Al Qaeda never has to do another thing in this world. They've defeated

[Skidmore]

us already. All they have to do is tiptoe up behind us and go "Boo!" Our government will immediately go in a tailspin trying to "make us safe" and blow billions on ineffective "security" systems and policies. The religious right neocon groupies will start wringing their hands and lamenting that they want make us all Muslims and take away our freedoms on cue. The pundits will break out their megaphones and catapult the propaganda for free as long as they can sell their latest BS book. The "think" tanks will shift into overdrive and start mowing dissenting politicians down. And the politicians...well, what can we say? The politicians will start drooling and dragging themselves in prostration on the ground behind St. George as he sallies forth to slay the dragon, armed with his rapier wit and not much else.

They don't have to actually commit one more act of violence. They can count on us as a nation in love with its lifestyle and belief that the fountain of youth really does exist to overreact. Bin Laden knows that * will not really let anyone catch him and will be content to chase shadows and manufacture terra plots to prop his sorry ass up. Bin Laden has accomplished what he said he would--he is bankrupting us financially and we are bankrupting ourselves morally. We are being laughed at and mocked by the world now--and by those who "want to kill us all."