From the blog of Bruce Schneier comes this absolute gem that paints an accurate, though petrifying, picture of what our great country has become. The kicker is that the terrorist attacks on 9/11 were a catalyst, but the transformation was all our doing.

Pulling an excerpt does no justice, but a few phrases hit me pretty hard.

An empty Washington Monument would serve as a constant reminder to those on Capitol Hill that they are afraid of the terrorists and what they could do. They’re afraid that by speaking honestly about the impossibility of attaining absolute security or the inevitability of terrorism — or that some American ideals are worth maintaining even in the face of adversity — they will be branded as “soft on terror.”

Re-elections are the most important thing, after all. Doing your job to the best of your abilities and standing true to your convictions is pretty far down the list. But don’t worry, politicians, I’m sure that example won’t rub off on the rest of us. I’m sure everybody else in the country is going to knuckle down and do more than just enough not to get fired. Please. Say hello to the real trickle down theory.

It’s our reaction to terrorism that threatens our nation, not terrorism itself. The empty monument would symbolize the empty rhetoric of those leaders who preach fear and then use that fear for their own political ends.

I couldn’t say it any better myself.

* credit given to RoadFlares for showing me this masterpiece

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Tags: politics & government, terror & war // Add Comment »