Friday, September 01, 2006

Answering a Friend - What Is There to be Terrified Of?

Fear-mongering….. is there not a legitimate threat? .... There is a real threat, and the Democrats don’t take it seriously. There are millions of people determined to kill me and other Americans. THAT IS REAL.
JB at TalkArena was expounding on the comparative virtues of his hero, Newt Ginginch, verses his villian, Nancy Pelosi when he wrote that. I am not interested in his main thesis but on the above thoughts.

"There are millions of people determined to kill me..."

Millions? Kill you? Ya sure?

There were 3,000 to 5,000 members of Al-Qaeda in August 2001 and, according to President Bush, substantially fewer now. By all accounts, the Iraq insurgencies (Shi'ite and Sunni) are about fighting each other for control of the country, although they are united in their desire to drive out the U.S. occupation. But, none of them give a crap about you or me.

The Iranian leadership that might specifically want you dead number at most a few thousand, the Iranian people have no such bloodlust. At most there are a few hundred North Koreans, probably only a few dozen, who are well fed enough to be interested in killing anyone whatsoever.

That someone as intelligent as you believes that there are millions of folk out there actively trying to kill you is ipso facto proof of successful fear-mongering.

There are dangerous people in the world, there always have been and always will be. As always, caution and due diligence is required. But, they are not out there in anywhere near the numbers that terrify you so. Perverting our democracy to defend against these Ghost Legions is a gift to Bin Laden.

Like any boogieman, it is only our fear that makes this pathetic little man big.

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