Has anyone else except me noticed that the only time the Terror Attack Alert level changes is when the American Public starts to focus on the struggling economy? The level was just raised to "Orange", indicating a high level of possible terrorist attack. When the bombs went off in Saudi Arabia and Morrocco recently, the threat level was lower. It seems that if we were really finding out what could possibly happen, the threat level would have gone up before the most recent bombings, not after.

I hear ya man!!! By the way...Is everyone enjoying their Police State?

No, I hadn't noticed that. I think that the whole alert rainbow is screwy but I think you're stretching. Seems to me that there have been an increase in attacks abroad leading to fear of an increase of attacks at home so.... bump the level.

What is your support that there is a link to increased economic interest? You'd have to go back and determine every time there has been an increased threat level and then demonstrate that at those times there was an increase in the level of interest in the economy. Do you have that support?

I suppose this time you mean there is debate over the tax package. That may signify increased media attention to, well, not the economy so much as the tax package but that doesn't demonstrate an increased awareness on the part of the public. Is there polling data signifying that the public's concern in this arena has increased recently because the latest data I saw about a week ago actually showed an increase in public support for Bush's proposals (foolishly imo) which is counter to your assertion. If he was gaining support, why increase the level to draw attention away from an issue you're making real headway on for the first time?

It makes no sense really.

As some pessimists have said, when it comes to elections, stirring up national pride by defeating villainous iraq might be the only true success Bush will be able to show up with. His internal achievements are quite meagre and mainly "internal security" focused.

Seen that way terror is a blessing - questioning silly stuff like how to finance wars and military spending and whining about economy is secondary when dealing with a threat like a ... :mommy: faceless onmipresent enemy :mommy: ... "America is at War!" - the threat of terrorists might help to help over that - at least until after the next elections.

Hey u might be right. I've never thought of it like that before. If i remember right last time they put it up to a high security alert the economy was also dropping. And now the US economy is certainly falling, there no doubt about that.

@Sir Belisarius
Whats a Police State?

I thought that it was quite obvious what they were doing. Heck in my eyes the main reason for the entire war against terror and the war against Iraq is to supply the people with an external foe and keep them in constant fear. That way you can do more or less what you want in other places. A very common thing for leaders to do throughout history, that was the main reason that Saddam could stay in power for so long. He managed to unite his people against a common external enemy.

I wouldn't go that far - there was a pretty plausible reason (and be it revenge or deterrence only) for the war on terror. The key problem of the currenct US gvt is it's "competence focus" on geo stragtegy and military - except for that they don't have much to offer but sale of patriotism. Their foreign policy is hybrid, the rest is shallow.

Again, I disagree.

Now, the whole alert system, like I said earlier, is screwy. I do think however that it is partially genuine and partially an attempt to cover their own butt in the case that an attack on American soil again happens.

At this point there hasn't been any evidence linking the increase in the threat level to an increase in awareness by the public of the economy. I'll need to see that to believe the link and I think that is not an unreasonable request.

Further, like I said earlier, the latest polling on CNN was that there was an increase in the support for the Bush tax plan in the public which makes purposefully distracting from this issue at this time really puzzling if your theory is correct. See - the timing makes no sense.

Also, there has been an increase in attacks abroad and recently a new tape calling for attacks in the U.S.

Given the increase in recent attacks, the new tape, the lack of anyone offering evidence that the public was increasingly aware of the economy immediately proceeding this and past increased alert levels, and the fact that support for the tax plan in the public was actually growing -- why is it rational to believe the increase in the threat levels is aimed at distraction from the economy?

No one will believe this, but I totally agree with Laches statement above. I do agree that the terror alert system is fubar (and snafu), and that our elected officials are just making a CYA effort.

America is not ready to commit to the "elimination of terrorism", or at least the effort that it would take to even have a chance at eliminating most of it. We are attempting to "discourage" it (sort of), and make it a little harder to pull off.

It will never be eliminated completely, and as long as Americans refuse to allow law enforcement to look for terrorists instead of looking for weapons, we will be wide open for further attacks.

our elected officials are just making a CYA effort. Can you blame them??? If a strike does happen, and we are not at Code Orange or whatever, the media will butcher them.

Remember all the blame-games following 9/11? Even though Clinton had Bin Laden and let him slip through is greasy little fingers, it was still Bush's fault. :rolleyes: