An American Debate: How Severe the Threat?

[Rose Siding]

KENOSHA, Wis., Aug. 4 - If the United States was in danger of a terrorist attack and faraway financial institutions were supposed to be on high alert, there was no evidence of it at Franks Diner, a 78-year-old Kenosha institution where senators mix with regular folk and the prospect of another attack seemed just part of the background noise of daily life.

"I don't know who on earth to believe anymore," said Michael Schumacher, a 54-year-old writer who was eating a bratwurst for breakfast. "You feel you're being manipulated all the time."

Some version of that view was echoed at almost every table here as many patrons questioned whether the Bush administration was trying to manipulate the terrorist threat for political advantage.

Some, like John Gilmore, who owned Franks until a few years ago and still comes back to eat, said they had lost faith in the administration after American troops failed to find unconventional weapons in Iraq.

"They messed that thing up so badly that at this point, I don't believe anything they tell us," Mr. Gilmore said. "There's always an ulterior motive somewhere."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/05/politics/05react.html?hp

They are getting it. But who convinced Norm Hughes that terrorists are after our churches and malls?

[Cha]

1. And why were the bush girls shopping in NYC when the

supposed terror alerts were running? Trying to pull so many fast ones on the American public is gonna get ya tripped up one day.

[Rose Siding]

2. Some of these quotes are pretty exciting

They sound like they post here! Even the ones who haven't quite tipped the scale yet admit skepicism.

snip>
In San Francisco, the same doubts troubled Edward Ross, a 37-year-old lawyer who is a registered independent. "As much as I believe the warning was not politically based, I do have a shadow of a doubt regarding the credibility of the administration," Mr. Ross said. "It comes down to credibility. You lose some faith in taking their statements at face value."

Augustus Williams, a 38-year-old Seattle Democrat, said he had no doubt the terror warning was timed to help President Bush. "This is part of his campaign, I think," Mr. Williams said. "He's trying to get us to say, 'We still need Bush.' "

Many voters who say they trust President Bush seem less convinced than those who mistrust him. In Seattle, Earl Hilberg, 59, who works in a drug store and described himself as an undecided voter, said that when officials in Washington warn of danger, "we have to assume that they're being honest about this until we find out otherwise."

Another independent, Marcia Reed, 75, said, "I don't think we know enough about all this to know what's real or what's politically inspired."

[Cha]

4. Maybe because she hasn't been paying as much attention as

some of us..

"Another independent, Marcia Reed, 75, said, "I don't think we know enough about all this to know what's real or what's politically inspired"

[Hoping4Change]

3. Bush's cowering terror alerts handing the enemy psychological victories

Why Bush has more to fear than fear itself
LAWRENCE MARTIN
Globe and Mail


"History tells us that the last thing strong leaders do is send a signal that their side is frightened. Can anyone imagine a Churchill or Napoleon demonstrating this kind of fear over documents that spell out no plot but that -- O heavens! -- have been updated?



How does a president project anything but weakness in having the world's greatest power tremble over evidence of file-updating by an enemy with a tiny fraction of his military capacity?



The reason Bush is constantly handing the enemy psychological victories with his with his cowering terror alerts is more likely because of the danger he himself faces: losing the presidency.



http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040805/COMART05//?query=lawrence

[Cha]

5. Thanks for this...this is my thought...how should it help

* to keep trying to put the Nation in Fear?

We should get someone who has confidence that we will not have to live like this.

Full Discloser..I'm not afraid, but I can understand how it would affect some People.

[Hoping4Change]

7. I think you misread the article. Martin is saying that Bush is

making mountains out of molehills and he is doing this deliberately to make people afraid. He is not afraid because he knows damn well there is no clear and present danger. The information in the disks are 4 years old. The only thing Bush is afraid of is losing the election.

[bpilgrim]

6. who is their AUDIENCE?

we the people.

this is POWERFUL PSYCOLOGICAL WARFARE against the american people.

a new study just came out that shows that folks CHANGE their opinions when they are in FEAR - d'uh!

it was posted here the other day, maybe in editorials...

anyways, the control group that was told to think about 'DEATH' or '911' bush won big when they were asked 'who'd they vote for, today!'

these neoCONs may be CRUDE but they ain't no dummies :scared:

peace

[Journeyman]

8. "If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens. . .

you can never regain their respect and esteem. You may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."     
   
 -  Mr. Abraham Lincoln, American statesman, 1809-1865