Costa Rica will soon vote on whether to approve CAFTA.  But the government there is involved with a campaign "to stimulate fear" in order to get the agreement passed.  Sounds kind of like a hard-core version of the U.S. tactics here. 

Two government officials, a part of the local "Yes" campaign, outlined their plans.

The authors proposed smearing CAFTA opponents by linking them to leftist firebrands such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban President Fidel Castro. They called for a public relations campaign to "stimulate fear" among citizens about the alleged dangers of snubbing the deal.

The U.S. government is helping.  Our ambassador to Costa Rica has been traveling the country threatening economic reprisals if the voters defeat the CAFTA vote. 

The American version of the "to stimulate fear" campaign is:

1. call your opponents protectionists
2. call your opponents isolationist
3. shout "remember the Smoot Hawley tariff"
4. raise Very. Serious. Concerns. about a trade war
5. repeat.

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