Old Bogeymen Never Die...

by Butler Shaffer, LRC Blog
May. 03, 2011

John Brennan – Obama’s Assistant for Homeland Security – has been quoted as saying that the government is “going to do everything we can” to prevent denials of bin Laden’s death. Will deniers be put into locked rooms and forced to listen to Wolf Blitzer for endless periods – much like the treatment in A Clockwork Orange – or simply be shipped off to Gitmo? What about those who acknowledge bin Laden’s death, but insist it came about nearly ten years ago?

I have seen a number of blogs that ask “if bin Laden did die years ago, why wouldn’t the government have so announced at the time?” Because the state depends upon a fear-ridden populace to maintain its powers, bogeymen have always been in demand. A bogeyman who cannot be seen is, perhaps, the most to be feared. What made the movie Jaws so frightening was that we couldn’t see the giant shark. (Because of some mechanical problems in operating the make-believe shark, the producers used music as a substitute source of fear.) One of the most terrifying movies I ever saw was the original version of Diabolique, in which the wrongdoer never appeared until the very end of the film; his wife forever listening to his mysterious footsteps in the hallway, etc. Who better to keep Boobus terrified and crying for Big-Daddy than a ubiquitous, but unseen, monster like bin Laden? And when he’s gone, can he be traded in on the latest model: Gaddafi? (Where is Gaddafi, anyway? Has anyone seen him lately? How will Rudy Giuliani be able to sleep, knowing of the presence of this new villain? Will Rudy keep his bedroom night-light on?)