By ,
Published January 14, 2015
The trouble begins… now! Does John's My Word make your blood boil? Click here to listen live to The John Gibson Show on FOX News Radio (weekdays, 6-9 p.m. ET). It's your chance to call in and argue with John!
Is it the politics of fear or is it being a realist?
I'm talking about the insistence on the part of one candidate for president to keep talking about a fact known to all who think about it for a couple minutes – which is the determination of Jihadis to attack us and kill us.
I've noticed no peace declaration on the part of bin Laden or his followers who are scattered across the globe.
The fact they haven't attacked us recently seems to be a result of our making attacking us more difficult, and the fact that leaders of Jihadis probably realize an attack now would likely ensure the election of someone who would vigorously fight back.
Is it also the politics of fear to insist on the new FISA law which makes it possible for our intelligence agencies to scan the Internet and the phone circuits looking for people who would attack us — or is it just being both prudent and realistic?
Bill Kristol and Juan Williams got into a bit of a sharp exchange on this point on "FOX News Sunday."
They are both quite capable of taking care of themselves in a debate and don't need my help but just as a point of clarification:
Why is it that calling for vigorous government action based on fear or realistic assessment; whichever you prefer. Why is that politics at all?
I know it becomes politics in an election year, but if a candidate believes in these realities, and believes we should act accordingly, and says so forthrightly and as often as possible, why should we dismiss his — or her — public statements as politics?
If we had never been attacked, if we had never found anybody plotting against us on cell phones or the Internet, I could see dismissing it all as politics and fear mongering.
But it has happened and nothing has changed the situation so drastically that we can feel secure in the knowledge it won't happen again.
Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story with John Gibson and Heather Nauert" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com
Read Your Word
https://www.foxnews.com/story/politics-of-fear-or-realism