslims being the most recent groups. Countries [Iran], drug violence, terrorists and now bears are the most recent variations. In some places even bike riding and touring are outlandish and dangerously scary actions. It will corrupt the group or individual with facts about the world around you by eliminating the hysteria used for control.

awc380

Yeah...real profound, guys.