Desperatation and the Politics of Fear
Posted by on August 11, 2006 at 12:37 PM
So true:
There is nothing Americans want more than to win the war on terror, to come to a place where people no longer feel it is a fine thing to forfeit their own lives and the lives of innocents in order to make the world notice their anger and frustration. It is a point on which the country is absolutely undivided. It is one matter about which subway commuters, airline passengers and mall shoppers feel no irony or cynicism whatsoever.
On September 11, 2001 I was riding a bus to class on campus when I overheard news of what had happened in New York. I was confused, the details were sketchy. When I got to the class I was supposed to be in, our teacher was informed the campus was going into lock-down. I sat alongside twenty of so other students, confused and horrified, as we waited for news of what was happening. There was no TV in that classroom - we were very isolated in a basement classroom beneath the school's theatre. An hour later someone finally came to the door and told us all to go home. Classes were canceled. As I walked out of the performing arts centre, my normally bright, busy campus was silent, deserted.
At home I turned on the TV and watched the towers burn, tears streaming down my face, trying to understand what was happening. I was horrified, terrified. I was born in New York, most of my extended family lives and works there. For days I couldn't be pulled away from the 24-hour news coverage. I had to know what was happening.
Last year, when London was attacked, I had much the same reaction. The bus that exploded did so on a street where I lived for a year while I studied abroad.
So yes, I agree with the editors of the New York Times, when they say:
It comes like a punch to the gut, at times like these, when our leaders blatantly use the nation’s trauma for political gain. We never get used to this. It never feels like business as usual.
Yet, political game what the Republicans are all about. Specifically, the politics of fear:
Wednesday: Days after the White House learns that the London terror plot will be uncovered, Cheney says Lamont victory will encourage "al Qaeda types."
7:42 a.m., Today: The White House announces that the threat level has been raised to ‘Red.’
10:54 a.m. (CDT): The President announces, on his way to a Wisconsin fundraiser for congressional candidate John Gard, that the arrests in London are “a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation.”
12:26 p.m.: The RNC sends out a fundraising email penned by Rudy Giuliani saying “In the middle of a war on terror, we need to remain focused on furthering Republican ideas more than ever before… Please make your commitment felt with a financial contribution for $500, $250, $100, $50, $35 or $25 to the Republican National Committee today.”
2:53 p.m.: Bush official celebrates the terror plot. The AFP reports, "‘Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big,’ said another White House official, who also spoke on condition of not being named, adding that some Democratic candidates won't ‘look as appealing’ under the circumstances.”
4:22 p.m.: The RNC follows with a statement attempting to elevate the war on terror above those who would crassly use it for politics sake: "On a day when American authorities are working with our allies to stop a global terror plot, instead of focusing on political attacks, we should focus on the fact that we are at war and need every tool to win the War on Terror.”
This tactic, the same-old GOP fear-mongering that they have used every year since 2001 is an insult. While they talk big, the reality is they have failed to make America any safer. In the years since 9/11 I feel less safe. The Bush Administration fought the 9/11 Commission and has failed to implement their recommendations. They've voted against allocating the necessary funds to homeland security, including funding for aviation security, border security, port security and for first responders.
With a record like that, and a nation overwhelmingly disapproves of their actions, it's all they have - desperate smear tactics and the politics of fear.
Comments (35) «
Why doesn't the Democratic Party have the communications apparatus of the GOP? What's holding us back? I've been in PR or journalism for over 35 years; it's not that hard. Why can't we compete in the noise machine?
As I sit here today thinking what has happened in the last 24 hours and how our government responded to this, I go back to just one thing...Dick Cheney used this to make a speech. He knew ahead of time and used it for his own gain. There is nothing and I mean nothing that's lower then these scum bags who have taken our country, the country I love away from me.
If the American people don't do something and stop these low lifes as they continue to use fear to submit us to living in fear, then God help us all.
I am so angry today..... I hate Bush and what he had done to my country. I wish someone would organize one hell of a march in Washington. I have never been to a protest but if it were happening - I would go. If we have to take to the streets to stop these people then so be it!
bo - because the hateful right owns the airs waves right now. We will never gain strength if we don't control talk radio (for one example). I have been in contact with several of the station managers in northern Indiana for over a year and they all tell me the same thing - we have nothing to say that the people of this area want to hear.
We need to put Democrats in power again and the first - the very first thing they need to do is bring back the "Fairness Act" - if a station runs a right winger program like Limpbaugh for 3 hours, then they have to run a liberal show for the same amount of time... same way with any religious programing like 700 Club - if it's on a TV station for 3 hours, then they have to put on a liberal show for the same amount of time.
We need this so much right now becasue you're right - we're not being heard...
bobg and Kathy..you are so right..I think that is why I am frustrated as well.
Clear messages are not coming out of the DNC..these issues are complicated and we all know deserve more than a 30 second sound byte.
I listened to Air America this morning on my commute and the venom spewed at the Democrats by the morning drive host was pointed.
We need reasonable, measured arguments to support the passion we all feel but unfortunately with the limited attention span Americans have, we need those one-liner sound bytes to rebut the Bush machine.
How about..."had enough..vote for change Nov 7" and
"Bush got us into this mess..Democrats WILL get us out!"
Good post, Tracy. Thanks for sharing your personal thoughts and life experiences.
Newt Gingrich, the architect of the Contract with America, has been calling for our country to approach the Middle East as if it is WWIII. The Congressional Republicans have embraced the idea and are happily discussing the development of conventional nuclear bombs.
After seeing how prepared Homeland Security was after Katrina and again yesterday at the airports, do Americans feel that they will be able to survive WW III?
Do they want the Republicans to escalate our failed occupation in Iraq into a full scale war against -- not terrorists -- but countries who may or may not have atomic bombs --- but who certainly have friends that do?
This is the ultimate question to ask particularly women voters this fall. Do they want to put their children to that risk? Do you believe that the Republicans could deal with the aftermath if something goes astray, which it always seems to since they took power?
The Republicans have shown that they are big gamblers with the lives of other peoples' children. Are we going to let them throw the dice and see who's feeling lucky?
Funny you should should mention - on all of our literature - all of the candidates are using
"It's Time For a Change". We hope to have bumper stickers made to hand out at out new headquarters - "Had Enough - Vote Democrat"
I live in a county that has no Democrat newspapers, all talk radio is right winged with NO voice from the left and the Repukes out number us 10 - 1. Go figure!
You can listen to America Radio, Pacifica.org, Indymedia and others. Find out how to make noise and make it. It really isn't that hard...
I don't know if the Fairness Doctrine will ever make it back, but an FCC with an enforcement budget in a Democratic administration might. Michael Powell is more worried about the halftime of the Super Bowl than Pat Robertson calling for the assassination, by our government, of the popularly elected head of state of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, on what is supposed to be a Christian broadcast.
In the meantime, we can't let any erratum slide. Even little crap, like the idea that Bush has a "ranch" in Crawford. They call it a ranch for the Reaganesque posturing value, but it's a farm. Ranches raise livestock. Why is the President clearing brush, when there's no livestock to graze on the cleared pasture?
Yesterday, I offered what I thought was a very carefully thought out response on how the Democrats should offer some counter proposals to fighting the increasing global war with Islamic revolutionary violence, terrorism and desire for world conquest.
Here's some important points for Democrats to consider:
1. From 628 until WWI with Turkey aligned with Germany, there were attempts by Muslim armies for the total conquest of Europe. Three times there were Muslim army attempts to overrun Vienna for example. It was not until the 1924 Turkish revolution that overthrew the last of the Ottoman Muslim dictators that Turkey became more aligned with the Western world. Iran is now seeking to head renewed Islamic revolutionarism and large pockets of Islamic revolutionaries live all throughout Europe including Paris and London.
2. Ronald Reagan's illegal 1980's foreign policy used Agrioulture Department CCC funds intended for disaster relief to help Saddam Hussein build up a huge war machine and buy billions in French and Brazilian arms during the Iran-Iraq War at the time that the Soviet declared an arms embargo to the region to force a ceasefire and peace talks. Reagan's illegal arms buildup of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Army directly contributed to the first Gulf War in 1991.
3. After the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Ronald Reagan expanded covert CIA policies to a huge funding of Mujahedeen training camps and arms to battle the Soviets. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were main allies, and Osama Bin Laden was recruited and paid with CIA funds and arms to establish terrorist training camps in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan to battle the Soviets. Both Al Qaeda and the Taliban were creations of the illegal Reagan and CIA foreign policy in Afghanistan of the 1980's.
4. The current Bush war in Iraq has only helped to politically destablize the MidEast and more moderate Sunni regimes and has only increased Shia revolutionary Islamic forces and Iran. Iran has also formed some alliance with the Sunni Al Qaeda in "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" arrangement. The world is now set up for ongoing problems with iran that only worsen as they seek nuclear arms and will proliferate them throughout ally states in the future and threaten Western nations once more like radical Islam already has done since 628-1924. There is no way out of this conflict with Islam that does not involve armed conflict. Peace treaties have never worked with such forces. The first peace treaty with radical Islam failed in 628 when Muhammed offered Jewish tribes who rejected him as a prophet a ten year peace treaty, and then Muhammed attacked with an Islamic army and crushed these Jewish tribes in a surprise attack.
The current growth of world terrorism and MidEast instability is a conflict here to stay until one side or the other is defeated in warfare. That is the blunt truth of this.
The Republicans have set the Western world up for this new conflict with radical revoultionary Islam by fueling the growth of this religious radicalism and increasing the power and regional clout of Iran and their violent form of Islamic revolution. Democrats need to appear both tough and informed on issues of MidEast violence and the Republican history of failures that have gotten us to this point.
But Republicans have managed to capitalize off the war on terrorism when it is indeed their failures that undid the peace works of both Carter and Clinton to achieve a moderate and peaceful Islamic world in the MidEast. By being poorly informed and appearing less tough on terrorist issues, Democrats appear weak on security issues to many voters. And "withdraw from Iraq now" sentiments also concern some voters as well and feed Democratic perceptions of weakness in the minds of many voters.
Democrats are now just serious one terrorist incident away electoral disaster in November because Republicans have been able to seize upon terrorim and security issues that they really have no claim based on the history of their failures by Reagan and now Bush.
Democrats need some pragmatic long term plan to return peace to the MidEast and to defeat growing world terrorism and Iranian style Shia revolutionarism. In the absense of this, Democrats risk election failures every election cycle when terrorism concerns by voters are very high. At this point, if the British plot targeting U.S. aircraft from London had succeeded, Democrats would have to expect terrible losses to Republicans in November despite all the Republican failures on other issues.
PROGRESSIVE VALUES
Wow, I've come on this board several times...I like to see opinions from every sprectrum in the political rainbow. I never wanted to comment because I find most arguments on here so ridiculous it actually doesn't inspire response. I'll keep quiet no longer.
If GW hadn't responded to this incident everyone on this board would be crawling all over him for not caring or having something intelligent to say. If he responds, he's using this as a tool to induce fear.
One person says it...than another person pats them on the back, then there are 300 comments to follow spewing more crap in support. Nothing like an exchange of various view points.
The President is spreading fear because he points out that there are still people in this world that want our blood? If anything, accuse him of pointing out the obvious. I don't think I've heard enough people on here saying that it's the US's fault yet...I'm waiting for that wave to come through...although the conspiracy theories have been entertaining enough (such as Olivia's...I'm skeptical that this is not just another fabrication to take the world's mind off of Iraq).
When Clinton was in office, I wasn't a fan, but I still hoped his policies would improve our lives here and abroad. I've never heard so many people wanting to see us fail to spite the current government.
Actually blaming the current administration for more Terrorism? What US policies pissed off Al Queda during the last few years of Clinton's presidency? Do you forget that terror occured other administrations? How about Iran taking 52 American Hostages on Carter's watch (Carter, probably the most dovish Head of State we've seen in 70 years).
You people spread more hate than anything I've seen from the right.
While I disagree with much of what PaulSHooson writes....at least he's basing his thought on real life examples. Be careful Paul, you're starting to sound a little like Lieberman. New ideas that take into account the realism of today's environment should always be expressed.
The message from Liberal talking heads in the past 4 years have reminded me of Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny after he falls asleep during the Prosecutions opening remark..."Everything that guy just said is Bull$***."
Since you're using historical examples, why not take WWII? It took 4 years of US participation to defeat the enemy....and that war existed for several years before we entered the fold. The reason it was won? We didn't give up (I hate using the overused phrase Cut and Run), we eventually discovered how to win. Yet Iraq takes 4 years with remarkable accomplishments (democratic that is), and we want to leave before the Iraqi government is able to provide it's own security? If you are truly concerned with a potential Civil War (which many on this board clearly are), why would you leave it in the current state. If we have to use force going forward, we have to learn how to fight insurgency (clearly the only means of battle our enemies can engage in). True, we need new ideas on how leave this place more secure than when we entered...let's bring those to the table.
So the world hates us now because of our policies. Is that truly our acceptance of terrorism and weakness in fighting it? If I don't like how you live your life, is it ok for me to punch you in the face....what kind of philosophy is that?
PaulSHooson, I may not agree with all your thoughts, but at least your argument is generated from realism rather than idealism.
Please shutup about your partisan excuses for terrorism. Every administration has had to fight terrorism and will do so regardless of party. We need to unite together, just like Howard Dean said, to win this war against those who spread their hate for America. We need to shut down their mosques, close up their schools, and keep their imams out of our prisons. We need a new law that makes glorification or celebration of suicide bombers an international crime. If a nation goes against us on this, they need to lose their UN status and be banned from trade. It's time to get tough and place the blame squarely where it belongs, and that's the nations that allow this atrocity to continue. We need to stop these terrorist organizations from entering our country. The FBI has stated that they may not be able to stop them once they are here.
I'm sick and tired of republicans questioning my patriotism and my will to end terrorism. How dare you sit back and say that anyone wants the terrorists to win? We are in this fight to defeat Bush/Cheney and their failed policies... why? because THEY ARE HURTING AMERICA.
There is a better way to fight terrorism, and Bush/Cheney are too incompetent to see it. Their policies have increased global terrorism and terrorist plots according to their own data collection! Fact. Go check it
and in November its going to stop. you can't pretend to be the majority anymore.
Osama Bin Laden is trying to bankrupt our country!
Why has Dead Eye Dick Cheney sided with the enemy?
Hey iritateya..methinks you are a troll.
Cheney was the one..knowing full well of the British terror plot before it hit the press...he said a vote for Ned Lamont will encourage "those alqaeda types"
I don't want my President to fail, I just know he has.
And..Bush started the sabre rattling agains the jihadists during the 2000 campaign.
One of the biggest reasons I did not vote for him was in my gut I knew within a year of him taking the oath we would be at war! I am so sorry my instincts were correct!
Incredibly, the pres and VP STILL try to sell the war in Iraq by saying we have to fight the terrorists "over there."
The airline threat in London PROVES that their Iraq logic IS FLAWED. Al Qaida IS NOT IN IRAQ. Bush's CUT AND RUN policy in Afghanistan paved the way for the Spanish Railroad bombings... and the London Underground bombings... AND THIS PLOT AS WELL.
Bush's foreign policy is a complete failure.
Bush's war on "terror" is a complete failure.
We mus stop allowing Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Rumsfeld dictate the terms of this discussion. THEY ARE BAFFOONS AND HAVE FAILED ON EVERY COURSE.
Kathy and Don,
I don't mean to minimize the challenge. We'll never be in a lot of rural markets for a long time. But we can get there. We need to do a couple (all of which may be being done-I don't know) :
1. Organize a message. By that I mean have the principles clearly articulated.
2. Coordinate the message. Daily conf calls for key spokesmen.
3. Better training of messengers.
4. Influence the influencers. Start with the Times, Post, etc. Hammer the nets everytime they give us short shrift or choose Dem spokesmen the party doesn't want.
5. Hammer the cable shows, too. Call Matthews, Carlson and other persuadables (O'Reilly & Co. you may have to give up on) to get the spokespeople the party wants on the shows.
6. Challenge all these guys on the air live when possible, and in tapped interviews or with print reporters. Tell them when their questions are nonsense. These guys have thin skins. It's a fine line between embarrassing them (they won't invite you back) and letting them know that you know "taffy is being pulled," but it can work.
And we need more blogs that write about what the Dems stand for, rather than this I hate Bush stuff. I can't help myself sometimes, but believe it or not, I'm getting to feel sorry for the fool. We need to move on to telling the country where we want to take them. The problem is when you say that to Dems, they develop a 10-point program and present it on flow charts. We need to think big. Create a vision for the country we want to leave our children without sounding like we just dropped LSD. (Sorry my gnerational biases slipping in.)
All the "new ideas" necessary on how to get out of Iraq are already on the table: just ask Rep Murtha. The whole Republican administration is in DENIAL on this topic because it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to admit they made a mistake. THAT is a sin of pride. Throw the good book at them.
bo - you are so right when you say we have to have an organized fight to get our voices heard. Let me give you more information about how our markets in northern Indiana are simplfied by our right leaning radio station managers. When I asked one, who by the way is a regular on the local WNDU channel 16 tv station, connected with Notre Dame, he told me that in most cases, they have a "gut" feeling as to who they have on their programing. When I pressed him if he or the station used any of the pro-active rating services he said - "sometimes". My question then is very simple.. how can you have a gut feeling for what the market will bear if you don't offer another view point? If you don't give the other side a chance in voicing an opposing view - how do you know what the public will want to listen to?
Dtree - the people who question my patriotism can go to hell. They are assholes who just don't get it. I have not the patience or the time to even read their posts. They are quite literally not worth the time or effort.
Man, you people are scary. See the way it works is, terrorists don't care if you are a D or an R, so when the Ds object to the Patriot Act (and by the way, the British had those tools and were able to defeat terrorists the other day) and then want to say we are less secure. Hypocrites. Shut up, quit whining and provide a plan. So far all I have seen is Dean and Pelosi saying there is a better way. Great, bring it out and lets see it. Yeah, thought so. Kate, please get help, you truly need it (or a beer perhaps)
Dick Cheney threw a roundhouse right with his charge that Al Qaeda is happy Lieberman lost, and he left himself open for a heck of a counterpunch.
Please, let's remind the country that a CIA report awhile back concluded that Bin Laden wanted Bush to win reelection and he possibly made that 11th hour video in the hopes of helping Bush win reelection.
I remember when this story came out, but it was quickly buried by the corporate media, and I frankly forgot all about it until I read the blog linked below.
Let's attack, attack, attack:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/081106.html
WAR-MAGEDDDON & WARM-AGEDDON
These are new “W” words describing Mr Bush’s foreign policy and planet husbandry endeavors.
I was an Republican since 1980 and now I am switching to Democrat because I don't like what's going on in our country. I was blind and now I see. We need a change in leadership.
This President is going too far. The world used to turn to America for help now they are turning against America all because of our current President and yet there are still so many Americans putting their faith on this man. America has become a bully!! We, Americans, need our reputation back as a nation of peace. Democrats need to stand together and VOTE for a Democratic President! We need change now!
Man! The trolls just don't get it.
The wuhhabi punks don't care how many people they kill. They want the U.S. to expend all of it's resources trying to "kill" them. The goal is to bankrupt America and it's allies.
Because the regressives [and their trolls] support the terrorists and celebrate their efforts, they will say anything to make sure the American public takes the bait.
NOT THIS TIME BOYS
I would rather see conservatives use their congressional majority to secure our ports than to attack their political enemies. I think its time for a change.
We need to now use blogs as a way to pressure the mainstream media to ask the most important questions concerning these latest developments. I find it very interesting that elements in Pakistan are very involved in this plot. This has been reported by several news organizations and I have no reason to doubt their authenticity about this.
It is thought, by more than one organization news or otherwise, that a lot of this training and planning is happening near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border. In other words, near where Osama Bin Laden and Hyman Al-Zawahiri are living.
I find it funny that we nearly had them surrounded and could have either killed or captured them, but the President decided to go to war in Iraq. As far as I know, no one in Iraq has had anything to do with either this plot, the London bombings, the Madrid bombings or 9/11 (though the Vice President would have you think otherwise). If we had captured or killed both of these criminals, the plot that was just discovered would never have made it to the planning stage.
We need to push this question out every time they use this tactic: Why is God's name isn't Osama Bin Laden dead?!
The time has finally come. Almost everyone understands the truth that "King George" and his Nazi cohort(Cheney)used false pretenses to drag our nation into an unjust war. Changing the justification from WMD's to "regime change" when we all found there was no WMD threat clearly demonstrates that a LIAR will always try to cover his/her doo-doo trail with even more outragous lies. We are being ruled by morally corrupt men who will use any false arguement to cover their true motivations.
These motivations are simple and ancient: to consentrate all power and wealth within a small priviledged elite. The government is now only interested in the well being of it's members and those of the extremely wealthy. We are dangerously close to dropping to a nazi type world illustrated in George Orwell's book: 1984.
We now have "a wolf by the cheeks, and know not how to turn loose". We need to disengage, from the Bush/Cheney OIL WARS, but how can it be done without allowing the wolf to continue to hurt us...?
I believe that we are caught in a great conflict of cultures. The risk to our nation is equally as great now as during the 'cold war'. Like Lincoln, we have not yet found the 'general' who can accept and cope with the "horrible mathematics" of instituting the solution to the conflict.
Where is he/she...? Shall we hope with the religous right and pray that the 'messiha' should appear and deliver us...? Americans are regious people, but we are also people of thought and action. Should we hold off until we begin to see our cities evaporate in an atomic cloud..? those who doubt in this outcome need to make a complete study fo the history of the moslem culture.
We are dealing with a group of people who WANT to die in the act of destroying innocent life, all in the name of serving righteousness. This is an IRRATIONAL view and cannot be solved through reasoning and negotiation. We are forced to approach the problem with a view to survival of our nation and western culture. Shall we accept a loss of freedom in order to survive..?
An honest study of history teaches us that mad dogs and nations cannot be pacified. They must be penned up or erraticated. Eventually we must come to realize that the muslim culture cannot co-exist in peace with other cultures without violence. Mohamed WAS a violent man who was more than willing to kill or enslave anyone who refused to accept his religous philosophy. We deceive ourselves when we expect his followers to be pacific.
We must stand against war. But; are we willing to abandon our dearly earned freedoms, including our differing religous viewpoints, in the name of 'peace at ANY cost'..? I hope not.
The price of maintaining our western values and freedoms, I fear, will be dear. Which one of our great cities will be the first to evaporate..? Will we THEN be willing to count, and pay the cost..? How many of our cities must be razed to the ground before we are ready to 'accept the mathemetics' of survival as a free nation..?
As democrats, we must find and present solutions to these questions if we are to gain the trust of the people. We must demonstrate that we are freedom loving people who utilize rational processes when permitted, but willing to punish, and if necessary destroy those would destroy us.
ARE YOU A FAR-LEFT-WING LIBERAL?
Take this simple test to find out
1. Do you feel saddened by the fact that the South lost the Civil War?
2. Do you believe that only White Males should be given the right to vote in America?
3. Do you believe that women are not mentally capeable to make the right decisions concerning their health?
4. Do you belive that our youth can compete globally by only teaching them the answers on the test they take?
5. Do you believe it is in the best interest of America to have 67 Million of it's citizens with no Health Care?
5. Do you believe it is completly appropriate for Lobbiest to write and pass Legislation in Congress?
6. Do you believe the Supreme Court has the right to decide a Presidential Election?
7.Do you believe there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq?
8. Do you believe UN Weapons Inspectors would have discovered there were no WMD in Iraq if they were allowed to complete their Investigation?
9. Do you believe that one of the real threats to America is the fact that Osama Bin Laden is still out and about?
10. Do you believe that Iran and North Korea are far more of a concern to America than Iraq was?
If you answers were NO to all or most [AHEM] of these questions, then you my friend are a far left-wing radical fringe extremists.
LOL
OUR SECURITY. These 2 words say it ALL, because we don't experience SECURITY. Republicans give us FEAR. We should give people SECURITY. People want OUR SECURITY on our borders, airplanes, trains, subways, & ships. (We know this administration could care less) OUR SECURITY at our jobs with enough income & stability to be comfortable vs. offshoring & illegal immigrants taking exisiting jobs & employers paying less, just because they can. (We know when most of us lose our jobs, no one can buy anything & our economy will tank) We are forced to change careers, buy less and less, losing our homes) Vs. stagnant salaries while basic costs increase. Vs. disappearing benefits & retirement packages and a threatened Social Security & Medicare. (We know business benefits over us every time in Congress) OUR SECURITY with affordable, accessible, quality health care & prescriptions for everyone. (We know every other industrial country has FAR better quality care, Rx caps, & universal care) OUR SECURITY of a future with excellent education, easy access to college, no failed & under-funded "no child left behind" & jobs at the end of that tunnel. (We see education access & quality declining) OUR SECURITY in the future, so we have affordable energy, a reasonable deficit, a strong economy, a healthy environment, good infrastructures, an end to governement misuse of funds, a healthy New Orleans, well-organized homeland defense, our troups defending us not ill-used, & a better life for our children. (We know Congress could have given us these, but they chose to support business over us) We will have OUR SECURITY or fire them for poor job performance. We want OUR SECURITY over the Republican's promise of fear & greed.
I commend the thoughtful persons and comments in here. My observation is this: why do we keep allowing the war in Iraq to be linked to our very clear war on terror? For example, how by invading Iraq were we better informed or more safely protected against those in the British terror plot? This war in Iraq is a distraction to our real war.
We are indeed at war with those who wish to destroy American freedoms. Bush and I have no argument there. Along with him, I have no intent of living in an Islamic theocratic, militaristic repressive state. (BTW, we must not turn ourselves into a version of our enemy to defend ourselves! My fear is that we are heading that direction.) Why are so few Democratic leaders, like Rep Murtha, articulating a MUST WIN strategy on terror while implementing a vision that ends our tragic involvement in Iraq in a way that benefits both Iraq and ourselves? I know George doesn't have a plan or a clue. We Democrats have a clue but have our Democratic leaders lost their voices? Get rid of the 25 point plans and Power Point flow charts! Implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission! Start talking again about finding Bin Laden and people like him. Emphasize how we will not allow companies with security risks to take over our ports. Fully fund cooperation between police, FBI and CIA. Set about protecting those high target places that could damange us. Get Wesley Clark in his general's uniform and have him talk about Democratic military options! People usually pay attention when generals talk about blowing up stuff. Present our support for the FBI.
We CAN defend ourselves without becoming the enemy, pitting American against American. Republicans have failed to provide that leadership. Democratic leaders, now is your time (and Kerry, your time has passed, be quiet please)?
You people really are delusional! While I don't agree with everything President Bush has done during his presidency, he and the Republicans have kept us safe since 9/11 and will continue to do so. The Democratic Party has no solution for the war on terror and doesn't have the stomach or backbone to lead this country at this time in history.
"Facts Not Fear", "Facts Not Fear". CNN was on in the background and I heard that phrase uttered and it immediately struck me as perfect for our mantra. It is easy, three words, meaningful and powerful. We can repeat it constantly for the next two years and it will be effective, stay in everyone's mind and on everyone's lips.
"Facts Not Fear", "Facts Not Fear". CNN was on in the background and I heard that phrase uttered and it immediately struck me as perfect for our mantra. It is easy, three words, meaningful and powerful. We can repeat it constantly for the next two years and it will be effective, stay in everyone's mind and on everyone's lips.
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