Don't know how reliable this is, but thought I'd pass on the news.

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Jason
Lynn Swann 06'

"Individualism is absent when other peoples' standards, not reality and reason, are ones primary guide."

it's really just getting so hard to take many of these warnings seriously

there's been so many over the past 2 years

i guess it's fine to err on the side of safety, but i think people are becoming more passive to them.

just as people thought the space shuttle launches were more routine and unnoteworthy. until, of course, we've been reminded a couple times that so much could go wrong so easily.

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[ PHILLYTIM.NET ]
ROCK AND ROLL HAS ARRIVED & THE STREET SHACKLES ON THIS CITY ARE GONE!

Robin Williams hit it right on in one of his comedy specials when he did his best Elmer Fudd impression and said these announcements were like Rumsfeld and Bush's other cronies standing up there and saying stuff like

"I don't know how...I don't know when...but something very BAD is going to happen."

These kind of statements are not helpful, and, in fact, do more harm than good I believe. First it let's the terrorists know that they can make threats that will frighten the public in and of themselves; and also may further embolden them to carry out these acts knowing that they will get ample coverage and publicity, as well as governmental attention.

Let's break free from the paranoia, and take some substantive steps toward preventing these types of attacks, and securing against them- instead of stirring up a new wave of mass hysteria and panic.

Peace,

J

They have everything to gain by stirring up mass hysteria. If we are afraid, we will continue to need a president who isn't afraid to "protect" us.

The point is not to be afriad, but vigilant. Some of you people are so anti-Bush, you can't see good in anything his administration does. You see conspiracy everywhere. If we got hit again and the warning level wasn't raised, you'd be the first to attack. In 30 years we'll all be watching specials on the History Channel about all the attacks that were foiled by this administration. In the mean time, keep up your retoric. It will only make you look more foolish when the truth is revealed. (I need an evil, mad scientist laugh icon.)

I noticed this morning that the doors from my building directly into Suburban Station are locked. I don't know if this has anything to do with the warning or not.

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Jason
Lynn Swann 06'

"Individualism is absent when other peoples' standards, not reality and reason, are ones primary guide."

I believe that terrorists will hit regardless if the threat level is elevated or not.

Especially now, that they are learning how to overcome the hightened state of alert - just as the flu learns to overcome the vaccines each year, which must be redeveloped and strengthened each year.

Frankly, I'm still of the opinion that 9/11 happened simply because people were NOT doing their damned jobs. That, and maybe because Bush's Regime did turn a blind eye to some things and allowed it to happen. *ducks!*

While I'm still politically confused in some respects I'm still on the side that I believe that Bush has used fear in order to keep justifying his administrations existence. And he is using it as a vehicle on the road to re-election.

If it was just me crying wolf, then I'd feel really dumb. But it seems that this is a very purvasive theory out there in this Country, if not World.

It is atrocious that we've become a country run, and having our actions justified, by using fear to our advantage. We are well on our way to becoming what we condemn historical Soviet Union and Iraq for being.

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[ PHILLYTIM.NET ]
ROCK AND ROLL HAS ARRIVED & THE STREET SHACKLES ON THIS CITY ARE GONE!

Yes, I believe they are trying to keep you contained to your place of employment. We can't have mad young republicans galavanting about in their sperry topsiders. :twisted:

In general I agree though, they have to raise the flag no matter what. If they didn't the salon set would be all over them if something happened. Just politics as usual a necessary human evil.

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Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken

The notion that Bush will be remembered for foiling Terrorist attacks will not be what he is remembered for in history on this matter, Zog, it will be the administration' s failure to heed the warnings from security briefings and certain members of the FBI about 9/11 and airline security lapses.


It is not Bush's fault directly, but it happened on his watch, so his adminstration certainly does bear at least partial responsibility for not treating the Al Qaeda threat with the seriousness it deserved until it was too late.

The failure to stop the 9/11 attacks was a government wide failure, however- from the INS and customs officers who let these guys into the U.S. in the first place, to the FBI bureau chiefs who failed to take action on intelligence their agents had provided weeks before the attacks, to the Bush administration, failing to take necessary action to raise national security levels and agressively pursue Al Qaeda when they had actionable intelligence in the Spring and Summer of 2001.

The whole war in Iraq was a bait and switch ploy to distract national attention from these glaring failures- sort of like the people who have a bad day at work then go home and kick the dog. Saddam was and is a thug, and should be tried for his crimes against humanity, but the terrorist threat had little to do with the war in Iraq.

Back to the present warning- I agree with others who have asserted that these generic warnings do little more than stir up public anxiety. Those in our federal government charged with protecting national security need to take pre-emptive, covert, action to eliminate potential terrorist threats before they arise. Much easier said than done, I know, but they are getting actionable intelligence, but obviously they cannot disclose details for security reasons- so why even bother raising anxiety levels- just go directly after the terrorists and tighten up security.

Peace,

J

none of us know what he will be remembered for. it doesn't even have to be true. look at FDR, he's remembered for ending the Great Depression and that's a flat out lie. you never know.

To digress for a moment and respond to your comments, El- you made a very good point- what history records depends on the lens it is viewed through, and none of us can know or predict how present actions will be interpreted by future generations.

About FDR- His administration certainly did begin some initiatives that helped more Americans find work, and also greatly improve the benefits of working class Americans.

I was in no way trying to demonize Bush or his administration- do I believe they dropped the ball with the 9/11 tragedy? Most certainly, however it was a failure that occurred throughout federal government, and it was, no doubt, such a heinous act that most Americans thought it could never happen here. Yet it did.

See- there are different perspectives on every aspect of history. Thankfully, nowadays there is more diversity in the perspectives that are being recognized and told from history. American history is no longer just about dead white guys, thank goodness for us all.

J