I'm pissed. Perhaps in all senses of the term. Let's consult the Random House Webster's Dictionary for what it's worth.
Terrorism, n. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
Well?
Who is winning? My opinion is that we are losing, handily. We are like frightened children acting tough. It is a pathetic state of affairs, where we have even reverted to comic book rhetoric with the 'Patriot Act,' 'Dr. Germ,' 'Mrs. Anthrax,' and the 'Axis of Evil' full of 'evildoers' and 'freedom haters.' Wow. I'm tempted to show up at the local recruiter's office in a Captain America costume.
It's embarassing... 'Patriot Act'... What's the purpose of that name anyway? You tell me.
So anyway, it seems clear to me and a large part of the world that we are intimidated. I'm not sure if you could even argue against it. How are we intimidated besides the obvious instance of violence? Ah yes, with threats...
"The terrorists’ directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinctions among military and civilians, including women and children." -- George W. Bush
"Another attack is a matter not of if, but when." -- Dick Cheney
"Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen." -- George W. Bush
Alright now I'm nervous. That brings us to coercion and political purposes...
"You are either with us or you are with the terrorists" -- George W. Bush
"We can also go to the country on this issue because they trust the Republican Party to do a better job of protecting and strengthening America's military might and thereby protecting America." -- Karl Rove
"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on November 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States." -- Dick Cheney
Hmmm. It seems we are being terrorized on a couple of fronts. We quake and we cower behind Big Daddy, "Protect us! Everything else is secondary." How sad. We of the self-righteous swagger are merely scared out of what little wits humans have been gifted with, and of all the people on earth there are but a handfull who have anything to gain politically from all of this...
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Ben Franklin
