Pacific Views
You've been had. You've been took. You've been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amok. - Malcolm X
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| Pacific ViewsYou've been had. You've been took. You've been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amok. - Malcolm X |
It's been awhile since the last time we gave our paranoia free reign, so we were definitely ready to ramble away again when we found this little item today:
Al-Qaeda is aiming to attack the US to try to undermine the presidential election in November, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has warned.
There were credible reports that the terror group was moving ahead with plans to "disrupt our democratic process," Mr Ridge told reporters.
What do you bet that the drumbeat about how those terrorists are so jealous of our freedom that they are going to keep us from voting is gonna get much louder over the next few months? We predict that one of the crescendoes will coincide with the Republican national convention.
And, getting to the paranoia we promised, maybe Dubya will have to postpone the elections to keep the terrorists from succeeding with their nefarious plans? Perhaps Kerry and Edwards will be taken into 'protective custody'?
Unfortunately, we live in times when even these ungrounded paranoid remarks can't be ruled out as totally implausible. Especially given this AP story from about two weeks ago. We'll just leave you with the lead:
The government needs to establish guidelines for canceling or rescheduling elections if terrorists strike the United States again, says the chairman of a new federal voting commission.
Via BBC and Detroit Free Press.
On a related note: The Daily Mis-Lead has this item on how Dubya's administration is linking up the 'war on terror' with the presidential campaign season.
Posted by Magpie at July 8, 2004 05:34 PM | US Politics | Technorati links |We can only cope with this absurdity through humor:
The Bush administration today claimed that Japan has large radioactive monsters and demanded the island nation to disarm or face invasion and occupation by a willing coalition of FOX NEWS and MSNBC talking heads.
When asked about the United States' previous failed experiments to create their own "Godzilla" (Gojira), administration officials, speaking on condition of anonimity, tersely replied, "That was a French monster!"
Posted by: Darryl Pearce at July 8, 2004 06:54 PMHere is a letter I sent to my congresscritters. I got the idea from another blog:
Dear Senator:
There is a steady drumbeat of "Terror, terror, terror" out of the administration's spokesmen. It is not disturbing for the possibility of a terror attack, so much as for the underlying presumption that this administration is just itching to cancel or postpone elections. That subtext is audible every time one of those individuals mentions Spain -- as if the Spanish president didn't lie and get caught accusing the Basques just before the election!
What we need is an affirmative statement from Congress that elections will not be delayed for sleet or snow or gloom of night or rocket's red glare or bombs bursting, PERIOD! It is the only antidote to the threat this administration represents.
Thank you.
Posted by: Meg at July 8, 2004 11:54 PMI've blogged on this three times now, the first time when the AP story you link to came out, and again today when Ridge was saying the same things once more.
It is not paranoia when you know your opponent really would knife you and never look back.
Scorpio
Eccentricity
If they are going to pull this off they do need a new spokesman. Who takes the idiot political hack, Tom Ridge, seriously anymore?
Posted by: Ron In Portland at July 9, 2004 12:19 AMAnd of course, if "terrorists" carry out an attack intended to prevent Americans from voting, the only logical reponse is for the government to do exactly what they want and postpone elections until after the "War on Terrorism" has been "won".
Posted by: felice at July 9, 2004 02:05 AMHere's some counter-paranoia for you: Kerry is talking dovish hoping the bad guys will do a Madrid and help him win.
Realistically though attacks on civilians enrage people, while economic damage makes them willing to compromise. Perhaps the bad guys best strategy is to hit the oil supply until "America leaves moslem lands and Israel takes down the wall."
Posted by: John Doe at July 10, 2004 04:48 AM