Add to Technorati Favorites

Friday, April 11, 2008

We don't Fearmonger, but the Scary Bad Guys Who Want To Kill You do

Honestly, I don't even know what I'm listening to. I turned on the TV and DHS head Michael Chertoff is giving a speech or press conference regarding threats from pandemic flus and/or bioterror. I just don't have time today to chase down quotes and all, but this is what I heard, paraphrased except if I put quotes:

I'm concerned that the public isn't concerned about this. Right after 9/11 and the antrax attacks [which, BTW, jerk, no one ever solved] there was a push to protect the public against bioterror. But then the "fear-mongering" started up, telling the public that we were being too hasty and "spending too much money", and the issue was moved to the back burner. So to dispel what you might have heard, let me tell you about the types of people who still want to use bioterror in the US and what their serious plans are.

At which point he went into the part of the speech that did just that.

While I'm not quoting, I'm also not being flippant. I might have some of the actual words wrong, but this is exactly the tone and the calm explanation that the public has been "scared off" of the bioterror problem and so to clear that up, here is a list of the bad guys and what they want to do. I'm not taking a speech that said one thing and just giving you my take on the subtext, this is the actual text, the upfront line. People, you have been scared into not being scared enough, so let me tell you who wants to kill you so you will be scared of the right things again. It's this kind of crap that makes me want to take a nap.

Check it out, I'm sure it's on CSPAN, I'd get you a link if I wasn't so crazed today (only 12 more days until Shakespeare's Birthday!!!).