Keith Olbermann invited Arianna onto his first show back after the holidays to discuss the way terrorism has become a political football. Following Richard Wolffe's analysis that our first line of defense is our intelligence system, Arianna pointed out that systemic failures are exacerbated because we are distracted by the wrong war at the wrong time in Afghanistan.
Keith and Arianna also discussed how the GOP has tried to exploit the terror threat without acknowledging things that happened under their watch. "The media need to hold Dick Cheney accountable," said Arianna, pointing out that the former vice president has been lobbing political grenades via press releases instead of interviews where he might be held accountable by the media.
WATCH:
The problem that no one seems to want to face is that terrorism is not a global network. That idea was concocted during a trial in the late 90s as the FBI attempted to prosecute bin Laden in absentia and the only way they could do it was by linking him to a group like the mafia. This global network issues was then exploited by the same neocons who warned against a non-existent communist threat in the 70s. Terrorism is a solitary act, or an act by small groups that are not necessarily related. No matter how secure you are, you cannot control the behavior of small groups of people who want to do crazy things.
What people have failed to focus on is that 1) the underwear bomber failed, and 2) in ten years there have only been three attempted hijackings/bombings, one of those being 9/11. At most--being generous--4000 Americans have died in the past 20 years from terrorist attacks (not counting soldiers in war situations). That's an average of 200 people/year. 100 times that many die in drunk driving accidents, but we don't ban alcohol. 1000 times that many people die from medical mistakes, but we don't have significant reform for doctors.
This should be a criminial, not military prosecution.
I'm sure there are those who are loyal to the past administration - more so they are loyal to Cheney and carrying out his agenda. If these agencies do not cooperate with one another then I would say they have been told to do so.
Cheney will go to any lengths to prove that he was and is correct and he has those who agree with him planted as moles through-out the Obama administration.
Once upon a time other countries hated America, now we've got Americans hating America. Why? Some would say because there is a democrat sitting in the Oval Office and other would say because that person sitting is of African descent.
BINGO!
I'm a fan of Keith and Rachel and watch them nearly every evening. But I'm capable of listening critically, and I have to say he was a bit over the top last night. In the intro to the show he defined Brit Hume's idiotic comments encouraging Tiger Woods to convert to Christianity as proselytizing, which he defined as "forcing" others to accept your beliefs. "Forcing"? Where's the element of compulsion there? This from someone who is normally very quick - usually appropriately so - to pick on others' imprecise (and hyperbolic) choice of words.
Then the thing about intelligence/security agencies possibly deliberately sitting on information they should have been sharing. IF TRUE, that's scandalous and amazing. Which is exactly why one should be cautious in spreading the story. (Call me naive, but I tend to think outrageous accusations come with a high burden of proof.) But he seemed ready to jump to the conclusion that that was the explanation. And then the bit on why did the failed plane bomber not detonate in the bathroom, where no one could stop him, instead of going back to his seat. In conjunction with the previous piece, it was almost like watching a conspiracy theory form.
Rachel's done this sort of thing too, albeit very rarely.
Guys, if you're reading these comments, I love you both dearly, but can't you see that this sort of thing damages your credibility...even among your fans?
We have a lot of chickenhawks running around out there crying that the sky is falling, just because the media manipulated them. So some fruit-cake attempted to blow up his underpants on a plane? Does that mean we should drive our nation into bankruptcy starting more wars? Why are people so fearful of something that has almost no chance of affecting them? Flying is still one of the safest ways to travel.
As for Dick Cheney, he is an extreme capitalist who will do anything for a buck. He is a war profiteer, with his Halliburton outfit, they are raking in millions off of these wars. It is understandable, selfish, and un-American.
Or does he merely lob grenades from the comfort of his studio at MSNBC and wait for his "friends" to come by and say "Yea, hey der Keith nice shot at the former VP der, good shooting."
You don't like the fact that he brings fact to news. You don't like MSNBC because it doesn't open its airwaves (unlike Fox) to the far-right shepherds that spread their lies and hypocrisy unchallenged to sheep like you.
Please, I'm sure many of us here are curious for an explanation of your post. Do you have the ba11s to bring something, anything that proves K.O. is a " Journalistic Terrorist"?
And its not his lucidity, nor his ideas - Cheney, like Palin, still grabs eyeballs.
And that is what show business is all about, folks.
By David Ruppe
ABC News
N E W Y O R K, May 1, 2001 - In the early 1960s, America's top military leaders reportedly drafted plans to k.ill innocent people and commit acts of te.rrorism in U.S. cities to create public support for a w.ar against Cuba.
Code named Operation Northwoods, the plans reportedly included the possible as.sas.sination of Cuban émigrés, sinking boats of Cuban refugees on the high seas, h.ijacking planes, blo.wing up a U.S. ship, and even orchestrating violent ter.rorism in U.S. cities..
The plans were developed as ways to trick the American public and the international community into supporting a w.ar to oust Cuba's then new leader, com.munist Fidel Castro.
America's top military brass even contemplated causing U.S. military casualties, writing: "We could bl.ow up a U.S. ship in Guantanamo Bay and blame Cuba," and, "casualty lists in U.S. newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation."