North Country Forum
Dr. Carney’s most recent posts are to be found here. He is in the process of compiling a complete archive of all articles he has written since his retirement from professional social work practice in 2010. All his blogs have as their focus issues pertaining to social justice; are generally placed in their historical context; and, ultimately, are subjected to in-depth analyses whose aim is to promote a full understanding of the issues being addressed.
The Culture of Fear and the Lost Art of Organizing for Social Change
“No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” Edmund Burke, 1757 “Fear exceeds all other disorders in intensity.” Michel de Montaigne, 16th C. “It is a sad fact of life that power and fear are the fountainheads of faith.” Saul Alinsky, 1971 “We held no one accountable, gave Dick Cheney a new heart and still got Boston.” Jack Carney, 2013 “Don’t mourn, organize!” Joe Hill, 1915, apochryphal Fear. Omnipresent. Difficult to ward off or ignore. Just to advise readers, this long, somewhat involved article has been written for purely didactic purposes. Frankly, I’d like more folks to learn how to...