This is a one of those 'read it and make up your own mind' books.
A State of Fear by Laura Dodsworth. It's about fear - fear of a virus, fear of death, fear of losing our jobs, our human connections, health and our minds. It's also about how the government weaponised our fear against us - supposedly in our best interests, until we were the most frightened country in Europe. Questions include -
"Why did the government deliberately frighten us, and how has this affected us as individuals and as a country? Who is involved in the decision-making that affects our lives? How does the media leverage fear? Ahead of any official inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laura Dodsworth explores all these questions and more, in a thought-provoking discussion of an extraordinary year in British life and politics."
I didn't read the whole book so I just dipped in and out of it, but some of the newspaper headlines and TV news that the author researched is incredible. Here are a few.. From The Daily Star, 23th July 2020 - "Baldies are 40% more at risk of Coronavirus says US study." The Daily Mirror, 12th November 2020 - Covid survivors could have life threatening allergic reaction to hair dye." The Daily Telegraph, 28th July 2020 - People over 6ft have double the risk of Coronavirus. Where would we be without our media??
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Sometimes fear is the only motivation to do the right thing that's required at the time... Whether that induced fear is warranted is another story, and probably a political one
@Convivial In my observations over the past decades, fear mongering usually backfires, people want to know why they're going to such extreme measures, just call me a natural cynic.
@NativePortlander1970 depends i guess on whether the fear has a real basis. I fear dying in s road crash so i always wear a seat belt.... It can be useful
