With citizens in all walks of life losing their jobs and needing hope, some officials more concerned about grandstanding they hope will lead themselves to higher political office than to addressing the suffering of the people who elected them.

When people need hope, more money in their pockets, possibility of new jobs opening up for which they are qualified, we are unfortunately faced with some politicians who are more interested in spreading lies than in solving problems.

Yes, we all have to support our government through taxes. Yes, we need to be as frugal as possible with public money. Yes, we need to cut pork out of all budgets—federal, state, local or personal.

But first we need to bail ourselves out of the mess we’re in.

Will Durant said, “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”

We taxpayers have blithely believed that we could allow bankers, Wall Street, and our financial system to police itself. We forgot that these people have only one agenda—to make themselves as rich as possible with no regard for anyone else’s welfare.

Bankers who gave out loans as “sub prime” lending knew that they were going to raise interest rates on these poor unfortunates to the point that they would lose their houses. The banker didn’t care because he knew he would get his commission on the loan and eventually the bank would get the house. Amazingly, he forgot that banks aren’t in the business of holding astronomical numbers of houses on their balance sheets in order to resell them at a future date—especially when the bottom falls out of the real estate market.

Wall Street has encouraged average Americans who know absolutely nothing about the risks of investing in stocks to put their life savings into buying stocks. The old adage, “What goes up ultimately goes down,” works well in the stock market. If you can’t afford to lose every penny you invest, you have no business gambling in the stock market—because that’s what it is—gambling!

Oversight agencies in the government didn’t bother to check out some of the Ponzi scheme brokers so their clients are now poverty stricken.

The bottom line is that unless you are well educated about finances, you can get taken for the horror ride of your life.

Vernon Law

Education for whatever faces you in life is not always presented prior to its need. Vernon Law said, “Experience is the hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”

We’ve had the lesson. Our country and many of its citizens are scalding in hot water. We now need to stop focusing on our fears and educate ourselves into a becoming a more productive society.

We have the capacity to get our society back on kilter. We have the energy to help each other in times of trouble. We have the know-how to reinvest in ourselves, our children and a more equitable distribution of resources in this country.

Listen to people who have a positive message. Support those who are trying to bail us out. Solve today’s problems and the future will take care of itself.

This country has spent trillions on wars during the past. It is necessary to defend ourselves at times of threat. We are now challenged to spend trillions on revamping our own infrastructure. We are resilient enough to spend where it is necessary, cut back on frivolous pursuits, and restructure our society so that our children have a better life.

Samuel Clemens - Mark Twain

Mark Twain said, “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” H. G. Wells asserted that “History is a race between education and catastrophe.”

Educating yourself on the current situation means choosing messages that are sent from those without a personal agenda for blowing one’s own horn at the expense of the good of all.

Our system allows for fools to shout as loudly as the wise. It is up to each of us to judge which message we wish to hear and to act accordingly.

Personally, I choose hope, because the alternative is unthinkable.

This race isn’t really between Obama and McCain, though. More than any other time in recent history, this election is a referendum on ideas. It’s an election between worldviews and beliefs. While it’s true that all major elections have a certain flavor of mudslinging and catchphrases that run the gamut, one party’s campaign strategy actually attempted to imply the other as un-American and associated with terrorism. Finally, it’s an election between marketing strategies.

This election of ideas can best be summed down into a battle — not between good and evil — but between hope and fear. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen with bitter emails and sanctified drivel from far-right groups, it’s obvious that some would like to have the “good versus evil” image stick to this year’s election. Thankfully, many American voters have seen through the schtick and looked at the issues to make their choice.

After sitting through both conventions, dozens of speeches and interviews, advertising ad nauseum, and commentators galore, the most simplistic way to describe each campaign is a single word. Obama’s message is one of hope. The McCain campaign is driven by fear.

If there’s any doubt to the fear label for the GOP message, then look no further than the infamous robocalls. These calls were so bad that even fellow Republicans cried foul. This little bit from ABC News is an example:

Embattled Republican Sen. Susan Collins is calling on Sen. John McCain to stop paying for automated phone calls which describe Sen. Barack Obama as having “worked closely” with “domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.”

“These kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics,” said Collins spokesperson Kevin Kelley. “Sen. Collins urges the McCain campaign to stop these calls immediately.”

The robocalls also claimed that Ayers’ group “killed Americans.” This statement is so far distorted from the truth that it’s barely recognizable. The only “Americans” that were killed were three members of the group who died during an accident while building a bomb. Those “Americans” essentially died from their own stupidity, not because of Ayers who was never even implicated in the incident. In a word, the calls were about fear.

But that’s not all. Even in her first speech as the Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin evoked terrorism. Earlier in October, her speeches were laced with the word “terrorist” or “terrorism” in almost every paragraph. All of this was in the name of fear.

When Focus on the Family released its “Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America” last week, it was a clear exercise in fear. This is the same message from evangelicals and conservatives from all across the country:

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Some of us remember this as the words uttered by Geena Davis in the 1986 film “The Fly.” This is exactly the message that has been shouted from the rooftops all across the country regarding Barack Obama’s message of ‘Change we can believe in.” We should fear change, especially the kind of change that they believe Obama would (or could) bring. It’s a relentless, drumbeat of fear that’s intended to be driven to the hearts of voters everywhere.

Obama, on the other hand, has been equally consistent on his campaign of “change” and, more importantly, “hope.” It’s been a message that’s so consistent and so powerful that the McCain campaign is actually building their campaign in response to Obama’s.

One McCain ad was very transparent in its intent: “Don’t hope for a stronger America, vote for one.” It’s too little, too late. Sorry, Senator McCain, your entire campaign was built on fear. You can’t spread hope like a thin icing on a bitter cake of fear and lies.

I make no apologies for voting for Obama. In fact, I’m proud to have cast a vote for whom I believe will be the first African-American president in our country’s history. When it comes to a message of hope versus fear, I’ll take hope any day.

Obama’s message and campaign have been so effective, that the Republican message has been converted into a strategy that has lost every time it was attempted. “I’m not (the other guy).” In this case, it’s “I’m not Obama.”

But gosh darn it if they’re letting Obama set the tone for the entire campaign. The Illinois senator jumped out the gate with what this writer (who happens to be a graphic designer) believes is one of the most beautiful and effective campaign websites ever. McCain’s was mediocre by comparison. In fact, back in June, you’ll notice that the Republican’s website is just as slick and clean as the Obama site. Coincidence? Of course not. But then, some people called it a ripoff.

In fact, every time McCain opens his mouth, he has said “I’m not Obama” in so many ways that it’s pretty darn creative by this point. Even Obama’s “Hope” poster has been converted by republicans into a “Nope” poster. Sure, it’s creative, but it breaks one of the most important rule in marketing: Don’t advertise your competition.

This, in my opinion, is why the McCain campaign is losing, and why I believe that John McCain would not be a true leader – he’s too busy responding to what the opponent does. Just look at the McCain website. Once you get past the gorgeous opening page, you’re welcomed to the main page (with more Obama-like graphics). Once you get beyond the graphics, you realize that the content is pointing fingers as well.

One paragraph says “Instead of spreading wealth around, John McCain and Sarah Palin will spread opportunity.” Another paragraph says they don’t talk about change, they deliver. The reader actually has to scroll down to read their platform – which is, again, a comparison to the Obama plan.

On Obama’s site – it also has a splash page for donations, and then the next page is for the goods. Guess who’s name isn’t mentioned or even implied once? Yeah. That other one. In fact, you’ve got to dig around the site to find McCain’s name at all – and it’s on a page with more detailed issues.

From a marketing and advertising standpoint, the Obama camp has been solid and consistent from day one.

The McCain camp has even criticized the “slick marketing” from Obama and his supporters. As much as I hate to say it, that’s what will decide the election this year. In fact, it’s always been what decided presidential elections in the past. Who can forget “I Like Ike” fro 1952? Let’s explore the campaign strategies from 1980 on:

1980:

• Ronald Reagan: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”
• Carter, 1980: According to C-Span, there was no memorable slogan.
• Result: Reagan cracked the peanut.

1984:

• Ronald Reagan: “It’s morning again in America” and “Reaganomics”
• Walter Mondale: “America needs a change” (I’m not Reagan)
• Result: Miraculously, Mondale carried Minnesota. Reagan won the other 49 states.

1988:

• George H.W. Bush: “Read my lips, no new taxes.”
• Michael Dukakis: “Don’t I look great in this tank?”
• Result: We read Bush’s lips all the way to the White House.

1992:

• George H.W. Bush: “Oh, those new taxes. But he’s a draft-dodger!” (I’m not Clinton!)
• William Clinton: “It’s the economy, stupid.” The saxophone helped.
• Ross Perot: “I’m a pain in both yer asses.”
• Result: Clinton dodged a tycoon and beat an incumbent president to win.

1996:

• William Clinton: “Building a bridge to the 21st century” and, “Monica who?”
• Bob Dole: “The better man for a better America” (I’m not Clinton.)
• Ross Perot: “It’s me again!”
• Result: Clinton scrapes by, cigar and all.

2000:

• George W. Bush: “Compassionate conservatism”
• Al Gore Jr.: “Prosperity and progress,” and “I’m not Clinton.”
• Result: Gore wins the popular vote, and Bush takes Florida after a month of recounts and court battles. The United States Supreme Court puts an end to the lawsuits, thus clearing the way for Bush to be inaugurated.

2004:

• George W. Bush: “Yes America can!” and the unofficial, “Stay the course.”
• John F. Kerry: “I have a plan” and, “Let America be America again” (I’m not Bush)
• Result: Bush wins by a landslide since no one knew what the hell Kerry’s plan really was.

2008:

• John McCain: “Country First” and “A leader we can believe in” (I’m not Obama)
• Barack Obama: “Change we can believe in” and “Yes we can”
• Result: we’ll find out on November 4th.

So which will it be? Hope versus fear? Change or more of the same? In the last 30 years, no campaign that has resorted to “I’m not the other guy” has ever won. It’ll be crazy night next Tuesday, but something tells me to bet on blue on this round.

“Both the Islamists and Neoconservatives] were idealists who were born out of the failure of the liberal dream to build a better world. And both had a very similar explanation for what caused that failure. These two groups have changed the world, but not in the way that either intended. Together, they created today’s nightmare vision of a secret, organized evil that threatens the world. A fantasy that politicians then found restored their power and authority in a disillusioned age. And those with the darkest fears became the most powerful. “

What’s especially interesting about this film is the theory they propose that the hype about the islamic threat in the from of al-Qaeda, is in fact a myth perpetrated by politicians, particularly American neo-conservatives in an attempt to unite and inspire their people following the failure of earlier, more utopian ideologies.

Part 1: “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

The first part of the series explains the origins of Islamism and Neo-Conservatism. It shows Egyptian civil servant Sayyid Qutb, depicted as the founder of modern Islamist thought, visiting America to learn about our education system, but becoming disgusted with what he saw as a corruption of morals and virtues in western society through individualism. When he returns to Egypt, he is disturbed by westernization under President Nasser and becomes convinced that in order to save society it must be completely restructured along the lines of Islamic law while still using western technology. He also becomes convinced that this can only be accomplished through the use of an elite “vanguard” to lead a revolution against the established order. Qutb becomes a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and, after being tortured in one of Nasser’s jails, comes to believe that western-influenced leaders can justly be killed for the sake of removing their corruption. Qutb is executed in 1966, but he inspires the future mentor of Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to start his own secret Islamist group. Inspired by the 1979 Iranian revolution, Zawahiri and his allies assassinate Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, in 1981, in hopes of starting their own revolution. The revolution does not materialise, and Zawahiri comes to believe that the majority of Muslims have been corrupted by their western-inspired leaders and thus may be legitimate targets of violence if they do not join him.

At the same time in the United States, a group of disillusioned liberals, including Irving Kristol and Paul Wolfowitz, look to the political thinking of Leo Strauss after the general failure of President Johnson’s “Great Society”. They come to the conclusion that the emphasis on individual liberty was the undoing of the plan. They envisioned restructuring America by uniting the American people against a common evil, and set about creating a mythical enemy. These factions, the Neo-Conservatives, came to power under the Reagan administration, with their allies Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, and work to unite the United States in fear of the Soviet Union. The Neo-Conservatives allege the Soviet Union is not following the terms of disarmament between the two countries, and, with the investigation of “Team B”, they accumulate a case to prove this with dubious evidence and methods. President Reagan is convinced nonetheless.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2: “The Phantom Victory”

In the second episode, Islamist factions, rapidly falling under the more radical influence of Zawahiri and his rich Saudi acolyte Osama bin Laden, join the Neo-Conservative-influenced Reagan Administration to combat the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. They are successful in repulsing the Soviet armies and, when the Eastern Bloc begins to collapse in the late 1980s, both groups believe they are the primary architects of the “Evil Empire’s” defeat. Curtis argues that the Soviets were on their last legs anyway, and were doomed to collapse without intervention.

However, the Islamists see it quite differently, and in their triumph believe that they had the power to create ‘pure’ Islamic states in Egypt and Algeria. However, attempts to create perpetual Islamic states are blocked by force. The Islamists then try to create revolutions in Egypt and Algeria by the use of terrorism to scare the people into rising up. However, the people are terrified by the violence and the government in Algeria use their fear as a way to maintain power. In the end, the Islamists declare the entire populations of the countries as inherently contaminated by western values, and finally in Algeria shoot each other, due to a perception that the terrorists themselves are not pure enough Moslems either.

In America, the Neo-Conservatives’ aspirations to use the United States Army’s power for further destruction of evil are thrown off track by the ascent of George H. W. Bush to the American Presidency, followed by the 1992 election of Bill Clinton leaving them out of power. The Neo-Conservatives, with their conservative Christian allies, attempted to demonise Clinton throughout his presidency with various real and fabricated stories of corruption and immorality. To their disappointment, however, the American people do not acknowledge him as an enemy as they intended and remain indifferent to Clinton’s alleged evils. The Islamist attempts at revolution end in massive bloodshed, leaving the Islamists without popular support. Zawahiri and bin Laden flee to the sufficiently safe Afghanistan and declare a new strategy; to fight Western-inspired moral decay they must deal a blow to its source: the United States.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 3: “The Shadows in the Cave”

The final episode addresses the actual rise of al-Qaeda. Curtis argues that, after their failed revolutions, bin Laden and Zawahiri had little or no popular support, let alone a serious complex organisation of terrorists, and were dependent upon independent operatives to carry out their new call for jihad. The film instead shows the United States government wanting to prosecute bin Laden in absentia for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, and needing to prove him to be the head of a criminal organisation to do so. They find a former associate of bin Laden, Jamal al-Fadl, and pay him to testify that bin Laden was the head of a massive terrorist organisation called “al-Qaeda”. With the September 11th attacks, Neo-Conservatives in the new Republican government of George W. Bush use this created concept of an organisation to justify another crusade against a new evil enemy, leading to the launch of the War on Terrorism.

After the American invasion of Afghanistan fails to uproot the alleged terrorist network, the Neo-Conservatives focus inwards, searching unsuccessfully for terrorist sleeper cells in America. They then extend the war on “terror” to a war against general perceived evils with the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The ideas and tactics also spread to the United Kingdom where Tony Blair uses the threat of terrorism to give him a new moral authority. The repercussions of the Neo-Conservative strategy are also explored with an investigation of indefinitely-detained terrorist suspects in Guantanamo Bay, many allegedly taken on the word of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance without actual investigation on the part of the United States military, and other forms of “preemption” against non-existent and unlikely threats made simply on the grounds that the parties involved could later become a threat. Curtis also makes a specific attempt to defuse fears of a dirty bomb attack, and concludes by reassuring viewers that politicians will eventually have to concede that some threats are exaggerated and others altogether devoid of reality.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My conclusion

The tactics discussed in this film are still being used today. All you need to do is look at the rhetoric between the Clinton and Obama campaigns on who would you perfer answer the red phone at 3am.  Steve King’s (R-IA) warnings that terrorists will be dancing in the street if you elect a Democrat to the White House. President Bush’s attempts at justifying torture and demanding the Congress grant retroactive immunity to his administration and the telecommunication companies which have been his willing partners in warrantless domestic spying.  It is also being used to attack the GLBT community as seen recently in Oklahoma state Representative Sally Kern  (R-Oklahoma City) comments which were recorded then placed on Youtube…

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s way past time for the world to grow up and finally say “Enough!” to the politics of fear.

* Information about the film and the majority of the text herein except my conclusion, provided by the english language Wikipedia.

This New Orleans celebration of two performances of the award winning Vagina Monologues will feature Salma Hayek, Oprah Winfrey, Faith Hill, Jane Fonda, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Hudson, Glenn Close, Julia Stiles, Ali Larter, Sally Field, Marisa Tomei, Calpernia Addams, Rosario Dawson, Kerry Washington, and musicians Common, Eve, and Charmaine Neville. See details and get tickets at: http://v10.vday.org/

Ensler has a big picture for vaginas. V-Day is a vision to see a world where women live safely and freely. The monologues speak openly about vagina stories that were collected from women. Ending violence against women is the driving force behind the production. Women don’t talk about their own sexuality; they don’t talk about what pleases them, and when raped, they don’t talk about that either. Most of the time, they think it was their fault that they were attacked and they walk around with the hidden fear and shame of it.

Being a victim of rape by a parent, Eve knows how difficult it is to come to terms with that kind of violation and the work it takes to feel safe in your own body again. Being silent about our own sexuality has not been helping women to avoid violence.

Ensler, who has traveled to Africa and all parts of the world to hear issues of female genital mutilation and violence, says, It’s not enough to keep helping every crisis that happens. We need to have a revolution and change the source of the problem. We need men to get behind it because women can’t pull it off just by themselves. We need to realize that every single culture gives permission to violence against women.

International Statistics: Violence against women and girls is widespread – one woman in three will experience violence during her lifetime, most often at the hands of someone she knows. (United Nations Population Fund, Sept. 2000 and summary).

The number of girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation is estimated at between 100 and 140 million. It is estimated that each year, an additional 2 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM. (World Health Organization, Fact Sheet No. 241, June 2000)

Internationally, 2 million girls between ages 5 and 15 are introduced into the commercial sex market each year. (United Nations Population Fund, Sept. 2000 and summary)

According to the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, a woman is raped every two hours in Pakistan, and in Punjab, a woman is raped every six hours and gang-raped every four days. (San Francisco Chronicle, July 2002) National Statistics: Approximately 1.9 million women are assaulted physically annually in the United States. That’s one woman every 15 seconds. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 200) One of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to the participating law enforcement agencies were under age 6. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1996) Somewhere in America, a woman is raped every 90 seconds. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 2000)

On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in the U.S. every day. (Bureau of Justice Report, “Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, 1993-99,” Oct. 2001) Pregnancy or recently pregnant women are more likely to be the victims of homicide than to die of any other cause. (Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2001)

In this country, MTV continually flashes us images of females in ideal male sexual fantasy roles. Clarksville On Line publisher, Bill Larson, was able to obtain a copy and permission to post the controversial film trailer to Dreamworlds III here. This film shows women always wanting sex, not meaning it when they say no, not having real minds or feelings, they are lost without men and they are just bodies. This is the trailer that MTV does not want you to see. The context is shocking and not recommended for children.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Vagina Monologues, which is part of an organized response against violence toward women, are performed at Universities and institutions across the world, with permission from Eve Ensler and with the agreement that monies raised go to groups that help battered women.

For the seventh year running, the Vagina Monologues were performed in Clarksville on Feb 26th and 27th at APSU, and despite snow fall both nights, over 200 people came to see the performance.

Dr. Eichhorn teaches the Vagina Monologues class and she is passionate about women’s studies education. Shocking, funny, and empowering are the monologues, because they talk about a subject that is taboo, the vagina and women’s sexuality.

Proceeds from the Vday event went to the following non-profit organizations:

• Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee (931) 552-6656
• Rape and Sexual Abuse Center (931) 647-3632, Crisis hotline: 1-800-879-1999
• Safe House (931) 648-9100 and (931) 552-6900

In this year’s production at APSU: Director Carrye Beth Murray, Director Holly Lanham, Coordinator Carly Hatcher, Rebecca Hubbel, Rukiya Richmond, Bess Bedell, Ellie Renderos, Sienna Finney, Laura Boudrequx, Marcy Austin, Tinesha Lott, Jessica Axley, Tiffany Davis, Amanda Abbott, Alisa Lewis, Jessica Axley, Amber Gaulden, Nicolette Tomaszewski, Jamila Weaver, Erin McNealy, Liza Kurtz, Coordinator Debbie Boen, Shannon Woodward, Amanda Hudson, Danielle Beck, Optimum Robinson, Samantha Chew, Tonika Bell, Samantha Pearson

There was a recent piece by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann on his Countdown show, which covered the history of using Terrorism and Terrorists by politicians especially Republican ones for Political Gain. It’s very damning and you should really go watch it, it’s also available on Crooks and Liars where I first learned about the piece! Then come back here, and read the rest of this article!

1,000 Cellphones

We have all heard of the recent arrest of three men of middle eastern descent who were caught with over 1,000 prepaid cellphones.

There were a thousand cell phones that were inside one motor vehicle. a laptop computer, a camera. When you toss three brown skinned men into the mix, yep must be Terrorism.

“We didn’t know exactly what was going on. You hear on the news about these phones being used to detonate IED’s.” – Michigan State Police Trooper Patrick Sharkey

We then heard this ominous statement

Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark E. Reene said Monday that representatives of his office and Caro police had met with Sunday with officials from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney’s office. He said all the agencies were working together on the investigation. He thinks the men had a complex plan to attack the Mackinac Bridge.

Prosecutors charged the men with collecting or providing materials for terrorist acts and surveillance of a vulnerable target for terrorist purposes.

The three Dallas-area men arrested in Michigan on state terrorism charges are well-known to cell phone wholesale and retail shops in Texas where they live. They were a part of a brisk trade that exists in buying phones from Wal-Mart and other discount stores and reselling them to smaller shops.

It’s actually fairly lucrative they can buy the phones for 20$ at Wal-marts and resell them for up to 38$ at smaller shops in cities without a local Wal-mart

The FBI has issued their own statement on this situation:

They had no information to indicate that the three Texas men arrested with about 1,000 cell phones in their van had any connections to a known terrorist group. There is no imminent threat to the bridge linking Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas.

We can at least hope that the charges against these men are promptly dropped and that they receive an apology from the Michigan prosecutors and from every single news organization which trumpeted these slanderous charges. I wouldn’t hold my breath if I was one of the three men. Even if they do apologize, I seriously doubt that this is reported as widely or as loudly as the initial news releases on this matter were.

The UK Airline plots

On to plot to blow up U.S. bound flights with gel explosives

Some interesting facts

U.S., U.K. at odds over timing of arrests: British wanted to continue surveillance on terror suspects, official says.

British officials knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case. -NBC News

A news organization quoted a top aid to President Bush as denying the account of the British officials while another U.S. official admitted it was in fact true.

I would bet real money that the top aid to President Bush is in fact the same man coordinating this Republican campaign of fear, Karl Rove or one of his Deputies. We all know his penchant for being an anonymous source in support of the Administrations policies, just ask Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame, the formerly clandestine CIA agent.

The plot was serious and dangerous to flyer’s according to the TSA and Bush Administration:

For that reason, the United States Government has raised the nation’s threat level to Severe, or Red, for commercial flights originating in the United Kingdom bound for the United States. This adjustment reflects the Critical, or highest, alert level that has been implemented in the United Kingdom. To defend further against any remaining threat from this plot, we will also raise the threat level to High, or Orange, for all commercial aviation operating in or destined for the United States. Consistent with these higher threat levels, the Transportation Security Administration is coordinating with federal partners, airport authorities and commercial airlines on expanding the intensity of existing security requirements. Due to the nature of the threat revealed by this investigation, we are prohibiting any liquids, including beverages, hair gels, and lotions from being carried on the airplane. This determination will be constantly evaluated and updated when circumstances warrant. These changes will take effect at 4:00 AM local time across the country. Travelers should also anticipate additional security measures within the airport and at screening checkpoints. – TSA press release

But in fact a senior British official hinted that an attack was not imminent, saying that the suspects had not purchased any airline tickets, some did not even have passports. Another little tidbit they left out was that some of these “plotters” were known to the British security services even before the London subway bombings which occurred last year.

In short this plot had absolutely no chance of success and wasn’t a real threat, and the Bush Administration knew that when they raised the terror alert levels and instigated a renewal of the publics fear in order to influence the political landscape.

A TSA supervisor and trainer was quoted in the opinion section of The Leaf Chronicle today as stating the following facts about the agency.

• Liquid explosives are not new. The concept was tested in the Bojinka terrorist plot in 1994 and was successful. Introduction aboard aircraft is still a significant threat with an extremely high probability of success. TSA has known about this threat since its inception.
• TSA did not address definitive actions to prevent explosives from being carried on passengers through checkpoints until two Russian aircraft were destroyed by suicide bombers using explosive vests. The response was a torso pat down. Passenger-carried explosives are still a significant threat. TSA has known about this threat for years.
• Numerous nonstandard explosive/incendiary devices and employment methods exist now that present a significant introduction threat with very little chance of detection. TSA has known about this for years

He dismissed shoulder-fired missiles totally saying only that the TSA has no defense against these.

In the end he concluded with:

My point? Simple. TSA knows terrorists think outside the box, yet the TSA refuses to attempt to out think the bad guys, preferring to wait until something happens before they act. Multiple threats are still out there, still viable, and will likely not be fixed until a bunch of people die. – Sam Smith, The Leaf Chronicle Letters to the Editor

As for having to remove your shoes and have them x-rayed, In a April 2005 report entitled: “Systems Engineering Study of Civil Aviation Security — Phase I,” the Homeland Security Department concluded that images on X-ray machines don’t provide the information necessary to detect explosives. They are now trying to claim otherwise.

In the end removing your shoes and having them x-rayed is all a dog and pony show to make the public feel safer about flying.

It’s time to fight back

My suggestion until they stop trying to manipulate your fears, do not fly. It’s not worth the hassle, and having to surrender your civil liberties. If enough people stop flying, the airlines will scream bloody murder, and then we will get some common sense in how airline security is handled in this country.

Politicians like to ask “Are you safer today than you were 5 years ago?” My answer is maybe not, but you are not any more at risk either.

In November, vote out of your hopes, not your fears, and by doing so show the Republicans that “We the People” will not allow them use our fears (Terrorism, Immigration, and Gay Marriage) as a tools to enable them to control us.

There is an old saying, “Fool me once, Shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Don’t allow yourself to be fooled by George Bush and the Republicans again.