The fear factor and nuclear terrorism

Reflecting on last week's alarming report from the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, Alexander Zaitchik writes in Alternet that "when it comes to public opinion, the nuclear question is trickier than most. The mere discussion of nuclear dangers, some studies suggest, appears to drive the public away from the very policies that would reduce them." He cites a Ploughshares-funded study by American Environics, which examined the role of fear in motivating public action around nuclear issues.  Says Ploughshares Fund Executive Director Naila Bolus, "understanding the role of fear and how to use or counter it will be an important element in our ability to accomplish [our] goals. Fear can be both a motivator and an inhibitor, and recent research has shown that, post-9/11, certain phrases such as 'nuclear terrorism' can trigger a reflexive conservative response that leads the public to oppose further reductions in nuclear weapons."