Just curious...when will some people take threats seriously here?

[Fountain79]

Just reading some of the reactions to what happened kind of shocked me. What exactly must happen for some people to take threats seriously after they happen? Hey I am not fan of Bush but it gets a little ridiculous when some here refuse to acknowledge the possibility that there is an entity in the world that wishes to do us harm.

[Reckon]

1. We do take it seriously..

but the * admin has only made it worse.

We should never live in fear from anyone!

[Kashka-Kat]

2. Has to do with credibility of the sources.... or lack of.... my BS

detector is pretty good, has served me well all these years. Doesn't the timing of these things strike you as a little peculiar?

[guinivere]

43. Yeah, I have a bit of a problem with the timing here.

But because it was the Brits that stopped the thing, I'm more inclined to believe them.

What really sickens me is that shrub is going to try to use this to keep the republiskanks in office.

[Telly Savalas]

48. Excuse me if I'm missing something obvious here,

but why is this happening today any more suspicious than say 2 months ago or 2 months from now?

[EFerrari]

88. At the current rate of screw up per day, none whatsoever. n/t

[whistle]

3. I agree, there is an entity in the world that wishes to do us harm...

...and that entity is George W Bush, the BushCo neocons and the Christian fascists and these entities along with their predecessors have been at for a long time.

[Fountain79]

8. Say what you want about Christian fascists...

they don't riot and loot when something offends them.

[Pobeka]

13. Oh my.

[Der Blaue Engel]

19. Wow, pass that over here

and have a with it.

[Igel]

55. Beer and popcorn.

That's just wrong.

Beer and fried cheese ... yum!

[Der Blaue Engel]

65. Hopefully not in the same glass!

[Just Me]

23. Naw. They shoot doctors and go to Israel swearing "Armageddon,...

,...is upon us". They kill their own children 'cause God commands it. They handle snakes and such shit. They ask God to kill off Supreme Court Justices and go around with signs stating "GOD HATES GAYS" at soldier's funerals.

Sheesh.

[whistle]

32. Thank you!

[paparush]

95. Don't forget the Virginity Pledges and whatnot...

Our christian extremists just issue orders and let the F-16's, the Global Hawks, and the grunts on the ground do the killing and dying while they sit back and update their portfolios.

[whistle]

28. Oh, bombings of abortion clinics and murdering doctors who work

...there does not constitute violence? How about the Christian fascists who run Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo torture chambers? No violence there I suppose.

http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=2444

[Reckon]

47. Conservatives are the people waging war all over the globe!

The question is, do we really want to live in a Conservative world?

[sarge43]

52. Gracious no

They blow up a government building with a day care center in it. Or if they're really in the "kill them all; let God sort them out" mode they spend 500 years tearing Ireland to pieces. You couldn't build a Wall high enough and long enough to contain all the names of victims of "Christian" fascists.

[earth mom]

77. Wow-you've really bought into the M.E. smear fest haven't you?

BTW-it was the Saudis who were the "supposed" terrorist masterminds on 9/11. NOT Iraqis.

[Fountain79]

91. Oh wow...

you got me there....that's what I totatly believed...jesus....do you get excited by every smug expression and "smiley" that you put up there? And btw...those Saudis....what religion were they?

[earth mom]

92. I hope you know that kool aid isn't good for you. It rots the teeth....

and the brain.

[Fountain79]

107. And the tin foil hats attracts lightening...n/t

[The Stranger]

101. Actually, they have been murdering and invading now for centuries.

They don't have to riot and loot. That's for beginners.

[Der Blaue Engel]

4. What difference does it make?

What would you do differently based on believing or not believing this threat is real?

[joemurphy]

9. Excellent point. What are we supposed to do? Cower in fear?

[EFerrari]

34. Or that it would affect you more directly than the daily crimes

BushCo commits?

Really, it would be a relief to only deal with out terrorists who have announced their plans to kill us all.

[Vincardog]

5. Could that be when we get the threat from a CREDIBLE SOURCE?

aWoL has used the TERRA card so f*king often he wore it out.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. When dying by terrorism is more likely than being struck by

lightning several times.

1 in 1,500,000 of a terrorist-caused shopping mall disaster assuming one such incident a week and you shop two hours a week
1 in 55,000,000 in a terrorist-caused plane disaster assuming one such incident a month and you fly once a month ( 1 )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


1 in 55,928 of death by lightening
1 in 20,605 in your clothes igniting
1 in 10,455 of dying in your bathtub
1 in 10,010 by falling from a ladder or scaffolding
1 in 9,396 due to excessive heat
1 in 8,389 due to excessive cold
1 in 7,972 in a drowning accident
1 in 6,842 in a railway accident.
Using odds of dying in a way that Americans can relate to, let's compare the above numbers to the odds of dying during your lifetime to homicide from various forms of weapons.

1 in 197 of dying in a homicide
1 in 299 of dying in an assault from a firearm
1 in 5,330 of dying in an assault by hanging or strangulation
1 in 207,261 in operations of war.

Now, the question that every American must ask themselves is this; am I willing to give up my Constitutional freedoms in hopes of avoiding death by lightening, which is 983 times more likely than dying because a terrorists crashes an airplane? Are you willing to live in a Republican/Nazi police state in hopes that you don't die from your clothes catching fire (2669 times more likely) or falling in your bathtub (5261 times more likely)? Are you seriously asking this regime to protect you from being strangled or hanged when the odds of that happening is 10318 times more probable than dying in a terrorist-caused attack? Are you, at your very core, comfortable with the idea of leaving to your children a world in which Republicans/Nazis/fascists control all American's everyday life?

http://www.anotherperspective.org/advoc530.html

[GrantDem]

15. Excellent analogy...

Interesting way to look at it.

[Just Me]

27. Aw, shit, now,...don't you be bringing REALITY into this discussion!!!!

EWWWWW,....can't you just "feeeeel" the fear.

Merely, six years ago,....the only fear I had, was whether I could get a job to support my son. Guess what, that's the only fear I have, now (having lost my job ten days ago).

[Viva_La_Revolution]

59. Oh, that sucks!

Get thee to a temp agency! You can shop for a new job while still pulling in some cash.

[Just Me]

74. ((HUG)) backatcha'!!!!

We don't have a "temp agency" where I live, in deep rural America. But, it'll be okay. There are alternatives I am working towards making reality (i.e. my own business, my own NPO, my own Ebay, local politics *raised eyebrow*).

I've survived worse. I am going to be 44 years old and,... today is the first and last day of my life. So what?

I am too tired of tolerating anymore bullshit and too fiesty to give up on human potential and I accept that we are all here to basically just fill up the space of our lives. I am so fortunate as to have a space to fully express myself, here, no matter what that expression amounts to any particular person.

I am also burdened by witness to the scum of humanity dragging ALL LIFE down. Such witnessing is simply,...so sad and painful,...I imagine all prophets or whatever you want to call those who BELIEVED in the human potential,...in mourning, yet knowing,....*LOL* those f*ckers ALWAYS lose, ALWAYS!!!!!

Whew,...didn't intend this to be such an involved post.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

78. You'll be ok...

You have all of us supporting you!

I want to run for office someday too... good luck and kisses!

[kineneb]

40. odds of dying in auto related accident?

terrorists killed ~3000, auto accidents- ~56,000 Per Year ...which is more dangerous?

I am far more afraid of the nut behind the wheel than any terrorist. Really got to watch those DFNU (Dead From Neck Up) drivers. RVs being driven by the extremely elderly are a particular local hazard.

[MazeRat7]

51. I like the perspective.. unfortunately this is 1998 data..

My guess is the odds of dying in a war or getting attacked by "terra-ists" have decreased somewhat... albeit a small amount.

MZr7

[Strelnikov_]

62. Which Frames Terrorism For What It Is, A Risk Management Problem

Excellent post.

We need to take all measures as to reduce the risk to as low a level as practical.

Or, as Kerry put it:

"We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance,'' the article states as the Massachusetts senator's reply.

"As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life."


As a side note, heat kills more than cold, that is surprising, with ominous implications for the future. The GOP do not seem to be worrying about the increased mortality from global warming. Guess the political payoff is not as profitable as being paid shills for the fossil fuel industry.

[EstimatedProphet]

106. Good way of putting it

And I was almost struck by lightning once, yet I don't hide under my bed when a storm comes.

[Jed Dilligan]

108. But, but, but

lightning, ladders, trains, and bathtubs aren't, you know... SWARTHY!

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. What exactly is it that happened?

There is always threads like this after a big bogus terror flap.

[mediaman007]

10. The fact that DU members are skeptical can be traced to a government

that uses limited information for its own gain. When a guy like Karl Rove has immediate access to Bush*/Cheney*, the government shouldn't get a free pass with the public. Consider the energy panel, No Child Left Behind, energy credits, the axis of Evil, Powell at the UN and the purge of military leadership leading up to the invasion of Iraq.

This country needs to have citizens question even the most basic of information that this White House presents.

[ReadTomPaine]

11. Whenever one finds themselves agreeing with the Bush adminstration...

it's time to stop and reconsider. It doesn't matter what the subject is.

I can't think of a single instance where it would have been a good idea to agree with them. It's the no-win choice of a poor selection.

[Just Me]

12. Okay. If we were given any proof, whatsoever, that would help.

Second, we are dealing with people who think lying in order to manipulate the populace is A.O.K. Third, if you are a healthy skeptic, you ALWAYS doubt coincidences and this "plot" has a timing insinct with our political struggle.

Lastly, I, personally, have no doubt there are vigilantes who seek to impose some form of justice on an oppressive country (yup, that would be us).

All of the foregoing are possibilities. But, I gotta' say, I no longer trust ANYTHING the governments of the U.S., G.B., Israel, or for that matter any country spouts. I have been given no reason, whatsoever, to trust ANY of the major leaders, that's for sure.

[napi21]

14. Remember the story of "The boy who cried wolf too often?"

I personally haven't dismissed this story as total BS, but I admit to being skeptical. When someone lies to me most of the time, I don't believe what they way anymore!

I'll wait and see what turns up in the next several days or weeks and see it it makes any sense.

[msongs]

16. cigarettes kill 400,000 a year in the US alone - no "war" on tobacco -

doesn't bush care, or is it because he doesnt make lots of 44 of those deaths?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Poiuyt]

42. Exactly. Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

[CrushTheDLC]

90. Actually, that's because tobacco companies fund the Republican party

but that's an entirely different thread right there.

The timing of this latest "terra hysteria" is just too ridiculous and it's already been manipulated by the Bush Crime Family to support their agenda that voting Holy Joe out of office made America "weaker".

[eleny]

17. If the administration knew about this for WEEKS....

And they didn't bother to change airline safety until TODAY - I question how serious it is.

So, why don't you write to your president and ask HIM why the hell HE isn't taking all this seriously. M'kay?

Let me know what he says.

[mrcheerful]

18. Life is risky, why should we all duck for cover every time Shrub inc issue

terror alert? Its like the boy who cried wolf one time to many. The land of the Brave? Remember that? Why should we duck for cover instead of standing tall and saying give me your best shot, I am not running? You either live free and stand up to these terrorists or you cower down and beg the goverment to protect you, which means also giving up every right this country gave you.

[sweetheart]

20. "What, are you threatening me?"

What an armament of timelessly droll,
arbitraty concern forever unrevealed.//
"I am cornholio, I need TeeTee for my bunghole"
Beavis' stoned is thou the soul appeal.

[Fountain79]

24. Ok....I have to give it up for that one...

[sweetheart]

61. likewise

[Jara sang]

21. When was the last time you experienced a terrorist attack?

[MoseyWalker]

22. WHEN THE TERROR TERROR EVERYWHERE THREATS

START MAKING SENSE, AND DON'T HAPPEN ALMOST ON CUE.

WHY DON'T THESE SO CALLED, ALLEGED TERRORISTS BLOW UP 29 GREYHOUND BUSES (GOD FORBID) INSTEAD OF SUPPOSEDLY CONCENTRATING ON THE LEAST LIKELY PLACE THEY ARE LIKELY TO GET AWAY WITH IT?

I DON'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE IT'S JUST MORE BULLSHIT.

phew.

[Mabus]

25. When it isn't used for political purposes

When they develop a record of actually being right about something demonstratively related to terrorism. When they quit outing CIA agents doing intelligence related to Iran and their nuclear programs.

I'd be more likely to take threats seriously when they quit spending time talking about border fences and trying to save snowflake babies and concentrate on actually building a Homeland Security department that can respond to the needs of the American people. What if there were an actual emergency? What would they do? They can't even help hurricane victims or get our own citizens out of battle zones in Lebanon.

Frankly, I think this bunch is too incompetent to know an actual terrorism alert if it were presented to them on a silver platter.

As it stands now, the threat was developing in England. Not America. I heard at least one reporter say that the US has been looking for weeks to find a connection to England's plotters but couldn't find one.

They keep talking about Ramzi Yousef but I don't think I've heard it mentioned that he has been in custody since 1995 when he was captured and returned to the US. He was convicted and last I remember was in a supermax prison in Colorado. He's been locked up for over 10 years.

[bananas]

26. Even Tom Ridge admitted that the terror alerts were fake

what more do you need to know?

[sarge43]

29. I take threats seriously

On the other hand, I take Smirky and Co with a salt block the size of Mt Washington.

When will some people acknowledge that we've been lied over and over again and it's quite possible we're being lied to one more time?

[katinmn]

30. You are more in danger from the Bush Admin than you are from terrorists

No kidding people want to do us harm! It's been five damn years and Bush has started 2-3 wars against innocent people but left the financiers of 9/11 completely alone.

I firmly believe that while Bush turns more and more people against us, he has made us less safe.

Why play along with Rove's game of Terrah Alert? There IS an election coming up. Why don't they go out and catch OBL? Rather than being fearful, people should work their asses off to oust Bush. Impeach him. Then we can start a real security program and diplomacy so terrorism becomes less of a threat. Until that happens, the neocons will use fear as a tool for manipulating the public while refusing to address the problem and making the world less safe. I'm not playing.

[Fountain79]

35. How about...I'll take the seriousness of the terror plot...

and still vote those bastards out of office!

[katinmn]

38. Remain skeptical but vigilant!

[Skip Intro]

31. When we have leaders worthy of our trust?

just a guess...

[karlrschneider]

33. The real question is when will Chimp take them seriously?

[Webster Green]

36. We all have to go sometime....

I ain't scared of any fucking terrorists!

I automatically asume whatever BushCo Inc. says is total bullshit.

They lie about everything.

[Fountain79]

39. Self-delete

self realized strawman...

[Career Prole]

37. Once the government passes a certain threshhold in

disinformation, it's only natural to stop trusting.
This government passed that threshhold many moons ago.

[katsy]

41. I know the entity you speak of...

it's the warmongering, corrupt * administration we need to fear.

People aren't blowing themselves up just to kill a bunch of strangers on planes... in buildings.

There is something seriously wrong with U.S. foreign policy and that's been the case for many many administrations.

Is there profit in becoming a terrorist? I doubt that.

Is there profit in preemptive attacks upon foreign nations who have not harmed us?

Obviously so.

[porphyrian]

44. There always have been.

You are more likely to get killed by lightening than you are by a terrorist.

You are more likely to die in a car accident within five block of your home than to witness a terrorist attack in person, let alone get hurt in one.

You are more likely to win money in Vegas twice than be directly hurt by a terrorist.

Drunks, gangbangers and drivers under 21 are something like ten times more of a threat to you life in America.

It's not a matter of not taking threats seriously, it's a matter of keeping shit in perspective.

[SoCalDem]

45. Here's the deal.

We are all born, live 5-7 decades...some of us procreate..some don't. But the overriding fact is that we are all gonna die..from something..someday..

It's always better to focus on the things you can control. It's patently obvious that our government does whatever the hell it wants to, no matter how hard we try to get them to do what's decent.

There are creepy dangerous people ...that's a fact, but for most of us, there's very little we can do to prevent bad stuff from happening..

There have always been bad people who try to do harm to others, and we can only hope that people doing the jobs they were hired to do, will catch enough of them to keep things relatively civil.

Do we hide in the basement and say the rosary 24/7...or bash our heads against the wall?

Nope..most of us just go on with our daily lives and try where we can, to make a difference.

I never leave the house thinking that today is the day Bin Laden's henchmen will finally kill me

[novalib]

46. When the "Threats" Are SERIOUS

I'll tske threats seriously when serious threats confront us.

I tske VERY SERIOUSLY the THREAT to our FREEDOM and the THREAT to JUSTICE posed by the Bush cabal/regime thugs and toadies.

I do NOT take seriously any bogus "threat" designed by Bush/Blair to attempt to scare us into submitting to their evil plans!!!!

[stepnw1f]

49. Little Boy Cried Wolf Too Many Times

and I'm sick of it.... it makes us all less safe.

[Jeanette in FL]

50. When you learn about our history, I don't think you would ask this questio

The question that you must ask yourself, "Why do they hate us?"

Americans are the most generous people on the earth. T

hey hate our governments, not us. Once you learn about what has been done in our name, you will understand why.

Speak out, learn our history, teach others.

[Fountain79]

53. I'm fully aware of what my country has done...

it's still my country dammit!

[Jeanette in FL]

66. Then take it back.

And never allow this to be done in our name again.

[novalib]

58. THEY DO HATE "US"!!

I my opinion, it is a COMPLETE cop-out to say that the rest of the people on the planet only hate the American Government, and that they do not hate "us".

Who is responsible for the American Government???!!!!

It's NOT the people of Canada or France or Ghana or Mexico or Indonesia!!

It's "US".

And before you say, "I never voted for the asshole in the White House", let me ask you what you have done recently to throw the asshole (and all the rest of the cabal/regime) OUT??!!

AMERICANS SHOULD BE IN THE STREETS, DEMANDING THAT BUSH LEAVE -- NOW!!!!

The fact that we are not is one of many reasons that "They" hate "us"!!

[Jeanette in FL]

64. I was out in the streets in 2000

I lived in Palm Beach County at the time . I tried to tell every one I knew that a Coup d'etat was in the process. I was laughed at, ridiculed, lost most of my own family in the process.

And now I have people telling me that they will fight for this country. I wonder were they were when the country was being taken over.

I have not given up on my country. We have to take our country back from the neocons and PNAC.

[novalib]

68. 2000???!!!

Good on you for being out in the streets in 2000.

BUT, since then, the Bush cabal/regime has:

1. Planned and executed an attack on the United States (9/11).

2. Used the attack on 9/11 to launch a war on freedom and justice here in the US (Patriot Act).

3. Launched an attack against an innocent coutry (Iraq).

4. Rounded up hundreds of innocent people and thrown them into a hell-hole (Guantanamo).

5. Abused and tortured women and children.

THAT's just for starters.

2000 was SIX FUCKING YEARS AGO!!!!!

[Jeanette in FL]

72. Yeah, well I was trying to tell people what was going to happen

While Chris Matthews was asking everyone "Who would you rather have a beer with in 2000". I was out in the streets, trying to tell everyone what would happen.

2000 was six years ago and here we are right now.

[RagAss]

69. they were home watching it on TV....as if it was a Simpson's episode...

now they know it's for real...but it's too damn late....

[Reckon]

54. Car accidents kill thousands of people every year.

Do we stop driving?

[Fountain79]

57. Do we punish drunk drivers? n/t

[Zodiak]

103. Yes, but we do not blow up their family's houses

to arrest them.

Nor do we take away everyone's rights to screen the populace's personal lives for them. We catch them when we see them in the act.

I would say that you are presenting a false analogy.

[Dem2theMax]

56. When the democrats are in charge - and not a moment before then. nt.

nt.

[burythehatchet]

60. How seriously were you taking these threats when the Clinton

administration was quietly thwarting them?

[Malikshah]

63. When the regimes take the value of human lives seriously.

Until then we are merely cannon fodder--

DO. NOT. EVER. THINK. They care about you. They do not.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

67. Life is full of "threats" every day.

Your chances of being knocked off by some moron yakking on a cell phone while driving through a parking lot is far more likely than being blown up by a "terrorist". Or, falling down a flight of stairs, or discovering that that "healthy" salad you ate at the local fast food chain contains salmonella. Not to mention wayward asteroids, hurricanes, brown-recluse spider bites, or getting clonked on the head by a falling branch.

There are dangerous people all over the place. A drunk neighbor with a gun who has a grudge against you. Some lunatic walking down the street who listening to his fillings telling him that you're an alien stealing his brain. A trigger happy cop who mistakes your pen for a .45. (particularly if you happen to be black or hispanic).

The list is endless of the "threats" we face just walking around. "Terrorists" being one of many. And, in real terms, an unlikely one.

[we can do it]

70. When They start Telling the Truth - I Will Listen - Otherwise STFU

[longship]

71. It's simple. I refuse to be afraid.

I will not exist at the level that the GOP and its fascist minions descend.

My fear would further enable them. This is something I refuse to do.
To enable them is to encourage more fear and more repression.

Their attempts to make me more afraid just emboldens me more.

[kentuck]

73. Giving them credibility on this issue may defeat the Democrats...

We all have the same information. Not much. None of us have enough to say it was for real or it was not for real. The agnostic and rational position to take is to maintain a healthy skepticism.

[wiggs]

75. Exactly right.

It is healthy and logical to be skeptical of the WH in the context of the last 6 years. It would be illogical and dysfuctional to accept the official line until proven true.

There should be much more skepticism in MSM and public discourse. DU is the last place that skepticism should be discouraged.

Don't understand your subject line about defeating democrats. I do think that dc dems can bring up the very valid point that a history of white house deceptions and fake news should make all of us work doubly hard to verify WH statements...and that it's a shame that we can't trust them anymore. We want to believe the WH...but can't. This is an honest and defensible stance. Any chiding from the right is an opening to talk about the dozens and dozens of fake stories and failures.

[kentuck]

93. Some poster had suggested this would help defeat the Democrats..

I think the opposite.

[leesa]

76. Why do you take it too seriously? Terrorism is part of life, but a very

small part and we could eliminate it entirely if we quit fucking with other countries.

Your irrational fear of terrorism is every fascist's dream. Booga. Booga.

[mystique]

79. Fontain...

Tell me, if you were accused of a crime by the police (authority), should I accept it w/o looking at the evidence at hand ??? The motivation? The timing? Etc. etc?

I for one don't know the truth...but I need evidence. The timing and the desperation on Republicans does make it a bit suspicious. However, even if true, I will be damned if I let them to run my life. And I will be damned if I accept another war with another country...(Iran, maybe?)

[greenbriar]

80. they knew about this last Friday and did nothing until it would help them

politically


why should we take it seriously?

[Greyhound]

81. You are far more likely to be crushed to death in an auto accident

than to be killed by terrorists. This over-reaction is exactly what those who rule us want.

[AZBlue]

82. It scares them too much.

It's a form of denial. The truth is scary and uncomfortable and disturbing.

And, it annoys the crap out of me, LOL! So thank you for your post!!

[Freedom_Aflaim]

83. And do what exactly?

Unless you are up for strip searches and body cavity exams, the current security procedures will NOT keep weapons and bombs off of aircraft.

You can take it seriously, without being irrational.

Unfortunatly, the government is being irrational.

[dollydew]

84. Taking threats Seriously

Well, I might be less dubious if :

1. The POTUS hadn't said he didn't worry much about Bin Laden anymore.

2. The U.S. hadn't shut down the CIA unit responsible for finding him.

3. The U.S. swore getting Al Zawari (sp?) was the death knell of any serious terrorist threats.

Remember, Al Z. was the the latest uber-terror bogey man. The terrorists had lost their leader. They were now in disarray (for the 20th time).

If the story is true, I'm glad the plotters were caught and no one died.

Remember the Downing Street Minutes. Blair is perfectly capable of lying for/covering-up for the POTUS. Even if it damages his own political career.

[ellie]

85. Never

These people have lost all credibility with me. In fact they are so corrupt, that if something happens, I will believe that they are behind it.

[meisje]

86. They cannot handle the threat - they make fun of it - denile

[McCamy Taylor]

87. I take the threat of Bush-Cheney VERY Seriously.

These war criminals have killed thousands of Americans, hundreds of thousands of world citizens. They are dangerous people. But I am not scared of them. That would be counterproductive.

[treestar]

89. Can't explain it, but I'm just not scared

They've cried wolf too many times. Mainly, they have USED 911 too many times as an excuse for more power. So it is natural to believe they will exaggerate as much as possible to pretend we are really likely to be killed by terrorists. When in reality, 40 year old women are more likely to find a husband than to be killed by terrorists.

I still see the chance of my being killed by terrorists as ultra slim, and worry more about disease or auto accidents.

[lectrobyte]

94. It's not a safe world. No one gets out of here alive. Does the

TV feargasm and taking lipstick away from people make us safe? When we were looking for guns, they used boxcutters. When we are looking for lipstick and gatorade, they will have plastic explosive dentures or something. If someone is determined enough to do you harm, and is willing to die doing it... In the meantime, more liberty down the drain, and nothing being done to reduce the conditions that create terrorists. Take threats seriously, but as someone who flies every other month or so, I'm more worried about the drive to the airport, the flights being cancelled, etc., than I am about a recto-bomber in 7C (pouring out the gatorade and confiscating lipsticks has done nothing to deter that threat).

[boolean]

96. The threat can be real and the media manipulation can still be fake

Repeat repeat repeat.

Why don't you guys get this?

[Zodiak]

104. I get it

The plot may be real, but the threat is not established due to lack of info (the threat being related to the plot's feasibility and stage in planning). The media hype is disproportional because they supposedly have as little info as we, but there they are playing it up as if this attack was going to happen tomorrow and it was going to succeed.

The hype of the media is NOT dependent on the plot being fake.

[LWolf]

97. When TPTB

care enough about the threats here at home to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to:

ensure the safety of every American in every neighborhood.

ensure that every American has adequate, safe shelter, food, health care, education, and employment opportunities

ensure that every american's voice is equally heard and counts equally.

Why the fuck should I be serious about what the rest of the world might do, when Americans aren't fucking serious about protecting their own here at home? Why is what someone "out there" wants to do with an airplane a bigger crisis than whether every american citizen can walk down any street, in any neighborhood, without fear of mugging, driveby shooting, or any other act of violence perpetrated on americans, by americans, every damned day of the week?

Or is it that, when it's a terrorist attack, it's more likely to affect more of the "haves" than our own home-grown domestic violence does?

[TheFriedPiper]

98. When the threat is real?

I think that would be my own personal threshold.

[Sequoia]

99. You're so right....and it's Bush, Cheney and Rumsfield.

That is all. Good night.

[warrens]

100. The immediate leap to disprove the threat without information

REALLY irritated me. The whole thing makes sense; if it's bullshit, that will come out. But you don't automatically assume a threat of that dimension is bullshit just because you want it to be.

[The Stranger]

102. Perhaps they know it will be disproven -- after the fact.

They already have the desired effect -- avoiding bad news in politics domestically, distracting the millions of underclass from the economic exploitation to which they are being subjected, and passing more Patriot Acts to tighten the grip on the common man ever more tightly.

[EstimatedProphet]

105. What threat?

Seriously, what threat? This didn't happen, thanks to good detective work by the British police. However, to listen to the media yesterday and today, it already did happen, and that's why so many of us have a hard time swallowing the story.

[KurtNYC]

109. When the suspects use trained "sharks with frickin' laserbeams on

the heads"

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

110. When billions of dollars in terra spending gets me more than gatorade

The best they can come up with is throw away your deodorant and lipstick. Pathetic.

[Dora]

111. It's the spin and distortion that's anethema.

[frazzledmom]

112. When the odds of me being killed by a terrorist drop to

about the same as my being hit by lightning I might get a little worried. You want to take the threats "seriously"? Then end the cause. You can't win this "war" by killing all the enemies. They keep multiplying. You need to get at the root of the problem...

[McCamy Taylor]

113. Still taking this threat voiced by Herman Goering seriously

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials