see this is whats wrong. red beard? more like red ace.

Beethoven and Supe, I could not agree more with you. The USA is becoming a fear-based nation, and this is totally irrational. People imagine that because 9/11 hapened, something 100X worse could happen. Dick Cheney, this evil bastard, keeps on reminding everyone that a dirty bomb could explode in any big city. Based on what intelligence ? The same that said there were WMDs in Iraq ?
Fear, our own, is our greatest ennemy. And it comes from inside, not outside. Most nations have faced terrorism. The USA has everything supersized, so it got it bigger, that is all...

Aurel

Don't forget, it was John Ashcroft who made the urgent and alarming announcement about the 'dirty bomb' suspect (the one he'd already had in custody for four months). Timing was good, because a Ken Lay scandal was brewing and that distracted the press.

Then, of course, it turned out that the 'gangsta' who was arrested apparently was no closer to wielding a 'dirty bomb' than anyone uttering the words 'dirty bomb.'

So the 'dirty bomb' comment is a kind of all-purpose distraction. Just like the 100 or so 'target rumors' over the past 3 years: California bridges, Las Vegas, nuclear power plants; the NY subway... heck they've gone as far as suggesting cooler tubs would be floated down the river filled with some unspeakable horror on the fourth of July.

Once we reached 'orange alert burnout' and had our duct tape supplies all set up, they had to rachet up the fear. So now, it's elementary schools and shopping malls... Fear = Bush

Even their own people admit that the more fear they can instill, the more likely people are to vote for Bush. I swear, somebody in that administration has memorized "1984."

This thread wins the award for most intelligent and rational and least emotional political thread of the month. You guys are brilliant!!


Now, go vote!!!!!