- Homeland Security/TSA /FBI fabricated a story via internal bulletin about possible terrorist "dry runs" in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore using “wires, switches, pipes or tubes, cell phone components and dense clay-like substances, including block cheese....The unusual nature and increase in number of these improvised items raise concern.”
- The "story" was unclassified for media consumption
- Media hyped the "story", using its polished combination of fear and lack of follow-up reportage
- Our national security juggernaut admitted it made up the story
- CNN thought it was funny
- American life continued on as if nothing had happened
Hmmm...what could this all mean? I tend to shy away from conspiracy thinking (I know, a blogger who isn't into conspiracy theory is like a steroid salesman who avoids baseball players), but it appears the only "dry run" here was a test of our government/media fear-hyping capability. And, thanks be to TV ratings, we passed with flying colors. We can have fear up to color "Hatred" in a New York Minute.
George Orwell must be laughing somewhere.
And speaking of dear 'ol George, I have a beef about some Orwellian word usage. Since when did "homeland" start to replace "United States", "America", and "this country" as terms to define this here place? For example, the TSA bulletin "clarifying" its earlier bogus cheese bulletin states:
"There is no intelligence that indicates a specific or credible threat to the homeland."
Maybe it's just me, but that "homeland" thing is scarier than any collection of cheese and wires. When your government is one slippery verbal step from using "fatherland/motherland" in official bulletins it's really time to be fearful.
P.S.: Why San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore? If you ever want to see Internet Conspiracy Theory Dynamics in action, Google some relevant terms about it. The human mind is an amazing thing. Especially when it's covered in a snug tin-foil hat.
3 comments:
Not that the weekly story about the little old lady who is shaken down by trasportation security (oxy moron) ever gets old. But the news really is not that a report surfaced about dry runs (another oxy moron from my experience) taking place. Its that the media predictably runs another summer story about your's and my vacation plans. A few summers ago it was the shark attacks, then the hurricaines, earthquakes, tsunamis, riptides, kidnapped teenagers, the list goes on and on. I take this to be just another media scare mongering story, not the Bush Admin. goes Orwell on us again conspiracy. Relax, summer air travel is really a pain no matter what OBL (or is it UBL)has in mind.
As far as the "what's in a name" question, how did you feel when the "War Department" changed its name to "Defense Department" circa 1945? we seem to have survived that little name change--or did we?
7/26/07 Tribune
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jul/26/gene-grant-grade-change-rights-were-ravaged-why/
8/1/07 Journal
http://www.abqjournal.com/west/582784west_news08-01-07.htm
Would love to hear your take on these two articles
I feel so much safer now that breast milk and lighters are allowed on airplanes. WTH?
I see anonymous has asked you the same question I just got...
Hmmm...
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