P A R A N O I A
Marian August 19th, 2006
Pronunciation: "per-&-'noi-&, "pa-r&-
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, madness, from paranous demented, from para- + nous mind
1 : a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
2 : a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others
Paranoia is (These days!) extremely contagious.I am not a terribly political person, however… I have certainly become in the past 5 years more of a Libertarian than I ever imagine I could have become. I think of how my father (a Disabled WW II Veteran and staunch conservative) would have reacted to all of the infringements upon our Civil Liberties that have taken place in that span if time. And, I conclude that he would roll over in his grave!
Everything that has happened has all the earmarks of the McCarthy era, which had the goal of spreading hate, fear, and paranoia. McCarthy and his goons didn’t target specific races for their religious beliefs, but it certainly happened on the North American continent before! What were the Salem witch trials, but fear and paranoia?
I feel terrible for my neighbors who are Asian and also happen to be Muslim. I think about how their lives have changed in the course of the last 5 years and how they deal with the second glances, and questioning looks they might receive when passing through airport security.
During the past few weeks, since the airplane bomb plot came to light, I have come to realise that paranoia isn’t isolated to North America, it has now spread to northern Europe.
These people who get on a plane and think that they perceive someone behaving in an odd manor in an airport lounge or boarding a plane. They have to get a grip and realise that the terrorists have already won….
They have instilled enough fear, doubt, suspicion, and paranoia throughout the world that the alleged terrorists could stop all together and never do another thing. And, they will have succeeded.
Just a few thoughts….