Human beings act and think differently when they are scared or feel threatened. Something primordial takes over. When human beings begin to live in a state of fear, they begin to act in a very psychologically unhealthy manner, far different from fight or flee ? the human survival mechanism acquired over millions of years. In this heightened state, rationality and the ability to gauge danger go haywire; all of a sudden, danger and terror lurk behind every shadow.

Throughout recorded history, maniacal leaders have known how to manipulate these insecurities, driving the populace into a frenzy of hate and fear whenever they have seen fit to wage expansionist wars. Usually they've been waged under the banner of spreading civilization, religion, democracy -- and protecting the homeland. To conduct these divinely inspired missions, hyper-nationalistic calls are always made to cower people into blindly supporting these militaristic ventures.

This describes the post-911 world we now live in. Rather than face threats rationally & intelligently, President Bush has transformed the nation's geographical landscape into one of fear, hate and silence. His quest for unchecked power and his call for permanent worldwide war depends upon the electoral map not being red or blue, but rather, yellow -- though there are increasing indications that the electorate has now had enough.

In this new landscape, everyone has become a potential enemy. As such, appeals are made to unify and protect the homeland and "our threatened borders." The nation fears terrorists and brown hordes streaming across the border. As the fear is ratcheted up, even friends & neighbors become suspect. Whoever is not us, whoever does not look or think like us, must be against us. They must be investigated, sought out, eliminated, imprisoned or silenced.

On the eve of the Nov. 7 elections, this nation has become enveloped in an encirclement of fear; the militarization of the border, including 700 miles of walls and draconian laws highlight this manufactured fear. The geographical landscape of the United States is being transformed before our very eyes to resemble the Chile, Argentina, El Salvador & Guatemala of the 1970s-80s. A generation ago, before these U.S.-backed military dictatorships waged their fratricidal wars, they all had to foment hate & fear campaigns, permitting these unelected leaders to amass all power unto themselves.

In those nations, the fear was that of the communist menace and all the enemies were internal. It is true that this is an uneven comparison because no country can actually resemble the United States because no nation in the history of humanity has ever welded as much brute military power. Aside from how this president assumed power, the comparison is more about how he has been able to manipulate fear and pass "special" wartime laws, while neutralizing and silencing the Democratic Party.

And yet, on the eve of these elections, everything indicates that the electorate will step forward. While the stakes are the same as in 2004 and 2002, the populace has now finally decided that the Constitution does matter and that this will not become the United States of Fear. That's the message that the electorate is poised to deliver. Despite being on the verge of a massive political eruption, there's still a danger that the election can be stolen in one of several ways; through fraudulent schemes, including voter intimidation, massive voter disqualification and misinformation; the manipulation of the electronic voting machines, and post-election; by a Democratically controlled Congress refusing to roll back the president?s draconian policies and refusing to hold his administration accountable for waging an illegal war. Time and thousands of deaths have not made this war just or legal. (Failure to counteract the Republican-led extremist anti-immigrant movement can also be interpreted as another sign of a stolen election).

Amazingly, Mexico is undergoing a similar convulsion. While Felipe Calderon of the PAN is scheduled to be inducted as Mexico's next official president on Dec. 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador?s supporters are not accepting the close results of the July presidential election. They will swear him in as ?the legitimate president of MexicoÓ on Nov. 20 ? the day Mexico officially celebrates its 1910 Revolution. No one is quite sure how this will play out.

Similarly, no one knows how an exasperated U.S. electorate will react if it perceives the November elections to have been once again stolen. Perhaps we may yet see a new geographical landscape -- a geography of resistance.

© Column of the Americas 2006