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Bush’s Greatest Sin Was Telling America to Be Afraid
If FDR’s presidency could be summed up with his famous line “we have nothing to fear but fear itself,” the years under Bush basically consisted of the message ‘fear everything.’
On 9/11 we were attacked by terrorists who wanted to create irrational fear in the American public in the hopes it would cause us to make terrible decisions. Bush’s response to that event played right into their hands.
After 9/11 Bush didn’t tell us to stay calm and carry on. He didn’t tell us to be more vigilant but not let terrorists change what makes us great. He told us to be scared, not just scared but irrationally terrified.
His administration not only preyed on our fear but created fictitious dangers behind every corner. At a moment of national panic we were told to buy duct tape and plastic. We were constantly told to worry about color coded “threats” that were never specified. At airports 90 year old men were treated as threats and we were told nail clippers were too dangerous to carry aboard.
...
Bush exploited this fear he helped fuel relentlessly. He used it for political gain. He use it to strip us of our civil liberties. He used it to get us into war. He used it to bankrupt the country by dramatically expanding our defense industry while also enriching his friends.
This promotion of fear by Bush was his greatest sin, because it made all the rest possible.
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2013/04/26/bushs-greatest-sin-was-telling-america-to-be-afraid/
On 9/11 we were attacked by terrorists who wanted to create irrational fear in the American public in the hopes it would cause us to make terrible decisions. Bush’s response to that event played right into their hands.
After 9/11 Bush didn’t tell us to stay calm and carry on. He didn’t tell us to be more vigilant but not let terrorists change what makes us great. He told us to be scared, not just scared but irrationally terrified.
His administration not only preyed on our fear but created fictitious dangers behind every corner. At a moment of national panic we were told to buy duct tape and plastic. We were constantly told to worry about color coded “threats” that were never specified. At airports 90 year old men were treated as threats and we were told nail clippers were too dangerous to carry aboard.
...
Bush exploited this fear he helped fuel relentlessly. He used it for political gain. He use it to strip us of our civil liberties. He used it to get us into war. He used it to bankrupt the country by dramatically expanding our defense industry while also enriching his friends.
This promotion of fear by Bush was his greatest sin, because it made all the rest possible.
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2013/04/26/bushs-greatest-sin-was-telling-america-to-be-afraid/
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