The (Top) Ten Conservative Myths About National Security
* "Islamofascism" is our biggest national security threat.
* We're fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here.
* Military solutions are the only effective national security solutions.
* What we're doing is working; we haven't had another 9/11.
* "Law enforcement" approaches to terrorism don't work.
* We don't need allies; we can do this on our own.
* You don't negotiate with dictators.
* National security spending is different from pork-barrel spending on other programs.
* Airport security is critical to our anti-terrorism effort.
* It's always necessary to give up our civil liberties in a time of war.
But, NO! None of that is even REMOTELY true. Indeed, they are ALL pernicious lies told to enslave credulous, sedulous Murkins to the regime of fear.
Quoth Ms. Robinson:
...What I was really afraid of was that too many of my fellow Americans would forget the lessons of their own history—that they'd lose track of who we are and where we've been and what we're made of. I knew there was a real possibility that this time, we'd fail to live up to our reputation for cool, calm clarity in the face of crisis, and instead be goaded into taking counsel of our fears. I feared the bad choices that would inevitably follow if we stampeded down that road. And I dreaded that it would be the soul death of the country I loved.
I hate having been right about this, though I can hardly blame average citizens for succumbing to the sirens of chaos. Americans trying to make correct sense of the new reality found their efforts stymied everywhere they turned. With the White House distorting intelligence to sell a war, corporate opportunists fanning the coals of panic to heat up vast new business opportunities, media editors milking the drama to keep their ratings high, and terrified hordes quick to shout "treason" whenever anyone dared to question the path we were taking, it was hard for even thoughtful Americans to locate the truth of the matter. And as long as confusion reigned, the terrorists really did keep winning.
There is no "myth" of Sysiphus. It's true the way it's told to us: Tho' life take its deadly, daily toll, I know it's (only) "Rock" 'n' "Roll." --Woody, Bergamo, '91
"He's an old blind bear....alone in the winter woods...with only the smell of his breath for comfort. Too mean to die, too lost to care. But show some caution....he's still the Bear."
The fix is in: The deal is down; The game is cooked; The dice are loaded; The wheels are rigged; The decks are all marked, shaved, and stacked; The dealers cheat, And the chefs ALL spit in the souffle…
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Sarah Robinson, over on OurFuture/ CAP, debunks:
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