.
KW: So, it is basically a fact that leading up to the 2004 presidential election, our federal government, through the Bush administration and the Department of Homeland Security, issues false terror alerts and hype, so that people would think we need to “keep the incumbent” and “keep Republicans in power” (ie: because they are–wrongly or rightly–considered stronger on defense).
This is an important piece of information. Besides waking people up to government shenanigans, it should probably have real consequences to discourage it from happening again. Some thoughts: Investigate and indict people who were responsible; close the Homeland Security Department as a separate agency, or at least put it under a microscope; disallow anyone involved in the situation from receiving a high level security clearance ever again; remove any security clearance that people involved may still have.
In addition, you should take a deep breath and free yourself one step from worries of terrorism. Because, clearly, our elected officials have hyped it up and fretted you over it. We certainly need steps taken to prevent terrorism, but not something that scares the pants off us and causes us to do useless things like put duct tape on our windows.
Also, you should realize that you cannot trust all information that comes from a government agency.
(excerpt from) Crooks and Liars
Tom Ridge admits terror alerts were used for political reasons. What about the Osama video right before the ’04 election?
By John Amato Thursday Aug 20, 2009
…This was first reported way back when by the Washington Post in 2004:
The mixing of anti-terrorism policy with the 2004 presidential campaign is becoming destructive. It is creating a vicious cycle of hype, skepticism and mistrust that puts the country’s security at risk.
The dangers of politicizing terrorism were clear in this month’s announcement about potential attacks on financial centers in the New York area and in Washington. When Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge disclosed the threats on Aug. 1, he faced immediate skepticism about whether the intelligence was valid. Sadly, the Bush administration had helped create this climate of public suspicion by overusing its elaborate, color-coded system of terrorism warnings. After a terrorism advisory by Attorney General John Ashcroft last spring was pooh-poohed the same day by Ridge, some people wondered whether these warnings were being used for political effect.
Bush used the terror alerts to win the election against John Kerry and it’s a breach of his oath of office as far as I’m concerned. [John Amato writes.]
Filed under: elections, international politics, News, politics, presidential, progressive politics, US Politics Tagged: | 2004, anti-terrorism, elections, George Bush, government accountability, Homeland Security, terror alerts, terrorism, Tom Ridge
Of course they exploited America’s utter post 9/11 paranoia for the most cynical political reasons. Ridge’s book is not news. The only thing newsworthy is the fact that someone who was in the know is finally admitting it. He should have written his book five years ago. He should have resigned at that moment. Shame on him for not doing so.
I knew what was going on in the hours leading up to the election of 2004. It was so embarrassingly obvious, you had to be an idiot to miss it.
On the first posting on my blog on June 2, 2006, I wrote the following:
“PREDICTION: George W. Bush will be remembered in history, primarily, as the first (pray last) former chief executive to go to federal prison. Sound crazy? Stay tuned.:
I stand by those words.
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY