By Matt Agorist
An extensive survey of hundreds of adults across the United States has just revealed that the thing most Americans fear—more than anything else—is their own government. In fact, according to the survey, no other fear even comes close to the percentage of Americans who worry about their corrupt government officials.
The survey was conducted by Chapman University and it serves to back up the point that while Americans claim to live in the Land of the Free, deep down, they realize they are living in a corrupt oligarchy.
The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 4 (2017) provides an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. In May of 2017, a random sample of 1,207 adults from across the United States were asked their level of fear about eighty different fears across a huge variety of topics ranging from crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and many others.
As Statista’s Niall McCarthy notes, like last year, corruption of government officials came top in 2017, with 74.5 percent of U.S. adults saying it makes them “afraid” or “very afraid.”
Despite the constant fear mongering from the mainstream media and government on bogeymen terrorists plotting to steal our freedom, the public, according to this survey, is not buying it. In fact, the threat of terrorism isn’t even in the top 20 fears. Terrorism comes in at twenty-two—below credit card fraud and identity theft.
While this survey is certainly promising, in the idea that people are waking up to government corruption, it is also a telling sign of America’s ability to hold two entirely contradictory ideas as self-evident.
This ability, or perhaps better defined as “disability,” to hold two opposing ideas, such as the spreading of freedom through war, as being logically sound, is called cognitive dissonance. When one is in a state of dissonance, they may sometimes feel “disequilibrium”: frustration, hunger, dread, guilt, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, etc.
In order for cognitive dissonance to work, society must remain just ignorant enough to support and to believe the lies fed to them from the establishment as reality; even though this reality is a complete contradiction.
Once we step back and observe society with this in mind, the reason for this contradictory mental state becomes quite obvious. It is much easier to remain delusional and in a state of suspended disbelief than it is to deal with the opposing ideas held inside one’s head. How can one chant “USA is number 1!” while at the same time fearing the rulers of that USA?
Coming to terms with the fact that you can actually be killed by the very entity who claims to protect you from those who wish to do you harm, is a difficult realization.
Fortunately, there are those of us who have ‘woken up’ to our contradictory existence. This is not to say that we are smarter than others, only that we can recognize our own ignorance and through this self-reflection, seek to lessen that ignorance through entertaining ideas that may make us uncomfortable.
If this survey shows us anything, it is that Americans would do well to entertain the uncomfortable idea that this country they hold so high up on a pedestal has actually long been on a path to become the dystopian nightmare written about in books like 1984.
Americans would do well to remember the words by John Basil Barnhill in 1914 when he said,
“Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty.”
Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project, where this article first appeared. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Facebook.
Due to the info available on the Internet, which we didn’t have before, and the horrible state of the world, “enough” have found out the truth, which is frightening. Now we know our own corrupt CIA is behind ISIS, Taliban, false flags, assassinations, our politicians liars and traitors, secret weapons (latest being DEW that many believe, with evidence, caused the CA fires), unnecessary wars, all for the traitorous Globalist cabal. Obviously, a soft coup was done many years ago and we just didn’t know it.
Yeah, we fear “terrorism” though bc our own Government is the epitomy of it.
momprayn, you are completely correct. All the alphabet agencies all are corrupt. The soft coup actually began on 11/22/1963. Truman created the CIA with good intentions around 1948. By 1953, it was totally out of control by the government. The globalists won’t stop until they get their way. The Euro is their creation to control Europe. It essentially is failing. Gun control false flags are their next agenda. Disarm the citizens and you can control them better is their agenda. Our government, MSM, Wall Street, Hollywood and big Corporations have been corrupt for a handful of decades.
I agree, except with your timelines. If you just started out with “since their inception”, I’d be on board 100%. This on all of them.
It’s just people thinking they should be afraid of trump, if there was a “afraid of trump” category it would be the top.
Then who would they have been afraid of up to 2012 that caused them to vote for Trump?
I have hopes the The president will drain the swamp, creature by creature.
Might consider stop filling income taxes. Which is theft.
The usurpation began on 12/21/1913 when the unholy ones were given the keys to the unfederal b.s bank of the U.S.
End the Fed and all zentral banks and a thousand years of peace and prosperity will commence.
Since the first thing he did was to start filling it up even higher, I’d re-think those hopes. Remember, this is a guy who said he wanted to investigate 9/11 and he wanted Rudy G. with him. Plus, he’s all about the drones. Plus, he’s helping to ramp up the police state. Politicians lie and people believe them. That is the real problem.
I did vote for Trump and would never have vote for Clinton or any Communist for that matter. However, I am not about to put a lot of faith in Trump. I certainly hope he is everything we need to cleanup this mess but there is no way of knowing who he is or what his real agenda might be. Our government is as corrupt as any government you care to name and the globalists/Communists are deeply embedded. We obviously cannot depend on the Republican party as the Republican Congress has shown us.
A wise view. I also voted for Trump but realized he alone would never be able to accomplish much and, according to his actions and statements, he is utterly compromised at this point. That was to be expected. It will take a large percentage of the American population to act together, and without ‘leadership’ for no genuine Leader would be allowed to emerge, to end this Globalist Central Banking system destruction of humanity. These globalists must break America to succeed in their most odious goals: total global domination [using the UN as a “front” for the Bank for International Settlements and the Barons de Rothschild clan/family/friends], total enslavement of humanity through the fabulous power of creating fake/fiat/digital counterfeit “money” [goal: “cashless society” with CB control of every transaction/all human assets], trans-humanism created by 24/7 social/cultural engineering [see: millennials; unisex/transgender/glorification of homosexuality], destroying faith/morality by projecting endless debauchery/pornography/pedophilia/casual sexuality/”feminist ideology”/ hatred of men… the list goes on. This survey, though small, reflects the landslide election of Trump. As a long term member of Verifiable Voting I can tell you that’s the ONLY way he could have won; an overwhelming landslide, because it was all rigged for Hillery. They got to Trump quickly with a visitation from the Rothschild’s emissary: Kissinger; a kind of do it or die proposition I imagine. In any event, we cannot allow ourselves to be disarmed and we must remain alert to the continuous use of false flags. The good news is, this survey combined with Trump’s landslide tells me the sheeple may be morphing back into people. The propaganda echo chamber is only reaching those who are already brain dead… they’re just talking to each other. However, the globalists will continue to double down unless or until the People defend themselves. Understanding will need to be transformed into action. It could be done peacefully by withdrawing from the globalist banking/currency system en masse… I will hope for that. The Globalist Bankers have mistaken themselves for gods. I believe that was a fatal mistake.
All the candidates were selected for you. Had any of them been off the official track, they would not have been available for you to vote for them. Since dump is continuing the same bs that obombus did, and that being a continuation of the bush/clinton/bush/reagan etc. lines of corruption, it is obvious to anyone who has purged themselves of any delusions of either party having any significant differences that they are all the same. Anytime you vote for someone to be your master, you are legitimizing your own enslavement and advocating the use of force upon others who don’t share your own twisted sense of morality. I say twisted, because advocating the use of force to get others to do as you want is the opposite of liberty. I consider voters to be terrorists as they are actively advocating for others to exert violence upon others. A cowardly terrorist to be sure, but still a terrorist. You will never vote freedom into office.
People are finally waking up? Wow.
I am afraid it may be to late.
1,207 across the country, I would like to see the same thing but with 50,000 people, would the same number be there??? In case you are asking, it is yougov.
Seems like the Leftist MSM’s message is resonating in reverse of their propaganda.
People know that government is essentially corrupt and the MSM political coverage is the proof of it.
Even worse, government is not going to investigate itself and everyone knows it.
Damn. That is some of the best news I’ve seen in awhile. Apparently around 74% of Americans are not brain-dead after all!
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.”
“Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the
English Language defines “legislator” as “a lawgiver; one who makes
laws….”2 With this definition in mind, measure Section 1 [of Article 1
of the US Constitution] by the following declarations:
‘For Yahweh3 is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king….’ (Isaiah 33:22)4
‘There is one lawgiver….’ (James 4:12)
“As the source of morality, Yahweh is the source of
all true law. Because legislation enacts morality, morality and
legislation are indivisible. Yahweh holds the monopoly on legislation
and thus on the determination of what is good and what is evil….
Invariably, man makes illegal what is lawful and legal what is unlawful.
“For any man or group of men
to legislate a different code is tantamount to calling good evil and
evil good and makes a mockery of Yahweh’s law.
‘How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is
with us? Lo, certainly in vain [Strong’s, a sham] made he it; the pen of
the scribes is in vain. The wise men … have rejected the word of
Yahweh; and what wisdom is in them?’ (Jeremiah 8:8-9)….”
For
more, see Chapter 4 “Article 1: Legislative Usurpation” of “Bible Law
vs. the United States Constitution: The Christian Perspective” at
http://www.bibleversusconstitution.org/BlvcOnline/biblelaw-constitutionalism-pt4.html.
Then
find out how much you really know about the Constitution as compared to
the Bible. Take our 10-question Constitution Survey in the right-hand sidebar and
receive a complimentary copy of a book that examines the Constitution by
the Bible.
“No man’s life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.”
“Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines “legislator” as “a lawgiver; one who makes laws….”2 With this definition in mind, measure Section 1 [of Article 1 of the US Constitution] by the following declarations:
‘For Yahweh3 is our judge, Yahweh is our lawgiver, Yahweh is our king….’ (Isaiah 33:22)4
‘There is one lawgiver….’ (James 4:12)
“As the source of morality, Yahweh is the source of all true law. Because legislation enacts morality, morality and legislation are indivisible. Yahweh holds the monopoly on legislation and thus on the determination of what is good and what is evil…. Invariably, man makes illegal what is lawful and legal what is unlawful.
“For any man or group of men to legislate a different code is tantamount to calling good evil and evil good and makes a mockery of Yahweh’s law.
‘How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us? Lo, certainly in vain [Strong’s, a sham] made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men … have rejected the word of Yahweh; and what wisdom is in them?’ (Jeremiah 8:8-9)….”
For more, see Chapter 4 “Article 1: Legislative Usurpation” of “Bible Law vs. the United States Constitution: The Christian Perspective.” Click on my name, then our website. Go to our Online Books page, click on the top entry, and scroll down to Chapter 4.
Then find out how much you really know about the Constitution as compared to the Bible. Take our 10-question Constitution Survey in the right-hand sidebar and receive a complimentary copy of a book that examines the Constitution by the Bible.
While this is another poll we do not know the parameters of, it is interesting to note that Americans fear an attack from North Korea as per the American ruling class propaganda. Sp perhaps we are not as far along the road to enlightenment as we think. I rather like this quote , “The state exists to enforce the dominance of elites. Everything else is propaganda, misdirection and obfuscation.” – unknown –
Perhaps someday the people will get to try real democracy?
Thank you for this, it’s heartening.
I voted for Bernie, then for Jill Stein. Trump has always been a corrupt pig spoiled brat and Hitlary is a nightmare all on her own.
Unfortunately, when you also look at nerdie and jill, they don’t hold up under the light either. No matter where you go in the candidacy of the established parties, you are looking at lying murderers.