New frame: Bush terrorized the American people with threats of annihilati

[pat_k]

"Bush lied to take America into war" fails to grab attention.

Not long ago, it was a big deal to say a politician lied, but as people got angry, they dropped the euphemisms. Unfortunately, there have been so many lies the word is becoming hackneyed.

Some form of the following needs to be on Everybody's lips:

Version 1
Bush terrorized the American people with baseless threats
of annihilation to frighten them into supporting a war he was
hellbent on waging.

Version 2

Bush was hellbent on war. He terrorized the American people to pull it off.

The key words are terrorized and hell-bent. This isn't hyperbole. These words evoke an accurate, detailed, picture of his crimes:

Terrorize: To coerce by intimidation or fear.

Hellbent: Recklessly determined.

[NVMojo]

1. as it stands now, we are in danger of being annihilated by his policies

[longship]

2. I like this rhetoric

hell-bent also makes a mockery of the extremist religious undertones to CuckooBanana's rhetoric and his devout followers stating that he is "annointed by god". Not to be too picky, but using the hyphenated form (both are proper) underlines that connection.

[pat_k]

11. Hell-bent it is!

I originally went with hell-bent. Not sure why I changed. Your point is a good one. So, hell-bent it is!

[shance]

3. Americans have been terrorized by those in the Bush Administration

for over five years now through the wealth of violations like the Patriot Act, the War on Iraq, Homeland Security, consistent and persistent Terror Alerts, Misuse of Secret Service and their role in intimidating American citizens who oppose the Administrations policies, "No Fly" lists, color coded "terror alerts", misuse and complicity of both right wing media and mainstream as well.

[pat_k]

12. Of course, you;'e right, but I'd prefer not to dilute the message.

Of course, you're right, but I'd prefer not to dilute the message.

I've been promoting the use of "terrorized the American people" to refer to his lies about WMD. But, if a broader application catches on, great. I just want to see the phrase, or terms, catch on.

[TwentyFive]

4. You are right ! The American people have suffered another Terrorist Attack

This time, it came from their own lying, illegally elected President. He and his Terroist Cell set up occupation in the WH on January 20th 2001. In just under 9 months, he had an entire free nation in the grips of his Terror Campaign.

The Terrorist Cell used the Corporate Media to enjoin the US political system from alerting or engaging the public. With opposition squelched, Terrorist Cell used the great US Military to bring the Terror Campaign to weaker, but asset rich nations. Meanwhile, the besiged nation was driven more deeply into debt, while the middle class continued to dwindle.

[evermind]

5. What was all that stuff that went down with the "duck and cover"

style advice on how householders could respond to nerve gas attacks (? or whatever) by sealing up their windows with sticky tape (? or whatever)

Not living in the US, I didn't really get the full deal on it, but it did strike me at the time that it was more about terrifying the US population than about any real threat or response..

(To an extent, we had it here in the UK, too, with survival leaflets and over-requirements military presence at airports, but not as much, I'd guess.)

(On edit, I think it was the anthrax in 2001. Interesting blog about that at http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/6/18/152317/561 )

[Poiuyt]

6. Bush is a terrorist!!

Actually, it is somewhat similar to yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater.

[Coexist]

7. you mean like Saddam terrorized his people?!

would Bush use mustard gas on Hollywood, CA if he could?

[Simeon Salus]

8. Bush's War OF Terror, not war on terror

At some point, Bush became the rogue terrorist the world most fears.

[pat_k]

17. What's worse . . .

What's worse, threatening passengers on a plane to coerce some action (e.g., releasing prisoners) or threatening an entire nation with imminent nuclear, biological, or chemical attack to coerce them into waging a war?

Even if the plane is the largest in existence and is carrying the maximum number of passengers, threatening those passengers doesn't compare to threatening an entire nation.

The maximum damage a single plane could inflict doesn't compare to the damage inflicted by a ground war.

I know what my answer is.

People have been put to death for hijaaking a plane. The least we can do is remove the terrorist that threatened us with annihilation from office.

[AirAmFan]

9. And he pulled troops out of Afghanistan into Iraq, letting Osama

bin Laden, the REAL enemy, escape.

Could a cynical WH have reasoned that actually capturing Osama might cool America's zeal for "war against terror" prematurely, before he could curb domestic civil liberties, grab Iraqi oil, and build 14 permanent US bases on Iraqi soil? Was Osama more useful to them "out there" than in captivity?

[pat_k]

13. Yup

Makes sense to me. Osama on the loose dovetails with threatening the American people with annihilation in a nuclear, chemical, or biological holocaust. Saddam is preparing a devastating attack on our homeland. he could launch it any minute. Or he could supply Osama with WMD (never mind that there were no ties).

Either way, terrorized us with threats he knows are baseless.

[laugle]

10. I totally agree with your post, however,

I posted one identical to yours with little response. I believe, as you do, that saying he terrorized everyone will possibly get there attention and inadvertently, more attention on the DSM. I know it makes me angry as hell to think how we know now, he intentionally scared the bejesus out of most people. "Mushroom cloud my ass!!!

[pat_k]

15. As Dean points out, repetition is the key to getting a message out.

It's great to hear that you've been promoting the notion too, although I wish you had gotten a better response.

As Dean points out, repetition is the key to getting a message out. I want to see as many people as possible promoting the language.

He didn't just lie to take to us war. He terrorized us. He didn't just take us to war, he was hell-bent on it.

[laugle]

16. The reason I thought this was important,

is because it hits people in the "gut" unlike just telling them that he lied. My point was that the DSM goes hand in hand with the terrorizing of america. So I'm glad you are talking about it again. It's all psychology right!!! And it does seem to work! Also, by focusing on this, maybe more people will become interested in the DSM. If you believe Bush fixed the intelligence, you know that he also fixed the terror alerts. Even Tom Ridge was quoted as saying that many of the alerts he didn't think were really necessary, but the White House over-ruled him. I feel extremely angry over these alerts and I am sure many others feel the same.

[alcuno]

14. Remember the guy, "They're all about politics, not policy."

I think it was his faith-based guy. The first one.