"We don’t need another president of 9/11. We need a president for 9/12," wrote New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. "What does that mean? This: 9/11 has made us stupid. I honor, and weep for, all those murdered on that day. But our reaction to 9/11 — mine included — has knocked America completely out of balance, and it is time to get things right again."
Friedman argues that since Sept. 11, our government has been exporting and promoting fear rather than hope, which has damaged our position in the world. "We need a president who will unite us around a common purpose, not a common enemy," he said. "Al-Qaida is about 9/11. We are about 9/12, we are about the Fourth of July."
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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66 Comments
And Churchill, he never tried to make us afraid of Hitler or Germany, did he?
And FDR, he never wanted us to worry about Japan or Germany?
And JFK, he thought that we should not worry about the Soviets, right?
And Bush does not even think about the self-admitted mastermind of 9/11 – Bin Laden – anymore.
WE need to learn from 9/11 and start electing leadership with the moral and integrity that Bush promised but has yet to deliver.
At least Friedman acknowledged his own culpability.
It’s become the excuse and reply for almost anything and everything. Among Republicans it likely tops words like “and” and “the” for use in vocabulary.
And yes, it’s stupid. In the grand scale of things, dare I say?
It REALLY wan’t that big a deal. Considedring the scale and scope of tragedies in the world it really was rather minor.
I agree. Time to get over it.
I long for the day our country can go back to being about 9/12 and the Fourth of July. Remember how we came together on 9/12?
“And Bush does not even think about the self-admitted mastermind of 9/11 – Bin Laden – anymore.”
More cliches from the left.
Thomas Friedman’s solution plan for America.
Put your thumbs in your ears and your hands over your eyes and go…
“La La La La La”
“I’m not listening!”
“I’m not looking!”
“La La La La La”
Fleetwood – rather than try to denoiunce the cliche – why not defend your boy king George and his not even caring about the mastermind of 9/11…
After all, where is your patriotism? Or are there no cameras around for that photo-op?
It’s like if we had let Hitler go and then used then used the Holocaust as justification for anything and everythng.
Fear is something we need in life in order to live, but at the same time, I believe that America has gone over. We are scared of ourselves to say the less. We need to learn how to handle this fear. You can have too much and that can damage anyone, if listened to for to long. If America does find a leader that can make decisions based without fear, then that should give us a reason to fear all.
If Bush is so fearful of the radical muslims, then why doesn’t he get the US off the Middle East oil?
If we were self sufficient, we could tell all the Middle East countries to show their oil barrels up their asses.
But that will never happen because the entire Bush family kisses the SAudis butts! Where is the American loyalty in that picture?
The Bush Admistration uses fear as a propaganda tool. It’s not the fear that is bad, it is the way fear is being used.
correction: ’shove’ their oil barrels up their asses.
“If we were self sufficient,…”
We agree on something. Let’s pump the oil from American land.Good on you, maid!
“his not even caring about the mastermind of 9/11…”
Do you really believe that?
I know I do. Is there any evidence to the contrary?
I know you do jr. You hate America.
In the sense of America as represented by you and yours fleetie, you are correct.
maidOpening ANWR WOULD help get us off Mid East Oil.
The librals want us to die for carribou!
By the way, the Alaska pipeline was supposed to be a horrible thing for the enviroment, too.
However, the pipeline is now a huge wildlife habitat!
Marion is talking about COURAGEOUS solutions Paul.
You are arguing half baked measures for limited time.
And of course, we all know your motivation.
“Marion is talking about COURAGEOUS solutions Paul.”
What, pray tell, are these solutions, jr? Bury your car?
“And FDR, he never wanted us to worry about Japan or Germany?”
Wasn’t going to post, but this is too easy:
“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Econ101: “Opening ANWR WOULD help get us off Mid East Oil.”
Drilling in the Arctic Refuge might, with luck and HIGH oil prices, replace other declining domestic oil production.
“The librals want us to die for carribou!”
No, liberals want to protect the caribou’s fragile, irreplaceable, calving area.
And they want meaningful, long-term, sustainable energy solutions.http://www.oilendgame.com/ReadTheBook.html
“By the way, the Alaska pipeline was supposed to be a horrible thing for the enviroment, too.”
Two words: Exxon Valdez.
Also, the pipeline is old, and indefensible.
“And Bush does not even think about the self-admitted mastermind of 9/11 – Bin Laden – anymore.”
More cliches from the left.
Posted by: fleettwood | October 03, 2007 at 12:49 PM
No – more TRUTH from the ‘left’
We are about eliminating any remaining significant terrorist threat to the security of the USofA, if we have to kill, capture, or completely demoralize every Muslim terrorist in the world to do it.
That may be YOUR mission parkay.
Clearly it isn’t bush’s.
For different reasons, it is also not mine. If the bogeyman comes for fleet or Econ or well, you, I really don’t care.
fleetwood, I notice you characterize it as a “cliche” and not a “lie”
We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Posted by: Rage | October 03, 2007 at 02:15 PM
That sounded real good on the radio at the time.
But the caveat addendum was:
German Nuclear Development…V2 Rockets…Jet Aircraft…Mining of our harbors…German Submarines…
You know, those things that aren’t really real. :)
One can just go “LA LA LA LA LA” and they will just go away.
(poof!)
All gone now!
Back to the sandbox everyone! Bring your own shovels!
The statement should read: Fear Has Made Some of Us Stupid! Stupid is, supporting what Stupid does!Some of us kept our wits about us, and didn’t buy into the hysteria, although we may have at time become a little anxious. The whold “Everything changed after 9/11″ is bull shit”. The only thing that has changed is that America reacted with emotion, rather than purpose, and some people have never been able to step back from the abyss.
“fleetwood, I notice you characterize it as a “cliche” and not a “lie”"
How ’bout mindless crap?
Conservative bedwetters hyping fear–just another day on the WeBlog.
Well, DUH, Kansas! That was the point!
There was already plenty to fear–far more so than in the phony “war on terror.” It wasn’t a group of far-flung radicals with guerilla tactics–it was well-armed nations with major munitions.
FDR’s approach?: Try to calm the public, keep a steady head.
Bush?:”Be afraid! Be verry afraid!”
The FDR quote set out above was from his first inaugural address. I believe I recall from high school American History class that the “fear” being referenced was the somewhat more mundane fear resulting from the Depression, not that of well armed foreign powers.
How ’bout mindless crap?
Posted by: fleettwood
Fleetwood – so you agree with Bush that Bin Laden, the self-admitted mastermind of 9/11 should be forgotten and left to do more masterminding?
Now this is stupid logic.
Text of FDR’s Third Inaugural address, wherein he does discuss the aspect of fear in a bit different way:
http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres51.html
Correction, accepted, Vaughn. But let’s not lose the overall point: FDR didn’t govern by the scaring the populace. Even during the horrors of WWII, he didn’t pander to our anxieties—well, okay, except when the Japanese-Americans were interred. Racism was still, alas, a bipartisan consensus.
Bush’s whole thing is making us afraid. Gitmo is a homage to FDR’s worst decision ever.
Heh! You read my mind, sir!
“…that Bin Laden, the self-admitted mastermind of 9/11 should be forgotten and left to do more masterminding?”
I sure you can show where Bush said that. If he did say that, I have to wonder why Reid and Pelosi didn’t impeach on the first day.But he didn’t say that, did he?Why would you say he did?
Under Shrub, the terrorists have won. Thanks to their slavish devotion to George WMD Bush, the 28% of Americans who still support him demonstrate how terrified they are.
Remember when JFK said, “We must never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear negotiation”?
Every current presidential candidate — of both parties — has acknowledged that resolution of Bush’s Quagmire will require bringing allies and opponents together to develop political and diplomatic solutions to the mess this administration has gotten us into.
George WMD Bush has ruined America’s reputaion throughout the world, not only among our perceived enemies but also among our traditional allies.
Dumbya has demonstraated he’s a yellow lilly-livered coward. He his terrified of the consequences of his actions and his fear proves the terrorists have whipped his ass.
FDR didn’t govern by the scaring the populace. Posted by: Rage | October 03, 2007 at 03:05 PM
No, that was Hollywood’s job when they made all those films of News Events that could be viewed at your local theater. :)
Actually, you’re wrong (again,) Kansas.
“All those films of news events” Hollywood made weren’t shown for months and years after Pearl Harbor. And they were not designed to instil fear, but anger.
Compare that with Shrub’s issuing Red Alerts and urging people to buy plastic a duct tape reight around the time of bad news emerging from Rumsfeld’s “long hard slog,” Cheney’s “quagmire,” and George WMD Bush knowingly lying when he said, “the next smoking gun will come in the form of a mushroom cloud.”
To compare 1941 with the present is ludicrous.
But I’ll play.
Then: scrap drives, rubber drives, war bonds, rationing, victory gardens, etc.
now: Go shopping! “Visit America’s fine destination spots!”be afraid!
Cool, I’ve had my nic stolen. :)
Not very strategic of you “fake Kansas” to start off an entry with
“Actually, you’re wrong (again,) Kansas.”
…and then sign the entry Kansas…
http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/s_plot.html
Penguins are getting colder.
fleetwood, “mindless crap” is a good description of most of what Bush says. Good call.
After reading some of the neo-con tripe posted on this thread, I have to agree with some of the thread topic: 9/11 made 28% of the republicans stupid. The rest want bush as gone as the democrats do.
Speechless.
“We are about eliminating any remaining significant terrorist threat to the security of the USofA, if we have to kill, capture, or completely demoralize every Muslim terrorist in the world to do it.
Posted by: parkay | October 03, 2007 at 02:42 PM ”
Now mind you, we will ignore all non-Muslim terrorists.
But those Muslim terrorists, they better watch out.
In today’s Eagle, in response to the assertion from Democratic challenger Donald Betts that it’s time to move toward resolution in Iraq, Congressman Tiahrt, by suggesting that the war would possibly be fought on American ground if we don’t “take the fight to them,” exemplified Friedman’s point that officials in our government promote fear (”Iraq, health care top Betts issues,” Local & State).
To the extent that Tiahrt apparently perceives a threat to American soil, it might be worthwhile to ask the man exactly what he means when he claims that the fight could take place on “our home ground.”
Does he mean, for example, that terrorists will somehow be more inclined to try something when American troops and the National Guard are actually on hand to defend us? It’s not exactly clear why having the National Guard fully deployed here at home would somehow increase the possibility of an attack.
Perhaps the Congressman means that antagonists from the Iraq arena will attempt some sort of invasion, a ragtag unit of bandits floating up the Mississippi on rafts out of “Huckleberry Finn.”
Or maybe the politician was made privy to an intelligence report indicating that conscripts will arrive from mars in heretofore unidentified spaceships.
Whatever the case, if Tiahrt plans to caution us about the possibility of fighting the war on American ground, then he ought to be asked by members of the press to explain in a bit more detail.
I heard the boy king George myself saying this. No,the videotape was not doctored – it was live television news coverage.
Again, Fleetie, no proof to prove your boy king George is doing right?
Fleetwood – Bush saying something stupid is not an impeachabe offense. Or do you not know as much as you think you know?
What’s the problem – am I hitting too many nails on the head today?
The American voters are wising up to Bush and his buddies and the majority do not approve of what they are doing.
Better get used to it because it does not look like Bush has any plans to keep his mouth shut.
What America endured on Sept. 11th, 2001, Iraq endures everyday.
DRAFT YOUNG REPUBLICANS.
This country has gone to hell since 9-11. 9-11 was a bad day but it has been WAY overreacted to and WAY overhyped from the day it happened. And you had a country that just went on STUPID and still is but to a much lessor extent. I remember office buildings here being on complete lockdown for weeks after 9-11. So much so that contractors I know couldn’t not even get in and do their work. The place reminded me of the old Soviet Union.
2002 In a national press conference, Bush states that he “is no longer concerned about Osma bin Laden” and announces that “bin Laden is no longer poses a threat”.Read it and weep, Fleet
“”"Fear is something we need in life in order to live, but at the same time, I believe that America has gone over. We are scared of ourselves to say the less.”"”
Alot of Americans fear is stupid and irrational too. @ or 3 people die of bird flu and we have a national scare. The fact is that you have more to fear from the driver of the car headed you way than you do from bird flu and terrorist combined because the chances are much greater he will kill you.
That’s “bin Laden no longer poses a threat”.
Or just smoke cigarettes…over 300,000 Americans die each year of smoking related illnesses. Maybe we should have a “war on tobacco” instead of a “war on terror”, or maybe a “war on fast food” seeing how hundreds of thousands of Americans die each year from too much fat in their veins and arteries.
The real issue is how Bush directed the fear/patriotism after 9/11, and how he used it for his case to invade Iraq.I just have a really hard time understanding this Iraq situation. I am typically a conservitive person in the fact that I support small government, so on and so forth. But how did this administration get it into their heads that we could invade a country, then tell them how to set up their government at the point of our guns? When in history has this worked? What in Iraq’s history tells us that this would work?
Iraq is a mess and will only get worse if/when we pull out. Bloody civil war, invasion by Iran, dark possiblities are endless. But are the people of Iraq ever going to accept a government that the United States is behind?
We sure got ourselves into a mess…
If you guys want the straight dope, watch the 3 part documentery series, “the Power of Nightmares” you can find it on youtube.
It basically shows the roots of the neo-conservative movement, and the radical islam movement, and then points out the stark similarities they both have, for instance, they both try to rally people for their cause by propaganda and fear tactics.
“both try to rally people for their cause by propaganda and fear tactics.”
You mean like the global warming alarmist folks Whitey?
Hey Outlander?
Were you gonna address the thread?
Or…did you just come here to attack?
Nah, JR, I’m just gonna add my smart a$$ two cents worth where I feel like adding it tonight and then probably go do some reading.
Besides, if I addressed this thread I’d probably bring up Reagan and the hope he instilled in this nation. And then I’d point out that fear is a political tool that both sides use, and probably give an example of the global warming crowd. “If you don’t get on board and sell your SUV, change your light bulbs, and not build any more power plants, we will be over the “tipping point”. Shudder.
That’s what I’d probably say if I addressed this thread. But I don’t have time.
So… Steven. do you have an answer to my question about liberal pack behavior? Or would you have to do a self analysis?
It’s getting late. Wrong thread.
Yeah that’s what we need Mary, the government dictating our living.
Are you a fan of Orwell?
War is peace… Freedom is slavery… Ignorance is bliss…
Hmmmm We gotta fight them over there so we dont have to fight them here… WOW….
We have to give up our rights, to make ourselves more FREE…. OK…
Let’s Veto SCHIP… So we can keep our children from getting the health care they need… REALLY DUMB….
Yep Orwell is alive and well at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…
Sept. 11 has made us stupid
Now that’s a purty good write-up and describes your paper and views well.
Now it also happens to support Clinton, by emphasing what we all know Rudy Giuliani for.