Bush's New War Tactic: Shocking And Awing Americans

Jim Moore | March 18 2005

It's an axiom we either understand, or else we continue in stupefied bondage.

That axiom is: You can do anything with people if you scare them; and you scare them by announcing a horrifying possibility; then saying there is no credible evidence of it yet, so don't let it scare you.

That's all it takes, and watch the rabbits run.

There is no more effective scare technique in the world than frightening people, then telling them not to be frightened. This convoluted combination, as a mind implant, does the trick every time.

That's the precise technique used by the Department of Homeland Security in its attempt to "focus anti-terrorism spending better nationwide." This scary "doomsday" concomitant called the National Planning Scenario, identifies possible devastating events, such as a nuclear explosion in a major city, release of a "nerve agent" in office buildings, and a truck bombing in a sports arena. Any of which could kill many thousands of people at one whack.

But this, then, is followed by an admittance that nothing of the sort is, as far as they know, being planned at this time. So don't run for the bomb shelter just yet.

Now, it pays to look closely at what is happening here.

Bear in mind, we already are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on security throughout the country. But (l) much of it is "invisible" to the average American; therefore (2) the idea of more attacks on America has lost its impact; which means (3) it must be brought back to a critical level, to (4) bring in more money which is (5) not easy to come by these days, so it's time for (6) shocking and awing American citizens; hence (7) use of the axiom stated above.

This "axiomatic" action is being promoted by Michael Chertoff, the new secretary of homeland security, on Bush's request 15 months ago for priorities that would address the problem of wasted money by "spreading out" rather than focusing on targets of greatest risk. Why no action was taken on this problem for a year and a half, then suddenly Chertoff, makes it the central theme of his tenure, is anybody's guess.

My guess---and I can guess as well as anyone else--- is that the time is NOW to scare the public silly by "revitalizing" the terrorist threat to America, since it was recently replaced in the public's mind by the Oscars, the Martha Stewart saga, the tragic Schiavo fiasco, and the steroid-saturated sports figures. And what better way to drive terrorism deeper into the psyche than to bring FEAR into the equation at just the right psychological moment.

Being unable, or unwilling, to identify specific terrorist groups, the Chertoff cartel took a page out of the Desert Victory playbook and called these hypothetical acts of terror Universal Adversary, which sounds cosmic enough to cover every conceivable contingency, and scare the pants off the citizenry in the process.

The "authors" of the Universal Adversary report have obviously tried to make each possible attack as realistic as they can----but they also make clear (to cover up the put-on, I suspect) that the FBI is unaware of any credible intelligence indicating that any of these attacks are actually being planned.

Bottom line: more of our money is needed to perpetuate Bush's War on the World, and it is easier gotten by scaring the dollars out of us, because it makes us feel like willing contributors to our own safety and security. Which translates as the "mother of scams."

With this new influx of cash, will the government do a better job of protecting us? In your dreams. It will simply be distributed differently. Much differently.

"We can't spend equal amounts of money everywhere," opined Mr. Mayer of the Homeland Security Department. "The goal has to be to get things down to a manageable checklist," observes Gary C. Scott, the Fire Chief in Gillette, Wyoming. "Our country is at risk of spending ourselves to death without knowing the end site of what it takes to be prepared," quoths David Heyman, director of homeland security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Talk, all talk.

Action to be taken? Prioritize spending nationwide, rank population density, inventory critical infrastructures, and give the "highest value targets" more jurisdiction so they will be eligible for more federal money.

That's how they SAY the money will be used. What they DO with it may be quite another thing.

The Bush administration has Universal Aversaries to deal with. That takes an infinite supply of cash. FEAR is the quickest way to get that cash. Genuflect, everyone. Now you're seeing Harvard-educated, war-oriented, neo-conservative minds in action.