Full Version: Rumsfeld: WE NEED ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK
QUOTE(Jack White @ May 16 2008, 04:08 PM) 
'Rumsfeld offers that the American people lack "the maturity to recognize the seriousness of the threats." What's to be done? According to Rumsfeld, "The correction for that, I suppose, is [another] attack."'
I guess he and his friends know just how to go about 'cooking-up' another one like the one they did on September 11, 2001......and will likely try it very soon. Are the American People stupid enough to be fooled a second time [though a full-half now are no longer fooled (completely) by this last one]?!
Looks like America is the Titanic and heading full-steam ahead for the Icebergs the Deep Government/ Secret Government/ Noeocons/ Neofascists/ Oligarchy have put in its way......while Congress is busy rearranging the deck chairs, it might be time to raise the alarm and start ignoring the likes of the Borg, and others, who'd have us go back to sleep while we sink without lifeboats. Really very dangerous times - and I have NO doubt whatsoever the greatest threat is from inside - not without.
QUOTE(Jack White @ May 16 2008, 11:08 AM)
"WE NEED ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK"
Not that I agree with his statements but that's not what he said
QUOTE(Peter Lemkin @ May 16 2008, 03:38 PM)
QUOTE(Jack White @ May 16 2008, 04:08 PM)
'Rumsfeld offers that the American people lack "the maturity to recognize the seriousness of the threats." What's to be done? According to Rumsfeld, "The correction for that, I suppose, is [another] attack."'
He's still an a-hole but that's not the context he made his comment in.
QUOTE
DELONG: Politically, what are the challenges because you're not going to have a lot of sympathetic ears up there.
RUMSFELD: That's what I was just going to say. This President's pretty much a victim of success. We haven't had an attack in five years. The perception of the threat is so low in this society that it's not surprising that the behavior pattern reflects a low threat assessment. The same thing's in Europe, there's a low threat perception. The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack. And when that happens, then everyone gets energized for another [inaudible] and it's a shame we don't have the maturity to recognize the seriousness of the threats...the lethality, the carnage, that can be imposed on our society is so real and so present and so serious that you'd think we'd be able to understand it, but as a society, the longer you get away from 9/11, the less...the less...
RUMSFELD: That's what I was just going to say. This President's pretty much a victim of success. We haven't had an attack in five years. The perception of the threat is so low in this society that it's not surprising that the behavior pattern reflects a low threat assessment. The same thing's in Europe, there's a low threat perception. The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack. And when that happens, then everyone gets energized for another [inaudible] and it's a shame we don't have the maturity to recognize the seriousness of the threats...the lethality, the carnage, that can be imposed on our society is so real and so present and so serious that you'd think we'd be able to understand it, but as a society, the longer you get away from 9/11, the less...the less...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/13/r...n_n_101537.html
It's pretty obvious that they are talking about complacency with regard to security. People are getting lazy, notcarrying out checks like they used to, not being as alert. If another terrorist incident happened in the US, people would be reminded of the need to be vigilant. Things like this are discussed all the time:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...ror-alert_x.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/opinion/20whitcomb.html
There is nothing 'sinister' or suspicious about his comments.
QUOTE
Now that the threat level is being lowered again and no attacks have occurred, some experts worry that the public — and even state and local officials — will grow complacent. The terrorists responsible for Sept. 11, for example, plotted the attacks for years.
"Complacency is really one of our big threats because we're action-oriented people," said Jerry Humble, director of homeland security in Tennessee. "But with some of the terrorist organizations, patience is their virtue. So we're not out of the woods with respect to terrorism."
"Complacency is really one of our big threats because we're action-oriented people," said Jerry Humble, director of homeland security in Tennessee. "But with some of the terrorist organizations, patience is their virtue. So we're not out of the woods with respect to terrorism."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...ror-alert_x.htm
QUOTE
So how did we end up here, yet again? Why are we still asking how a calamity like the deaths at Virginia Tech could happen?
The most obvious reason, and one that’s been widely discussed in the days since the shootings, is complacency. Well, we can wring our hands all we want, but to some extent complacency is unavoidable: it’s what sneaks in after all the blame has been handed out, the news media have disappeared, the critics have taken their shots and the political knees have stopped jerking.
There’s also a psychological reason for letting our guard down: we all want to return to day-to-day business and focus on things that are most likely to affect us. Deeper down, there is a natural instinct in all of us to block out the idea that anything so unthinkable could happen to us. To stay alert means to acknowledge that horror is just around the corner, and that runs against human nature.
The most obvious reason, and one that’s been widely discussed in the days since the shootings, is complacency. Well, we can wring our hands all we want, but to some extent complacency is unavoidable: it’s what sneaks in after all the blame has been handed out, the news media have disappeared, the critics have taken their shots and the political knees have stopped jerking.
There’s also a psychological reason for letting our guard down: we all want to return to day-to-day business and focus on things that are most likely to affect us. Deeper down, there is a natural instinct in all of us to block out the idea that anything so unthinkable could happen to us. To stay alert means to acknowledge that horror is just around the corner, and that runs against human nature.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/opinion/20whitcomb.html
There is nothing 'sinister' or suspicious about his comments.
Cheney's statement is open to interpretation, of course, but he is particularly inept in his clarity of meaning --- somewhat akin to calling for a hanging in order to justify capital punishment.
One does get the impression that he would be relieved if another terrorist event occurred:
"Phew, I told you so."
One might even argue that his concern with the diminishing alertness in the security level, based on nothing particularly significant happening in five years, domestically speaking, is an exhibition of paranoia that requires medical treatment and which therefore renders him unsuited to continue to hold his high office of de facto leader of the western world.
Not-with-sanding the fact that he should never have got that office in the first place.
edit = whoops. Allow me to change the name Cheney to Rummy. I guess it was a case of "participation mystique".
One does get the impression that he would be relieved if another terrorist event occurred:
"Phew, I told you so."
One might even argue that his concern with the diminishing alertness in the security level, based on nothing particularly significant happening in five years, domestically speaking, is an exhibition of paranoia that requires medical treatment and which therefore renders him unsuited to continue to hold his high office of de facto leader of the western world.
Not-with-sanding the fact that he should never have got that office in the first place.
edit = whoops. Allow me to change the name Cheney to Rummy. I guess it was a case of "participation mystique".
QUOTE(David Guyatt @ May 18 2008, 11:48 AM)
Cheney's statement is open to interpretation, of course, but he is particularly inept in his clarity of meaning --- somewhat akin to calling for a hanging in order to justify capital punishment.
One does get the impression that he would be relieved if another terrorist event occurred:
"Phew, I told you so."
One might even argue that his concern with the diminishing alertness in the security level, based on nothing particularly significant happening in five years, domestically speaking, is an exhibition of paranoia that requires medical treatment and which therefore renders him unsuited to continue to hold his high office of de facto leader of the western world.
Not-with-sanding the fact that he should never have got that office in the first place.
One does get the impression that he would be relieved if another terrorist event occurred:
"Phew, I told you so."
One might even argue that his concern with the diminishing alertness in the security level, based on nothing particularly significant happening in five years, domestically speaking, is an exhibition of paranoia that requires medical treatment and which therefore renders him unsuited to continue to hold his high office of de facto leader of the western world.
Not-with-sanding the fact that he should never have got that office in the first place.
For a very enlightening [and scary] look at Rumsfeld, Chaney and their pals in neo-fascistland read Peter Dale Scott's The Road To 911, where he traces and documents their ideas and activities from way back - to present. A malignancy on the body politic, for sure. Both belong in prison, along with all of their friends and cohorts, including the Bush family. It is very sad what has become of America [Government and Corporatocracy] and the scum they find to lead both. America is full of good people and intelligent/moral people, but in both parties and most corporations they find only those willing to do the bidding of the Oligarchy and who have no morality other than money and power - which is not morality!
RUMSFELD: "That's what I was just going to say. This President's pretty much a victim of success. We haven't had an attack in five years. The perception of the threat is so low in this society that it's not surprising that the behavior pattern reflects a low threat assessment. The same thing's in Europe, there's a low threat perception. The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack. And when that happens, then everyone gets energized for another period"
Here is his talk - judge for yourself: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...ress=385x131769
QUOTE(Evan Burton @ May 17 2008, 08:07 PM)
There is nothing 'sinister' or suspicious about his comments.
Are you serious?
QUOTE(Mark Stapleton @ May 19 2008, 05:35 AM)
QUOTE(Evan Burton @ May 17 2008, 08:07 PM)
There is nothing 'sinister' or suspicious about his comments.
Are you serious?
Mark,
Yes, quite. He is not saying he wants it to happen, but he is saying that it takes something like that to wake people up again to the threat.
He basically says that in the quote Peter posted:
QUOTE
"The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack. And when that happens, then everyone gets energized for another period"
QUOTE(Evan Burton @ May 18 2008, 09:03 PM)
QUOTE(Mark Stapleton @ May 19 2008, 05:35 AM)
QUOTE(Evan Burton @ May 17 2008, 08:07 PM)
There is nothing 'sinister' or suspicious about his comments.
Are you serious?
Mark,
Yes, quite. He is not saying he wants it to happen, but he is saying that it takes something like that to wake people up again to the threat.
He basically says that in the quote Peter posted:
QUOTE
"The correction for that, I suppose, is an attack. And when that happens, then everyone gets energized for another period"
......of massive profits.
It's easy to assign such negative traits to him - he surely has not done anything positive to dissuede people of that opinion - but to be fair to him, his comments make sense. People DO become complacent... and terrorists will look for such an opportunity that complacency supplies. You can see it even down to low levels such as a house buglary. Someone gets robbed, and they are very cautious about locking up, alarm systems, etc. Six months later without incident, they get lax... and the theives have the opportunity to strike again.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.