They say fear’s a man’s best friend
After a party-line vote in June, the House Intel Committee made public yesterday (ahem) a cut-and-pasted campaign brochure, intended to scare the bejeebers out of those whose bejeebers have long since flown off in a panic, over the unanimous objections of its Democratic members:
“There are a growing number of groups building the capability to attack the United States, our allies and our interests abroad,” said the report, which was detailed Wednesday by Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), chairman of the committee, in a speech at a conservative think-tank in Washington.
In their rebuttal, Democrats said Americans “do not need the House Intelligence Committee to remind them” that Al Qaeda posed a serious threat, and that the assessment added “no new information to the nation’s understanding of the challenges or to the U.S. government’s ability to address them.”
Au contraire, Hoekstra says (link is to NPR report so, if you’re verifying my work, you’ll have to listen to the audio or read the PDF – sorry):
A significant portion of the American public seems to have forgotten that the threat remains … We continue to be a nation at war against a very, very dangerous enemy and, in some cases, I think perhaps we’ve become a little bit complacent.
If by “have forgotten” and “complacent,” he means “not constantly scared witless,” then I suppose he’s got a point. But, on the other hand, I don’t see much benefit of being scared witless all the time. My wits keep me from making bad decisions (void where prohibited by booze).
It’s becoming more and more apparent that the Republican approach to fighting terrorism is pretty similar to Barney Fife’s approach to fighting crime (comical haplessness, making citizen’s arrests, wide-lens paranoia, eagerness to imprison people, bugged-out eyes, waving a pistol around, etc.). If only there were some way to ration their bullets, too, in the interest of public safety.
“There once was a deputy called Fife, who carried a gun and a knife. The gun was all dusty and his knife was all rusty, because he never caught a crook in his life.”
Come on America! You’re not supposed to forget about bin Laden until AFTER the elections!
WASHINGTON — The House Intelligence Committee warned in a report Wednesday that the terrorist danger facing the United States was “more alarming than the threat that existed prior to Sept. 11, 2001,” prompting criticism from Democrats that the Republican-dominated panel was seeking to alarm voters in advance of the midterm elections
Leave it to the dumb-ass Democrats to miss the opportunity to point out that, gee, it sure does look like we’re a lot less safe after six years of GOP rule.
Have a beer with Fear.
It was Gomer that made a citizens arrest…on Barnie!
I mean Barney.
ANDY: Now calm down, Barney. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
FIFE: Well that’s what I got. Fear itself.
After a party-line vote in June, the House Intel Committee made public yesterday (ahem) a cut-and-pasted campaign brochure, intended to scare the bejeebers out of those whose bejeebers have long since flown off in a panic, over the unanimous objections of its Democratic members
Did you lift this sentence from Marie Jon’? The sentence looks convoluted enough.
If they’re scared maybe they should knudge their beloved leader to get his ass back in Afghanistan where the Taliban are making a comeback…because the US has all but abandoned that fight.
John Cale.
On a related note, that douchebag Glenn Beck is apparently trying to scare the crap out of the sheeple by repeating some WorldNutDaily garbage about OBL having completed the three steps he needed to get permission to set off a nuke in America, and that US Muslims have been warned to leave the country.
A German friend of mine caught the show on CNNHN and was quite literally shocked to learn that this passes for “news” in the States.
Floyd rocked, though.
Meanwhile, Rove’s October Surprise proceeds according to the model for the previous new product. (Conveniently, the White House Iraq Group easily morphs into the White House Iran Group.)
Check this blog post out
Wouldn’t that be weird if one of those agencies was like 100% ideological Republicans, but made itself look like a bunch of swank hippies in front of the media.
Frank Herbert: “fear is the mind-killer.” Right-wing Republicans: “Mommy!”
When I studied psychology in college, one particular topic caught my curiosity and became a fundamental concept in my understanding of the human condition. That concept is called the “Terror Management Theory�.
Specifically, since 9/11 there has been a greater awareness of danger as evidenced by the Homeland Security Advisory System, the ongoing rhetoric about whether we are safer since invading Iraq, and the oft heard expression, “we’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here at home.� Even the advisory words are ominous – guarded, elevated, high, and severe…all used in reference to the danger of a terrorist attack. Despite our natural tendency to avoid thinking about death, the current environment certainly provides numerous reminders.
I’m convinced that Karl Rove fully understands this dynamic. The Democrats must be mindful of the theory and adequately prepared to combat the efforts of the administration to exploit it in the upcoming midterm elections.
Read more here:
http://www.thoughttheater.com
I have a theory, the Dems suck at pointing out the obvious. They still think they need to look STRONG in the eyes of the Asses rather than the American people. Who are they pandering to, PNAC??? Sheesh…
If only there were some way to ration their bullets, too, in the interest of public safety.
Y’see, you’ve got to nip it in the bud!