Gaining Perspective: Americans Fear Gov't More Than Terror

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

It would seem many Americans are coming to their senses and starting to recognize the real threat.

www.wnd.com/2013/04/americans-fear-government-more-than-terror/

For the first time since 09.11.01 Americans fear their own government more than terrorists.

A similar poll sampling 588 adults, conducted April 17 and 18 for the Washington Post, also discovered the change in attitude.

“Which worries you more,” the Post asked, “that the government will not go far enough to investigate terrorism because of concerns about constitutional rights, or that it will go too far in compromising constitutional rights in order to investigate terrorism?”

The poll found 48 percent of respondents worry the government will go too far, compared to 41 percent who worry it won’t go far enough.

What surprised me is that Democrats, normally reliable civil libertarians (even if they go too far in support of made up "rights" at the expense of others- like welfare and abortion) by a majority said they'd be willing to give up rights in exchange for the *promise of* safety (I am always careful to modify 'safety' or 'reduce the threat' to clarify that it is not assured, just promised).

The Fox News poll was unique in that it further broke the responses down by political affiliation:

Bucking the trend, 51 percent of Democrats responded they would give up personal freedom to reduce the threat of terror, compared to 36 percent opposed.

Forty-seven percent of Republicans, on the other hand, opposed giving up freedoms, compared to only 43 percent in favor.
Yet independents were the most resistant, with only 29 percent willing to sacrifice freedom, while 58 percent stood opposed.

[Opti]

Which worries you more,” the Post asked, “that the government will not go far enough to investigate terrorism because of concerns about constitutional rights, or that it will go too far in compromising constitutional rights in order to investigate terrorism?”

Ah, so some either or condrum. I don't think fear is useful unless you do something about it.
I'm pro not fear.

[TonyTiger]

I would have felt more comfortable with the Survey had it come from a Centrist type of organization rather than a Conservative source such as WorldNetDaily (WND) with respect to obtaining a healthy cross-section of the American Audience and with respect to who designed the thing and who was interpreting it and all of that, but I won't automatically write it off, either.

For example, I am troubled by the persistent, nagging feeling that the generic polling questions fielded immediately after 9-11 and the Boston bombings are NOT suitable to being interpreted as being legitimately indicative of fear of government versus terrorism, and I am also troubled by similar nagging doubts about the validity of polling folks hard-on-the-heels of a disaster - thereby eliciting the worst knee-jerk reactions possible - spinning inappropriate numbers to attain a desired outcome - versus the saner, more measured and far more objective approach that probably results from asking similar questions during a period of relative quiet and peace.

I think it likely that there are more people today who are more concerned over their own government than they are terrorism, but I also do not think that that number even comes close to being a majority of the American Public. Perhaps I'm wrong.

[billisonboard]

Where I have a problem is with the interpretation of the results of the question.  Am I concerned that in the effort to stop any and all acts of terror that some government officials will not safeguard constitutional rights?  Yes.  Do I fear "government" from the president down to the local dog catcher?  No.

[mmhmm]

I have no use for polls if all I can see is the results.  In this case, we know the Washington Post polled 588 people.  588 people from a nation of over 315 million?  Umm, no, thanks.  We don't know how many people Fox polled, how their poll was conducted, what questions were asked and how said questions were worded ... nuttin', honey.  Stuff like this is useless, as far as I'm concerned.  Just fodder for the fear mills churning out trouble.

[billisonboard]

Fox News Poll: Boston Marathon Bombings

Washington Post Poll

[mmhmm]

Thanks, billis!  That's the kind of thing I wish people would link to if they're going to post poll results.  A link to the statistics regarding the poll casts needed light on the results, IMO.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 3, 2013 9:13:17 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I have no use for polls if all I can see is the results.  In this case, we know the Washington Post polled 588 people.  588 people from a nation of over 315 million?  Umm, no, thanks.  We don't know how many people Fox polled, how their poll was conducted, what questions were asked and how said questions were worded ... nuttin', honey.  Stuff like this is useless, as far as I'm concerned.  Just fodder for the fear mills churning out trouble.

I posted the links.

[billisonboard]

May 3, 2013 9:59:35 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

May 3, 2013 9:13:17 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I have no use for polls if all I can see is the results.  In this case, we know the Washington Post polled 588 people.  588 people from a nation of over 315 million?  Umm, no, thanks.  We don't know how many people Fox polled, how their poll was conducted, what questions were asked and how said questions were worded ... nuttin', honey.  Stuff like this is useless, as far as I'm concerned.  Just fodder for the fear mills churning out trouble.

I posted the links.

They were within the article that you posted.

[mmhmm]

May 3, 2013 10:02:13 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

May 3, 2013 9:59:35 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

I posted the links.

They were within the article that you posted.

Yes, I see them now.  When I first read the article I didn't see the links; probably, because the sun was shining in the window and the glare caused me to miss them.  Sorry, paul.  My bad (or the sun's, if I'm looking for somewhere else to put the blame   .

[EVT1]

      "For the first time since 09.11.01 Americans fear their own government more than terrorists."

For the first time being stupid polls higher than understanding the question.  Go ahead America- fear the government- which is nothing but people YOU VOTED FOR.  Basically-if the government sucks it is because you suck.  I reiterate that the majority of American citizens are stupid.  Joe Rogan had a bit about it- something along the lines that I know I am not smart- but when 9 out of ten people I meet everyday are dumber than me we have a problem.

[djAdvocate]

May 3, 2013 20:50:45 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

makes perfect sense to me.  i have always feared government more than terrorism, even immediately after 911.

this seems "normal" to me.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 3, 2013 19:25:44 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

      "For the first time since 09.11.01 Americans fear their own government more than terrorists."

For the first time being stupid polls higher than understanding the question.  Go ahead America- fear the government- which is nothing but people YOU VOTED FOR.  Basically-if the government sucks it is because you suck.  I reiterate that the majority of American citizens are stupid.  Joe Rogan had a bit about it- something along the lines that I know I am not smart- but when 9 out of ten people I meet everyday are dumber than me we have a problem.

I never voted for a single agent at the IRS, I voted for no one at the FDA, or the EPA, or the Dept of Ed, or the Pentagon for that matter.

The fact is elections are a farce.  There's an enormous unConstitutional fourth branch of government which exercises a tyrannical rule over our country in the form of an administrative tyranny, and nobody you could possibly vote for can fix it, or save us from it.  It has to collapse under its own weight.