# Right-Wing Panics **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 8, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760 "2023-09-08T03:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/21 "2023-09-08T18:47:24Z")
Actually the Ebola Panic almost perfectly encapsulates what I’m looking for - it wasn’t completely confined to right-wing media, but was heavily pushed by right-wing sources that thought they could damage Obama over it, and it had a more easily identifiable start and end than most panics, which as other posters have observed, tend to just go on and on until the public is tired of hearing about it You’re right that the AIDS Panic was also not confined to right-wing media, but it was pushed by right-wing ideologues; I’m pretty sure Huckabee called for mass quarantine of people with AIDS, for example. It does get a little grayer in that many liberals fell for the panic Also not sure it’s helpful to switch out a more easily searched/defined Critical Race Theory for the less easily searched/defined Woke even though both campaigns are clearly related, but thanks for the suggestion anyway ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/22 "2023-09-08T18:48:36Z")
I’d forgotten about the Sharia Law thing - good catch ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/23 "2023-09-08T18:56:49Z")
Many of the people in favor of anti-Shariah laws also seem to want laws influenced by their Christian beliefs. Like anti-abortion legislation or laws allowing prayer in schools. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/24 "2023-09-08T19:00:39Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Fluoridated drinking water = commie plot, a 1950’s subset of the general red scare. I know someone who is still worried about this. I told her to watch Dr. Strangelove, but that is way too left wing for her to be able to handle. POE! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/25 "2023-09-08T19:04:19Z")
I personally know people who think it was a call to arms. The zombie thing was a ruse. The CDC getting in on it just lent credence to their claim the government was gonna come take their guns, ammo, food, money and push them into camps not fit for animals. Low bar panic? yeah probably. But, still. Some of these people are _nuts_ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/26 "2023-09-08T19:33:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Many of the people in favor of anti-Shariah laws also seem to want laws influenced by their Christian beliefs. Like anti-abortion legislation or laws allowing prayer in schools. They aren’t opposed to having a government which is strongly driven by religion – they just don’t want it to be _someone else’s_ religion. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/27 "2023-09-08T19:37:42Z")
I’d be happy just to leave _all_ religion out of laws. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/28 "2023-09-08T20:07:29Z")
Flouride in the water IS bad, but all they had to blame was commies. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/29 "2023-09-08T20:14:55Z")
Idk. I spent a butt load of money having my kids flouride treatments. The pediadontist could a been a communist, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/30 "2023-09-08T20:26:40Z")
Right-wingers, c. 2003: “We have no problem with _moderate_ Muslims! It’s the _fundamentalist_ ones that worry us!” Right-wingers, c. 2023: “We have no problem with _fundamentalist_ Jews! It’s the _moderate_ ones that worry us!” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/31 "2023-09-08T20:35:06Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Flouride in the water IS bad Yeah, probably, whatever that is. Fluoride is OK, though! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/32 "2023-09-08T20:42:44Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The Red Scare(s)? No, there really were Soviet spies that had infiltrated our government. Not that Tail Gunner Joe knew about any of them, but there was reality there. But what I don’t get is the “threat” of such harmless stuff as Drag shows. I understand a parents worry their kid may be 'different"- gay, trans, a nerd, whatever. It’s wrong, but parents have many unfounded (and legit) worries about their kids. Or now DeSantis wants us to believe Disney is “grooming” kids. For what? I mean, the Princess makeovers are kinda expensive… 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/33 "2023-09-08T22:52:47Z")
I misspelled it as well. East to do. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/34 "2023-09-09T03:41:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@MulderMuffin](#): > > > > …inappropriate books, inappropriate song lyrics… > > Those two seem to be eternal, or at least regularly recurring. Add violent video games to that list. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/35 "2023-09-09T04:19:14Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > > [@SuntanLotion](#): > > > > Flouride in the water IS bad > > Yeah, probably, whatever that is. Something to do with making bread wrong would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/36 "2023-09-09T06:40:58Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Add violent video games to that list. While recent iterations of this have mostly been right-wing, I have to say that Democrats also jumped on this bandwagon in a big way. Hilary Clinton introduced the so-called “Family Entertainment Protection Act”, a rather obviously unconstitutional bill aimed at regulating video game content. The bill failed (and state laws that implemented the same provisions were struck down by the Supreme Court), but I still hold it against her. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/37 "2023-09-09T10:42:55Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I misspelled it as well. East to do. I thought you were in the Midwest or South, not the East? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/38 "2023-09-09T12:21:08Z")
This is being done in a current discussion, btw. We are up to 314 panics! > [@Freakouts of the Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freakouts-of-the-right/963631/587): > > > **Click Here for full list** > > > > Number Item Year (appx) New Link 1 People being ineffective is OK as long as it is a white man. Bush 2. Trump. 1789 2 Immigrants will make America Poorer and dirtier 1844 3 Communism/Socialism (Red Scares) 1919 \Red Scare - Wikipedia\ 4 Tax and Spend Democrats 1932 \ **Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/39 "2023-09-09T13:22:57Z") Human trafficking seems to be a big one now, thanks to the RW movie that’s out now. I follow a local police scanner page on Facebook, and every time there’s a police incident mentioned that involves a van, or an incident involving a child, you get a dozen comments from people who are sure it’s an example of human trafficking. “It’s real bad here in West Michigan,” is something they say almost like a mantra. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-panics/989760/40 "2023-09-09T13:30:21Z")
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