Fear and trumped-up threats can be used to gain power.

[NewHampster]

by: Naomi Wolf for The Guardian's Commentisfree

The threat of a threat

Hillary Clinton is right to warn that a new terrorist attack on the US would help Republicans. Fear and trumped-up threats can be used to gain power.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is getting a pounding, from liberal blogs and her Democratic rivals for the presidency, because she had the temerity to warn voters that a possible terrorist attack before the election might strengthen the Republicans' hand. Chris Dodd called the comment "tasteless" and liberal bloggers are savaging her for, in their view, caving to the Republican framing of the terror issue.

These critics are being extraordinarily historically naive. If all Clinton meant was that a genuine terror attack would empower Republicans, then under the current social consensus, her comment is in poor taste. (Though this notion, that examining the possible domestic fallout of terror attacks is vulgar or unpatriotic, is one of those quasi-Victorian conventions that does not serve the vigorous debate needed in a time of crisis). But if Clinton is also trying to warn voters about something even more difficult for us to talk about, then she is absolutely right, even brave, and her critics are frighteningly ill-informed about the past.

Clinton is right to caution voters to consider the domestic outcome of a possible terror-related event before the election if you factor into her caution this forbidden subtext: if the terror scare in question is exaggerated, or even manufactured, to serve a domestic political purpose.

Even as I write those words, I understand I am breaching a major social taboo....

Full text http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/naomi_wolf/2007/08/the_threat_of_a_threat.html

Duers. Follow the link and read how the folks across the pond see Hillary as courageous for saying what others are afraid to admit.

[burythehatchet]

1. She's absolutely right. That's why I would not be at all surprised

if they pull off another one.

[NewHampster]

3. Hillary is trying to get Americans to stand up and not let them do it

We can't let them do it again.



http://www.cafepress.com/partizane

[rucky]

2. But it wasn't that part of Hillary's statement that bothered me.

We hear pretty much the same thing on DU every day.

It was her concession that America has been safer under Bush. If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll be corrected and get a swift paddling.

[Lint Head]

4. Look at what 9/11 did.

Fascist Republicans used it to cynically destroy the Constitution, kill people for profit, pollute the atmosphere, blow a CIA agents cover, subvert laws, cover up perverted behavior, lie us into a war and on and on and on. One more attack and we will be living under Marshall Law with the suspension of the Constitution. If we attack Iran that will stir up a hornet's nest creating an atmosphere for an internal attack. It will obviously be helped along by US spy's within terrorist organizations to make this happen. :dem:

[Donnachaidh]

5. uhh -- and did SHE object to the Patriot Act when it was put through?

She's part of the problem. Call me cynical, but I'd be more impressed if she hadn't been lockstepping along with everyone else who allowed it to happen in Washington. :shrug:

[NewHampster]

6. Exactly - Everyone fell for the deceit last time

"lockstepping along with everyone"