Brownstone Pittsburgh Supper Club, March 25, 2026: Dr. Clifford Bob

Join us for an enlightening evening as Dr. Clifford Bob presents “The Fear Industrial Complex”.

The U.S. is the world’s most secure country based on its geostrategic, economic, and military advantages.  Yet for decades influential voices have claimed that we face existential threats—terrorism, cyberattack, Iran, Russia, China, covid, climate change, immigration to name only a few of the national security “crises” ostensibly menacing us.  Why has America come to fear so much when we are in fact so safe?  Clifford Bob argues that the source of our anxiety is pervasive fearmongering by a loose-knit network of powerful public and private actors—the “fear industrial complex.”  Its governmental, military, and journalistic members—cutting across partisan and ideological lines—mount sustained scare campaigns against the American public.  Whatever the fear du jour, scare campaigns include four recurrent strategies:  inflation of threats; deflation of American strengths; promotion of questionable panaceas; and enforcement of fear-ridden conformity.  Scare campaigns empower and enrich the panic industrial complex.  But they take an enormous toll on American lives, liberties, and pocketbooks.  They make us less secure and less free.

In his talk, Bob will outline the argument and propose ways to counter the power and tactics of the fear industrial complex.  His talk is part of an ongoing book project.  Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Clifford Bob is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Duquesne University.  He is the author of The Marketing of Rebellion (2005), winner of the International Studies Association Book of the Year award; The Global Right Wing (2012), which co-won the 2020 International Studies Book of the Decade award; and Rights as Weapons (2019).  In addition to academic articles and chapters, Bob writes regularly for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other outlets.  Bob holds a Ph. D. from MIT, a J.D. from NYU Law School, and a B.A. from Harvard University.

DeBlaze is an acclaimed bar and grill just 5 miles from Pittsburgh, located in the heart of Carnegie, PA, serving tantalizing Italian pasta made with homemade pasta and sauces, succulent steaks, and dishes crafted with locally sourced ingredients. Curated selection of craft beer and top-shelf bourbons for an unforgettable dining experience close to Pittsburgh.

Drivers coming from Pittsburgh International Airport or further east use I-376 (Parkway West) and then connect to local roads toward Carnegie.

Exit 57 on I-79 is generally the closest direct freeway exit.

Free parking lot next to restaurant or street parking; stairs only to upstairs meeting room, no elevator access.

DeBlaze at 131 | 131 E Main St., Carnegie, PA 15106
Wednesday, March 25 6:30 – 9 pm
$50 includes appetizers and dinner