Does it REALLY make much sense to announce this "intelligence" bonanza?

[republicansarewhores]

Flashback to September of 2001. Would it have made much sense to announce to the world "terrorists are planning on ramming planes into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and White House" instead of increasing security at airports, picking the scumbags up based on what we were looking for, briefing security and police agencies regarding vigilance in light of information and announcing AFTER the fact a plot had been foiled? We knew there was a millenium plot, but we were not told where and when it would happen ahead of time, our intelligence community did their jobs, picked up those planning the attacks and we heard about it afterwards.

All of this grandstanding today about the "intelligence bonanza" scares the shit out of me, because if I al Qaeada is planning something, now all they'll do is shift their targets to somewhere we aren't looking.

I think this announcement today is for three reasons. To scare the shit out of everyone about terrorism (keep us scared while we are encouraged to "go about leading our lives"), create an atmosphere that can increase clamping down on any anti-Bush protests planned at the Republican convention because of the elevated terror threat level, and make everyone think this administration is keeping everyone safe for political reasons. I have no doubt that something is up... but announcing it to the world so that those planning something are now "on guard" is the dumbest strategy I have ever seen.

RAW

[NightOwwl]

1. No sense at all.

If they were doing such a good job we wouldn't be privy to any of this (what should be) insider information.

[randr]

2. Possibly a trial balloon to see how the press reacts.

[Tatiana]

3. Exactly. It DOESN'T make sense!

The Clinton administration thwarted dozens of terrorist plots, but we never heard about any of them until the administration was well out of office. We never heard about the Millenium Bomb Plot or any of the others because our agencies did their jobs and stopped the attack.

This is all the politics of fear. Instead of trying to scare the masses (possibly into not coming out to protest), these people need to be doing their damn jobs to stop the attacks.

[Mr_Spock]

4. It's one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

Why scare people across the whole nation unnecessarily?

What is the point of alerting 270,000,000 people, scaring my kids and all for a threat to a few buildings? This is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen. Incredibly stupid. They are just repeating the "chemical", "biological" or "nuclear" threat again. We are defensless against this crap - how does it help to scare us? Do your fucking jobs and SHUT THE FUCK UP!

[peacetalksforall]

5. Did you forget one of the reasons...

deflate the Kerry bounce and excitement and distract from F9-11, the Corporations, Hunting of the President and the over two dozen books that are out there.

Don't you find it is interesting to have such an urgent threat on the day after a successful Dem convention.

Their agenda -

Take something and make something else out of it.
Create something when something isn't there, but is needed.
Disregard the truth and to heck with honor and integrity in the WH.
Be sure to wear your suits.

[belle]

7. That to me is the only real reason.

It's just more PR. In a few days we'll forget all about but, but say-hey! we'll have started to forget about the Dem convention too. just in time for Bush to kick off his next aggro ad campaign. isn't that convenient.

[MichiganVote]

6. Deflect attention from

1. The fact that we are in the hole $445 billion and counting

2. Keep the focus on the republican White House rather any democrat running anywhere

3. Proves Bush's promise that he (beating of chest recommended) will be the one president to keep his promise to protect America

4. The hideous outcomes apparant in Iraq

5. Acts as encouragement to the allies we've pissed off that there really is a bad guy in America too and they should help us

6. Reduces rather than uplifts the American spirit of optimism as proposed by opponent John Kerry

7. Reinforces the image that it may not be a good idea to change horses mid stream (my personal favorite)

8. Negates the nay sayers for ending the Iraq conflict

9. Disproves the notion that some have that extremists are really people with problems as opposed to evil sociopath's on the loose

10. Renders unecessary any suggestion that George Bush is an asshole who ruined this country's budget and its not necessary for him to submit one now because afterall, he needs all the pocket change we have to offer. (That's about all I have left, how about you?)

AND last but not least, it redecorates the television screen. If we are attacked again, it wouldn't surprise me. One look at George Bush and how ineffective his administration, homeland security, the military and the markets have been would convince me he is an idiot and I could do about anything I wanted. WTF does work in this country anymore?