How do they call off this alert now??

[kentuck]

They can't. They have to stick with it and say there are more details that they cannot make public. But the public just has to trust them that the threat is for real. Is that what they say tomorrow? Maybe they have info no one else is privy to? Or maybe they are just using fear as a political weapon? Using it unashamedly. Using it like a weapon of mass diversion...

[Doctor_J]

1. how can it be that NO ONE has lost his/her job over this shit?

[joanne]

6. Good question!

[kentuck]

2. How can they keep the alert on?

Conversely? They seem to have painted themselves in a corner??

[Longhorn]

3. Can you imagine how much this is going to cost?

The news report I saw showed police EVERYWHERE! Not to mention, empty outdoor cafes and such! Who pays for all of this? And who's watching out for the "normal" bad guys -- the muggers, rapists, and murderers, while the cops are looking for phantom terrorists?

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Alert was called Late Sunday afternoon.

Maximum TV exposure, minimum panic in the streets. Tomorrow the SWATs quietly go home and everybody forgets the whole thing. I am not quite sure why they felt it was necessary, perhaps it was a rehearsal for another one down the road, say November 1st?

[kentuck]

5. But I think that would interrupt their larger strategy....

Which is to block any protests against their Convention...they will not give it up so easy, I doubt.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. That is hard to say

Remember, the convention stuff is really just speculation at this point, the reality here is that they went off half cocked at the most benign time possible. It is actually very mysterious. Could it simply be total incompetence? or perhaps they will attempt to stretch this out over the whole hot month, tho that seems impossible.

[kentuck]

11. I think that was their plan...and may still be....

"...to stretch it out over the whole hot month..."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. "Our heroic troops in Iraq and our brilliant CIA have thwarted..."

Now all join in a chorus of "God Bless America" and thank our noble president for once again having saved us from them rascally terra-ists and religious fundamentalist extremists. Praise Jesus!"

That's how.

[kentuck]

10. I think we are beyond that this time, bandera...

with it in the WashPost and the NYTimes..... It's going to be a little more difficult this time unless the media does a big coverup for them.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. Well, I hope you're right.

But, Americans have a tendency to fall for the flagwaving crappola most of the time.

[NightOwwl]

9. They screwed up "big-time"

Front page tomorrow:

NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/politics/03intel.html?hp

WAPost http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35466-2004Aug2.html

No one, except the freepiest of freeps will trust them if they try this again.

Edited to correct link

[politicat]

12. Ummm... the NYT link is to a South Beach Diet ad...

And while I'm of the opinion that the low carb diets may be a contributing factor to this year's excessive silly season since brain-starved people can't think....

I don't think that's what you meant to post....

Pcat

[NightOwwl]

15. Oops.

I fixed the link. Sorry about that, I was so excited I didn't wait for the page to fully load and I must have copied the link to the pop-up ad instead.

[KharmaTrain]

13. Alerts At Banks Just Don't Mean The Corporate Office

I was trying to get a list today of the institutions the evil empire claimed were being targeted. If this was a bank I had my money in, damned if I'd want it there when those evil doers blow up their airplanes filled with WMDs on it. :shudder:

Seriously, since a branch office of a bank is considered part of the bank itself (I had a run-in with a bank and was told this was the case), including bank-owned ATMs and even convenience counters at your supermarket. Under that guise, could this code Elmo or is that Ernie, be extended so that all branches of say Citicorp could be considered under attack and "homeland security rules" (which I have no idea of what those are, but I don't like the sound) would take effect.

There's a strong feeling within that the Repugnicans want to make a disaster out of their convention...not on stage, but all around it...make it appear that there are tons of demonstrators on the streets with pitchforks and Arabs ready to terrorize and Gays wanting to get married and all this fear is why you need Bunnypants. That's all they've got left. You can't keep turning corners...sooner rather than later you'll walk into yourself.

[NightOwwl]

16. Must be why they changed their slogan to

""We are turning the corner, and we are not turning back." To avoid running into themselves.

[Maddy McCall]

14. They don't have to call it off...

They will stand by their claims...however, it's just another nail in Bush's coffin. The word is out that the warning came from antiquated info. Boy George cried wolf(owitz) again. :-)

[bossfish]

18. Where is Emily Litella (RIP) when you need her?