Why do Americans love scaring themselves more than anyone else in the world? For a relatively peaceful society you guys sure are FRIGHTENED.

For the same reason we're the most religious nation in the Western world. We're raised on fear. Fear of the Russians in the cold war, fear of "socialism", fear of terrorism, and the greatest fear of all, the fear of going to hell.
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Fear literally drives 1/2 of this country to vote against it's own best interest time after time after time. It sickens me, but no matter how loudly I and others yell, they stay curled in their fetal position.

I think perhaps it's because we've had so little to be truly frightened of. We've been a country blessed with peace and prosperity. We've held great economic and political control in the world and haven't felt any true threat to our freedoms in years.

So when you're not worried about the house two doors down being leveled by a bomb or ebola taking out your village, you're free to worry about killer bees and the swine flu. It doesn't help, either, that our last presidential administration was able to steer its agenda by instilling fear in the American people at every turn.

It's NOT Americans it is however Christians or any of the other "Fear Mongering" middle eastern religious nut balls running around ... now IF we could just get all these "Persian Puppets" to go home maybe we could live in peace instead of pieces ...

~Nemo~

Aside from the inane query you made, I'll answer with Socratic reasoning! How so?

Okay, Daniel, seeing your comment above, I think I understand your question.

You have to understand the free market economy here. You are limited in your ability to make money only by your imagination and your morals, if you have any. The television has been a great agent for making vast sums of money ever since it was invented. Advertisers were very aware that the television was a mechanism by which they could be invited into someone's living room for a thirty second sales pitch every day and the didn't even have to lug a samples case from door to door and ring the doorbell. They'd pay vast sums of money just for that thirty second time slot.

Over time, they started realizing that some time slots weren't as valuable as others, because some shows weren't as popular as others. So the Nielson ratings were invented to tell advertisers which shows were more popular and the advertising dollars went galloping off to the most popular shows. So the writers started striving and competing with each other to have the most over-the-top exciting shows to get those advertising dollars. Now, the government stipulates that networks have to devote a certain amount of their broadcasting hours each day to news and public service. Those are dead advertising hours unless they can make the news REALLY scary and exciting. That is where the idea of "if it bleeds, it leads" comes from. The more frightening politics and the more murders and rapes and what have you that they can pack into that hour, the more people are going to be on the edge of their seat and waiting through the ads so they don't miss the next piece. There is money to be made in frightening people.

But the other side of that equation is that the US is a very rich country. It is getting less so, as we have so many people who don't want to get dirty or work hard like our grandparents did, but the resources are still here. And when you have much, there will always be people who would rather steal it or take over the country than work for it or ask for it. We also give away more than any other country, but there are still those who are jealous. I mean really, knowing human nature, what do you really think Osama Bin Laden is after?

I blame rap lyrics.

I'm not scared, where do you get your bogus info from, don't believe everything you see/hear on American television there may be a few scared here but when pushed we all come together that's why we're the best country on earth and most foreigners are jealous of that fact including you! +

Not sure if I agree it is with any of what you assert -"Americans love scaring themselves more than any one else in the world", is based on what? "For a relativety peaceful society...", comapered to who, or is it whom? The last "you guys sure are FRIGHTENED", says who? I will agree that as there has been little worry about terroristic threats over the years many in the public and the goverment appear to over react now that it seems to be more of a threat, but then we have not had years of living with it as some. +5

Maybe the media plays a part. Sensational stuff always sells well. But I think this applies in most countries in the world -- not just America -- maybe just the things we are afraid of are different depending on the prevailing conditions in the country. And also, maybe only a certain percentage of people is afraid.

Fear of The Other is an extraordinarily primal emotion, deeply embedded in the structure of the human brain.

Once it is activated and reinforced, it becomes extremely difficult to overcome it.

And modern US society has unprecedented tools for the creation and reinforcement of our "Be afraid...be very afraid" neural circuitry.

We have so many people continually bombarding us with "Be afraid!...and vote for me/buy my product/listen to my show/etc." that to NOT be afraid is an act of considerable mental strength.
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Unfortunately with the vast majority of American Lemmings, I'm going to have to agree with you.

Most Americans are a bunch of silver spoon in the mouth folks who have never had to face deprivation.