Fake Fear vs. Real Fear

"The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself"

by Doug Smith

July 25, 2026

We are exhausted and demoralized.  We hesitate to watch the news for fear of the next crazy thing Trump says or does.  We share the latest outrage amongst ourselves and wonder how low he can go. 

Are you tired of feeling fearful and helpless?  Then turn that into righteous anger!  We need to organize to take back our country and our democracy before it’s too late.  For decades, soulless operatives on the right have weaponized fear, fear of basically nothing at all.  They have been LYING to you, with claims that a Democratic government would take away our freedom and rights.  They told us we should fear immigrants and gays and trans people and Black people and poor people and liberals and universities and public-school teachers.  Anything to keep us fighting amongst ourselves instead of looking for the real source of our problems.  They will stop at nothing to keep the fear machine in high gear, regardless of who runs for office. 

Part of their messaging was true… they blamed “elites” for their problems, and that’s not wrong.  The problem is, they were told the “elites” in question were Democrats.  They did NOT tell their constituents that the real elites causing their pain and creating a drag on the economy are our billionaire oligarchs… financial services leaders, corporations and their CEO’s, super-wealthy families like the Waltons (Walmart), the Uilines (U Line), and the Cathys (Chik-fil-a) who use their wealth for power politics, funding far right politicians and organizations like the Heritage Foundation, and steering massive amounts of wealth back to themselves in the process. 

It works because they’ve enslaved people to their Fear Media.  People get addicted to that adrenaline rush of indignation.  Fox and Newsmax and all the other far right media channels and websites continually stoke this unreasoning fear, claiming that if voters didn’t keep Republicans in power, the country would spin out of control. 

Contrast that made-up fear with the REAL fear people are feeling today.  Thanks to Trump and his co-conspirators in Congress and in Des Moines, immigrants live in fear, whether they are here with documentation or not; LGBTQ+ citizens are leaving the state in droves now that they’ve been stripped of their rights; the poor are losing their access to healthcare because of cuts to Medicaid; farmers are fearful of what tariffs and the Iran war will do to their bottom lines; shoppers wrestle with higher prices; women fear pregnancy complications in states that have criminalized obgyn treatment: investors are hoping against hope that he doesn’t tank the stock market and the economy; retirees are desperate for a permanent fix for Social Security and Medicare; and journalists fear for their jobs if they write or broadcast anything contrary to the Dear Leader’s wishes. 

Then there’s the existential fear from his numerous unnecessary “deadlines” set against both enemies and former allies.  What geopolitical nightmare scenario is he capable of starting?  How will the Iran war end? 

This is what REAL fear looks like, all thanks to Trump, the GOP, their billionaire owners, and their media minions who continually whip up the fake fear claims.

Here's what we need to do.  We need to help voters understand who is creating their fear, and the difference between FAKE fear and REAL fear.  We need to tell them we know why they are hurting and who did this to them.  And we know how to make the hurting stop.  Electing Democrats this November will bring new laws to protect working people and get this country back on an even keel. 

We can’t control the hate media, so we’ll never get everyone’s attention, nor can we convince everyone of their own peril at the hands of today’s Republican Party.  But for anyone who’s paying attention, we can help them turn that sense of angst in their gut into positive energy, ready to work to get some sensible citizens into office for a change.  Let your fierce, righteous anger be your motivator to work and to vote for a better Iowa and a better America.

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