Victoria Ellington Blog Post #1

Victoria Ellington

Blog Post 1

September 28, 2014

GOV 200 0104

ISIS and Politics of Fear

In the following blog post, I intend to comment on a CNN article by Dana Bash and Ted Barrett titled “Politics of Fear—How the GOP is using ISIS Against Dems”.  The article discusses the recent happenings in Israel and the fact that Senator Scott Brown of New Hampshire has used disturbing images of beheaded Americans in a recent campaign ad.  Though, it may be unfortunate, the reality of the situation, I believe, is that his scare tactics will be effective and I will explain my reasoning with reference to realism, security, and power. 

            A classical realist touts the importance of human nature.  It is human nature to experience fear and any American would be terrified when they see those images.  Ideally, our reaction would be disgust, aimed mostly at Brown for exploiting those people and using manipulative tactics, but realistically he made a smart political move.  Brown is appealing to the Security dilemma because the voter data, which it comes from “signals that security is a rising priority among voters” (Barrett, Bash).  Brown proved to the people that our security is in jeopardy and that will most certainly resonate amongst voters.  The Balance of Power theory does not necessarily apply to the U.S. because, although we are satisfied with our power, there is a constant desire for more at the expense of other nations and we certainly do not want to lose any power through a lack of security.  Moral Theory obviously supports the fact that the violence is wrong, but ethical theory exists and means that the violence is reality.  Brown uses these theories to promote his own foreign policies.

            The type of power Brown claims he can provide is of the military sort.  While economic and cultural powers are obvious concerns for voters, actual physical safety is first priority.  Brown’s military background will help people feel reassurance.  Currently, ISIS has some type of power over the U.S. because they have proven that they are a legitimate threat.  They may not have more power than us, but there is not a healthy balance, which we can be satisfied with at this point in time.

            Violence, terrorism, and war are all struggles that exist because of power: the loss of it, the desire to gain more, and the need to balance.  When Americans see the images of the beheaded, they understand that hard power is what we need.  Then, when Brown advertises his military expertise, it becomes obvious why he is qualified.  Discursive power could be asserted to have these ads go away.  It could be argued that such images have no place in public politics and should be deemed inappropriate, but the beauty of the United States and American journalism is that the people have the right to be made aware and politicians and journalists do their best to educate them, even if the price they pay is not having a sound peace of mind. 

            Ultimately, it may be seen as “dirty” or unethical politics, but I think Scott Brown made a good political move.  I am not positive that it will win the election for him, but I do believe more people will vote for him out of fear now than before. 

           

Source: Bash, Dana, and Ted Barrett. "Politics of Fear -- How the GOP Is Using ISIS against Dems." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 28 Sept. 2014.