For a while I’ve been wondering about the over-hype being pressed by our government on the topic of terrorism. Yeah, I know, terrorists are bad people, etc. I would never approach condoning terrirsm nor the actions undertaken by them, however, let’s be realistic. Are we really at risk?
So I did some research and the resulting video is posted to at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka5FdP-gNF0
The point being every person has a vote, and through that vote, your wallet, and your participation in the government we can have the government of the people, for the people, by the people again. It certainly hasn’t been that for a while IMO, but I retain hope and optimism that it can be that again if the people simply rejoin the process.
The Xdossier 
January 20, 2008 at 9:33 am
Don’t be blind. ignore the threat all you want. Just cause we haven’t been attacked since 9-11 doesn’t mean there are those out there who are waiting for the next 9-11. Please, please, please don’t be so ignorant. The next one will be 5 times worse than 9-11
It must be paid attention to, it must not be ignored, it must not be downplayed
January 21, 2008 at 6:32 pm
@john
Thanks for the comment, and I 100% agree that terrorism is a problem, and that terrorists (or anyone willing to kill en masse) are dangerous people. Zealotry in any form that shuns discourse and rational thought are not good in my opinion.
However that isn’t the point. It’s the hysteria and use of fear to control the US population that is out of check.
Try this one for a discussion of tactics in fighting terrorism:
http://www.powerseductionandwar.com/archives/the_terrorist_d.phtml#more
“According to a September 2007 report from the U.S. Department of Justice, that “43% of the names reported to the TSC [Terrorist Screening Center database] are false positives.” The TSC database, maintained by the FBI, is the source for names on the government’s No-Fly List. ”
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2007/tc20071214_567370.htm?chan=technology_special+report+–+tech+homeland+security_tech+homeland+security
“”When these contracts go awry, it’s not just a question of millions of dollars or tens of millions or billions of dollars wasted, but it also means that the security gaps that those contracts are intended to address are left unaddressed,” says Clark Ervin, who was the agency’s Inspector General from January, 2003, to December, 2004. ”
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205602931
The list goes on and on, but if (as you assert) this is such a huge deal, why the lack of controls and oversight to make it *effective*. Right now we have seen little if any evidence of real impact, and the 14 incidents cited commonly as stopped since 9/11 (see: http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_1_homeland_security.html ) many are results of standard law enforcement, not orwellian surveillance, stringent air traffic security, or military actions abroad.
The point of this is that if we have an important issue like terrorism, we need rational thought that fear and hysteria can not bring. The risk isn’t as bad as we are being told and the cost, waste, and pork being dolled out are much greater than we are being told.
If you support the stronger “security” through sacrifice of rights and freedoms, I’m not going to argue that point, as it is opinion you are welcome to have. But you can damn sure bet I’m voting against that agenda. If you feel differently, I would hope that you are also out voting, writing to your congressmen, senators, etc. I don’t have to agree with you to smile and be happy when participatory democracy regains participation and begins to work for the people again.