THE COLOR OF CONFUSION
August 14, 2006
by: jovial_cynic
by: jovial_cynic
Greg Palast, author of ARMED MADHOUSE: Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf?, states that there is no war on terror, and that the terrorists, including Osama, have already won.
That's because Osama got what he wanted. There's no mystery about what Al Qaeda was after. Like everyone from the Girl Scouts to Bono, Osama put his wish on his web site. He had a single demand: "Crusaders out of the land of the two Holy Places." To translate: get US troops out of Saudi Arabia.
And George Bush gave it to him. On April 29th, two days before landing on the aircraft carrier Lincoln, our self-described "War President" quietly put out a notice that he was withdrawing our troops from Saudi soil. In other words, our cowering cowboy gave in whimpering to Osama's demand.
The press took no note. They were all wiggie over Bush's waddling around the carrier deck in a disco-aged jump suit announcing, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." But it wasn't America's mission that was accomplished, it was Osama's.
Regarding the perpetuation of fear, Palast speaks of the color-chart that the US uses to make Americans more afraid than anything else.
According to the press release from the Department of Homeland Security, low-threat Orange means that there were no special inspections of passengers or cargo. Isn't it nice of Mr. Bush to alert Osama when half our security forces are given the day off? Hmm. I asked an Israeli security expert why his nation doesn't use these pretty color codes.
He asked me if, when I woke up, I checked the day's terror color.
"I can't say I ever have. I mean, who would?"
He smiled. "The terrorists."
President Bush's "War on Terrorism is," as Palast says, "the Weapon of Mass Distraction." We are no safer than we were before, the color-coded warning scheme only serves to help those who would be interested in harming America, and the common people continue to suffer at the hands of an administration that insists on treating citizens like criminals.
That's because Osama got what he wanted. There's no mystery about what Al Qaeda was after. Like everyone from the Girl Scouts to Bono, Osama put his wish on his web site. He had a single demand: "Crusaders out of the land of the two Holy Places." To translate: get US troops out of Saudi Arabia.
And George Bush gave it to him. On April 29th, two days before landing on the aircraft carrier Lincoln, our self-described "War President" quietly put out a notice that he was withdrawing our troops from Saudi soil. In other words, our cowering cowboy gave in whimpering to Osama's demand.
The press took no note. They were all wiggie over Bush's waddling around the carrier deck in a disco-aged jump suit announcing, "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." But it wasn't America's mission that was accomplished, it was Osama's.
Regarding the perpetuation of fear, Palast speaks of the color-chart that the US uses to make Americans more afraid than anything else.
According to the press release from the Department of Homeland Security, low-threat Orange means that there were no special inspections of passengers or cargo. Isn't it nice of Mr. Bush to alert Osama when half our security forces are given the day off? Hmm. I asked an Israeli security expert why his nation doesn't use these pretty color codes.
He asked me if, when I woke up, I checked the day's terror color.
"I can't say I ever have. I mean, who would?"
He smiled. "The terrorists."
President Bush's "War on Terrorism is," as Palast says, "the Weapon of Mass Distraction." We are no safer than we were before, the color-coded warning scheme only serves to help those who would be interested in harming America, and the common people continue to suffer at the hands of an administration that insists on treating citizens like criminals.
