What motivates terrorists? There are many reasons, I think. Primarily, terrorism is employed by those who think it will advance their cause, whatever that cause may be. Revenge, to get “press” for your cause, religious beliefs that they are God’s people and meting out punishment to the infidels, to give one a sense of power where they don’t have it otherwise, an expectation of “divine reward” as a martyr, and to instill fear and uncertainty in the population of their intended victims. There are no doubt more. Those are the obvious ones that I see.
I am not going to defend ANYONE who slaughters innocent people for “the cause”, whatever the cause may be. Killing innocent people who, individually, had nothing to do with whatever grievance the terrorist may have is not acceptable. These people need to be tracked down, isolated and arrested as soon as there is enough evidence against them. I am all for proactive police work that will prevent more people losing their lives. However, that police work needs to be done legally, and it shouldn’t be splashed all over the evening news whenever someone needs a political boost in the ratings.
George Bush has done more for the cause of terrorism than Osama Bin Laden ever could have imagined. He has managed to turn Iraq into a breeding ground for terrorists, where it wasn’t before, and he has given Bin Laden and his kind a recruiting tool that they could only dream about. The main point I wanted to write about here, however, is how Bush and his minions have used terrorism to advance their own cause. Please take note that this is the main reason that terrorism is employed by those who actually “pull the trigger”, to advance their cause. The only difference I see is that the tactics employed by Bush don’t actually kill people. However, those tactics certainly are designed to keep the population of this country cowed, so that we will not question any of the actions these thugs may take while in power. All you need to do is look at the color coded alerts being manipulated prior to the elections in 2004 to see what I mean. Keith Olbermann on MSNBC did a little research, that anyone from, oh, the New York Times or the Washington Post could have done but didn’t, which showed that the 14 times that the terror alert status was raised to Orange was preceded, in all cases, by some good news for the Kerry or the Democrats, or bad news for Bush or the Republicans. And they didn’t hesitate to use four-year-old data, either.
Bush seems to have gotten himself into a pickle of late, however. He is trying to have his cake and eat it too. The country, including a lot of influential Republicans, is pressing him on how he has run the war in Iraq. Most of the country wants our troops out, as they are serving no other purpose than targets in a shooting gallery. So, Bush is pulling out his well-worn scare tactics. “If we pull out of Iraq, the terrorists will have a safe haven and follow us home!” he declares. Michael Chertoff, the Director of Homeland Security, says that he has a “gut feel” that terrorists will try to strike inside the U.S. this summer. He even mentioned something about that the terrorists will follow you into “your local mall”. You aren’t even safe from the terrorists while shopping! In other words, fear, fear, fear, fear! Be afraid! We are the only ones who can save you!
See? The terrorists have won. Our own government is using the terrorists, by proxy, to advance their own purpose of staying in power and getting to do whatever they want without any opposition.
However, the problem is that, when Bush is playing the fear card, he is also given weight to the argument that the approximately five years we have been Iraq have not made us one iota safer from terrorism. He says that Iraq could become a safe haven for terrorists, but he ignores the safe haven they already enjoy in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bush is undercutting his own argument for why we have to stay in Iraq. So, the Bush team is trying to walk a very fine line here. They are arguing that we are much safer than we were before that horrible day in September of 2001. They have been doing a wonderful job, and must be allowed to continue! However, the country is still in very grave danger and could be attacked at any moment! Be very afraid!
I do not understand how Bush and his team can actually be arguing both of these points at the same time. Well, actually, I do. I think the real truth is that these people, primarily driven by Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, know only one way to operate. This is what got them in power. They didn’t have a coherent plan for Iraq or for Al-Queda, and they still don’t. They have painted themselves into a corner when all their rosy scenarios they used as justifications turned to dust. They literally don’t know what else to do. So, the keep pounding on that same old horse that died several years ago. It’s amazing to me that Bush has a popularity rating even in the high 20’s. It should have been obvious to every single person in the United States who can read as to what Bush and his power-mad team of neo-cons have done to this country.
If we allow these people to attack Iran before Bush’s term runs out, this country deserves all that will come out of it.
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