The Florida Republican Presidential debate is tonight in Boca Raton, just down the road a stretch from where I live. Giuliani has been running anti-terrorism ads for weeks, but I just saw a McCain commericial this morning and if I see one more candidate campaigning on terrorism, I'm going . . .
The Florida Republican Presidential debate is tonight in Boca Raton, just down the road a stretch from where I live. So our Florida airwaves are flooded with GOP candidate commercials. Giuliani has been running anti-terrorism ads for weeks (does he have any other platform?), but I just saw a McCain commercial this morning and if I see one more candidate campaigning on terrorism, I'm going to puke.
McCain says "Floridians are concerned about Islamic extremist groups and high taxes". Well, he's half right - about the taxes. But the terrorism? I can vouch for plenty of Floridians other than myself when I say "Bull*&%$!".
It's time for the GOP candidates exploiting September 11 to wake up and drop foreign terrorism from their platforms. Yes, there is a terrorism threat, but it's not coming from where you think. If you don't already know its source, read on.
I'm a very frequent domestic traveler and fairly frequent (3-5 times a year) international flier. Since September 11, 2001 I've flown multiple times to Mexico, France, England, Italy as well as Egypt, Switzerland, Scotland, and even Israel. Never in any of those countries have I been asked to remove my shoes as part of an airport security procedure. Never have I been prohibited from carrying more than three ounces of liquids and gels in my carry-on baggage.
While in Israel with my family during the summer of 2006, the war with Lebanon broke out. One day we were on a tour through the northern coast of the country, Haifa and the border with Lebanon, the next day the same area was being missiled. Yet, back in Jerusalem, I never felt truly threatened. Even upon leaving the country on our regularly scheduled departure date and without incident or provocation to exit early, we were not subjected to any of the ridiculous security measures routine in US airports. Why? Partially because the Israelis are obviously decades beyond us in security protocol and have sophisticated profiling and suspicion-detection measures, but mostly because the threat of terrorism in their country is real, whereas in the US, it's been manufactured.
How do I know? All frequent fliers know it, and many of them will actually engage in conversation about it. I won't go into detail about the many times since 9/11/01 (including in the last year) I've not only passed through security with "contraband" such as sharp objects and large bottles of flammable liquids - aka tweezers, nail clippers, scissors, nail polish remover, and copious hair gels and sprays - but also successfully boarded airplanes with these in my carry-on baggage. (You can gauge an eye out with a good pair of tweezers, I imagine.) Security my ass!
Yes, cleverly (or at least insidiously) our current Bush/Cheney regime has successfully molded our government into a fear-mongering machine that's done a pretty good job of keeping us all in line. And we, the citizens, have by and large let them. So who are the real terrorists? Whether you're believer in the Loose Change 911 conspiracy view of the September 11 attacks or take what happened that day at face value, there's no denying by now that we are our own worst enemy. Or at least, those we've sleepily elected to lead us are.
Why keep people in a state of fear? How better to control them? Yet with every passing year of "orange threat level" airport announcements (does anyone still hear them? better yet does anyone still believe them?) not backed up by any verifiable orange threats, the credibility of the politics of fear suffers. Americans aren't being duped anymore and it's time for the GOP candidates campaigning on terrorism to recognize this fact, get a platform, and address the real issues. Take a lesson from Ron Paul or Al Gore and stop addressing the symptoms; reach for a cure.
Such as what Floridians are truly concerned about. Indulge me, a Floridian, by letting me sum it up: 1) Healthcare (we have droves of elderly, like you Senator McCain, living down here on fixed incomes) 2)Adjustable rate mortgages forcing foreclosures 3)Our tanking real estate market 4) Hurricanes and their flipside, drought 5)Rising property taxes and homeowners insurance 6) Education. Do you see Islamic extremist groups on that list? Me either.
Modern and anesthetized though we may be, we are still Americans, and Americans, simply by how we've all from our varied backgrounds come to be Americans, originate from a lengthy heritage of boldness, courage, and intolerance for injustice. We tire quickly of propaganda. Tire enough, I hope, to reclaim our ability to reason, our threatened civil liberties, our freedom from fear, and our government by the people for the people. So to whomever is attending the debate at FAU tonight, please ask the tough questions and don't let the candidates hide from the issues under the false cloak of fear that's been draped over this country by the Republicans in charge. I can't be there tonight, but if I could I'd ask. Ask for me. Better yet, ask for yourself. For whatever reason that motivates you, just ask.