CH 3 - The Fear Economy: Who Profits When We Panic
From Criminal by Design: The Architecture of Harm in U.S. Immigration
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Fear is a product. And right now, immigration is one of the most profitable fear factories in America.
Politicians fundraise on it. News networks boost ratings with it. Tech companies build surveillance tools to "solve" it. Private prisons fill beds because of it. Entire voter blocs are swayed by it.
This isn’t about border security. This is about emotional manipulation turned into economic strategy.
"When fear becomes a business model, justice becomes a casualty."
Fear Is the Fuel
Immigration is framed as a threat because threat perception triggers attention, outrage, and money.
Conservative media shows caravans and crime
Politicians use it to call for militarization and mass deportations
Campaigns run ads designed to invoke fear of the "other"
"A 2024 Media Matters study found that right-wing outlets mentioned 'illegals' over 5,000 times in Q3 alone." (Source: Media Matters, 2024)
"Trump's campaign raised over $25 million within 48 hours of announcing a new mass deportation plan." (Source: OpenSecrets.org, 2024)
"Fear doesn’t just drive clicks. It drives ballots, donations, and walls."
The System That Runs on Panic
Surveillance tech companies get massive contracts for border monitoring and AI facial recognition.
Private detention centers receive per diem payments per bed filled.
Nonprofits and legal defense orgs are overwhelmed while enforcement budgets grow.
"ICE’s surveillance budget has tripled since 2016." (Source: ACLU, 2023)
"One GEO Group contract guaranteed 90% capacity or the state paid penalties." (Source: Detention Watch Network, 2023)
"This isn't a broken system. It's a profitable one."
"The more we fear, the more they fund."
THX Breakdown — Fear vs Flourishing
12 Utilities distorted by fear:
Emotion Evoked: Terror over trust
Value: Warped into political loyalty instead of human dignity
Clarity: Drowned in manufactured narratives
Access & Security: Weaponized, not protected
PERMAH impact:
Positive Emotion: Replaced by anxiety
Meaning: Co-opted by identity politics
Health: Undermined at every level
"A flourishing society cannot be built on the back of fear." "Fear is a tool of control, not care."
Admiration Equation reversal:
No Skill in emotional coercion
No Goodness in monetizing suffering
No Awe in systemic abuse
No Gratitude from communities betrayed
"Systems built on fear are never admired. They are endured."
Final Reflection and Challenge
The fear economy isn’t limited to the border. It spreads like mold into every system that relies on our silence. And it thrives because too many of us confuse fear with truth.
"If we want flourishing, we have to defund the fear."
Call to Action: Ask yourself: Who profits when you panic? And what could we build instead if we invested in flourishing instead of fear?
CH4: The Border as Business
When Human Suffering Becomes a Revenue Stream
Suffering isn’t a side effect. It’s the business model.
