Why is it that the US government always needs a bad guy to define itself?

[Times Roman]

First, we spend a generation trying to control communism, resulting in what is known as a cold war.

Now, the name of the bad guy has changed to "terrorist" and we have spent the last 10+ years chasing shadows and spending more money than anyone knows about. (btw... the US spends $10billion a month in Afghanistan alone)

The more I think about this, the more it seems that one of the beneficiaries of having a bad guy named "terrorist" is actually the US Government. Think about it.

more control over it's population = ensures it's own survivability
less personal freedoms for it's citizens
take more money from it's citizens for taxes to support this "war"
justifies a bigger budget for the military
politicians buddies get lucrative contract jobs as a result
justifies a bigger budget for the entire government overall

guys, here's the scary part. the government is saying that they will never be able to win the war on terrorism completely?!!

Does this mean the war will never end? We will be in a perpetual state of submitting to the government while they check our orfices, looking for terrorists?

This war on terrorism is good business for the government.

Why?

The government tries very hard to scare the shit out of you about these boogey men. So the gerneral population is driven by fear.

And what does our fearless government do? They swoop in and save us from these horrible terrorists galloping in on their white steeds appearing to be the good guys.

Now think about this.

There is more crime/murder in Los Angeles than in the entire country of Afghanistan. But every time something happens here, the media plays it up big. Part of the silent relationship between government and the media. You know, it scares the shit out of my family when they hear something happening over here.

But why is it a drive by shooting taking out some innocents in Los Angeles is only a brief mention in the news? Because there is no gain for our government in playing it up big. After all, these are just US citizens killed domestically.

Look mates. I'm over here right now in the middle of it.

I think this whole war on terrorism is bullshit. Period.

The government treats us like sheep, and if they say we are at war, then goddamit, WE AT WAR!!!

And if the government says we need to sacrafice and pay more taxes, then it's good cuz WE AT WAR!!!

Problem is, we are causing most of the problems here, and primarily we are simply nation building. But our even being here is antogonizing the situation.

Here's what we do.... instead of pissing away all the money chasing boogey men, let's spend it intelligently and become energy independent. no more hundreds of billions of dollars to middle east countries for oil.

once we fix that problem, other countries will no doubt do the same. this will be a huge hit to the middle east. then we will no longer need to think of the middle east as a "national interest" and we can get the hell out and leave these poor people alone.

[Times Roman]

that rant felt good. now I can go about my day. thanks for letting me bich

[lovbyts]

Careful if you keep ranting like that we might confuse you and zabster151. LOL

No, you are correct, it's sad, it's big business, it's control and the new generations are OK with it because it's the norm and to them there is nothing to stand up and fight against because they have not had the freedom of choice taken away from them because they never had it and never saw them slowly being taken away; It's status quo. As long as the government does not take to much away all at once no one seems to mind. OK I'm not going to get into it and start my own rant.

[Shol'va]

TR you missed your calling in life. You need to be a politician up in Washington where you could help bring about change for the good of the people, by the people, for the people. You'd be our people person. We could call you Mr. Peeps. You do raise some serious thought too bad the folks who need to hear it aren't subscribed to this board. Sad thing is they wouldn't listen and only try to bring you down and shut you off by creating scandals about you to quiet you, or take you out like JFK. There are a controlling few who rule it all and any outsiders who make waves pay a price. Your right about this terrorism issue on the homeland also. Imagine how many rights we now have given up under the guise of protecting the public from the boogy man. You are now snooped on through your emails cells phones, more and more cameras posted everywhere you go so you are constantly being watched in the name of homeland security. It probably wont be long till they put a locator chip in everyone so they can be monitored to our where abouts 24-7 and tracked at all times. This is the wave of the future. The bible called it the mark of the beast. I call it invasion of privacy. But it's still the best country there is for my money so short of a revolution, we are stuck with it the way it is. Look at the invasive way they have to handle you at the airports. So imagine what is in store when the terrorists start inplanting internal plastic explosives in their bodies. Wait till the airport guards start checking your prostate and further with a 14 inch long lighted 3D surveillance camera, while your in line waiting to board the flights. On a clear day they can see your tonsils from uranus. jk PS whats crazy is that we are borrowing all the money for wars from China because we don't have it ourselves, plus what money we do amass we give to the other countries to make them and keep them friendly to us like our wonderful nice friends in Pakistan. Some of that money went to help keep Osama Bin Dead Now living in his lap of luxury at the taxpayers expense. But we don't seem to have enough money to keep the social security system running as is cause we are broke. Now look what you did TR you got me on a rant. I'm going to bed. lol

[PitMaster]

Times Roman says,
Now think about this.

There is more crime/murder in Los Angeles than in the entire country of Afghanistan. But every time something happens here, the media plays it up big. Part of the silent relationship between government and the media. You know, it scares the shit out of my family when they hear something happening over here.

But why is it a drive by shooting taking out some innocents in Los Angeles is only a brief mention in the news? Because there is no gain for our government in playing it up big. After all, these are just US citizens killed domestically.


Me:
We have laws here that work for us and against us. I think for the crime/murder in a city like L.A. The government has their hands to full and can do nothing about it... too much red tape. So we've given up and took the fight elsewhere. Like u said, Pick a bad guy and why not one we can profit from. Good insight TR.

Did that by accident, your words not mine. sry frigged that up

[wmaousley]

Superman, batman, heman ect always had a bad guy to make themselves look good!!!

[auslifta]

[Twist]

If you look at the ties with the people up top (Bush/Cheney etc) and the companies that get defense contracts and the like (halliburton), you can see exactly why we go to war.

[RaginCajun]

sometimes i wish our gov't would put everything out in the open. i guess that could be a good thing and a bad thing.

[Hoggage_54]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[wmaousley]

If you look at the ties with the people up top (Bush/Cheney etc) and the companies that get defense contracts and the like (halliburton), you can see exactly why we go to war.

Halliburton never was awarded government contracts, your thinking about KBR. Halliburton (my former employer) is an Oil & Gas company, which extends into civil, mechanical and Electrical divisions.

[wmaousley]

sometimes i wish our gov't would put everything out in the open. i guess that could be a good thing and a bad thing.

umm that might cause WWIII

[Flagg]

The governments of the world coming clean over all the insidious shit they've done over the years? They'd have revolutions over night. There is MASSIVE public outcry in the UK over Rupert Murdoch and his newspapers hacking into peoples phones.

It has thus been revealed that his newspapers have had secret meetings with two Police Commisioners and members of Government under the Blair administration.

I dread to think what goes on behind closed doors.

[Panzerfaust]

First, we spend a generation trying to control communism, resulting in what is known as a cold war.

Now, the name of the bad guy has changed to "terrorist" and we have spent the last 10+ years chasing shadows and spending more money than anyone knows about. (btw... the US spends $10billion a month in Afghanistan alone)

The more I think about this, the more it seems that one of the beneficiaries of having a bad guy named "terrorist" is actually the US Government. Think about it.

more control over it's population = ensures it's own survivability
less personal freedoms for it's citizens
take more money from it's citizens for taxes to support this "war"
justifies a bigger budget for the military
politicians buddies get lucrative contract jobs as a result
justifies a bigger budget for the entire government overall

guys, here's the scary part. the government is saying that they will never be able to win the war on terrorism completely?!!

Does this mean the war will never end? We will be in a perpetual state of submitting to the government while they check our orfices, looking for terrorists?

This war on terrorism is good business for the government.

Why?

The government tries very hard to scare the shit out of you about these boogey men. So the gerneral population is driven by fear.

And what does our fearless government do? They swoop in and save us from these horrible terrorists galloping in on their white steeds appearing to be the good guys.

Now think about this.

There is more crime/murder in Los Angeles than in the entire country of Afghanistan. But every time something happens here, the media plays it up big. Part of the silent relationship between government and the media. You know, it scares the shit out of my family when they hear something happening over here.

But why is it a drive by shooting taking out some innocents in Los Angeles is only a brief mention in the news? Because there is no gain for our government in playing it up big. After all, these are just US citizens killed domestically.

Look mates. I'm over here right now in the middle of it.

I think this whole war on terrorism is bullshit. Period.

The government treats us like sheep, and if they say we are at war, then goddamit, WE AT WAR!!!

And if the government says we need to sacrafice and pay more taxes, then it's good cuz WE AT WAR!!!

Problem is, we are causing most of the problems here, and primarily we are simply nation building. But our even being here is antogonizing the situation.

Here's what we do.... instead of pissing away all the money chasing boogey men, let's spend it intelligently and become energy independent. no more hundreds of billions of dollars to middle east countries for oil.

once we fix that problem, other countries will no doubt do the same. this will be a huge hit to the middle east. then we will no longer need to think of the middle east as a "national interest" and we can get the hell out and leave these poor people alone.

That pretty much sums it up. America is a massive failure now and its people are mindless serfs who are given the illusion that their votes mean something all the while it is blatantly obvious politicians and the gov't do whatever the hell it is they want to do. They no longer even hide it.

[Flagg]

TV and newspapers, the best way to control mindless drones.

[Public Enemy]

People, the war on terrorism cannot be won because you are fighting a ideology, a thought, a idea which people happen to believe is correct. Terrorists have no country nor no official army. Terrorists are everywhere, from Asia to Europe to North America. Its as ridiculous as declaring a war on racism. That is cool an all but only if the government had a special device which cleanses people's minds from evil and turns them totally peaceful. Knowing how ****ed the country is, I do not see that technology coming along any time soon.

America needs a national enemy because 1. It scares the population into wars which are actually very beneficial to some people. 2. It makes them feel united against one enemy 3. It fukken works like a charm.

America has a boogeyman every other decade. In 1920's and 1930's the first Red Scare took flight and the homegrown communists were coming to take our freedoms. In 1940's it was the Nazis and Japanese who were coming to take our freedoms. In 1950's it was the Korean/Vietnamese Communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1960's it was the African Americans and Soviet Communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1970's it was the Iranians and communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1980's it was the last decade of the Communist/soviet scare. 1990's was the start of Saddam coming to take freedoms. In 2000's to today, its the Islamic world coming to take our freedoms. And these things have been happening with the scare of Homosexuality, Witches, Prohibition, Music, Mexicans, etc etc etc. Same story, different target. But that shit works. I can only imagine what the next target will be, I think it will be a extraterrestrial threat. lulz

[Flagg]

People, the war on terrorism cannot be won because you are fighting a ideology, a thought, a idea which people happen to believe is correct. Terrorists have no country nor no official army. Terrorists are everywhere, from Asia to Europe to North America. Its as ridiculous as declaring a war on racism. That is cool an all but only if the government had a special device which cleanses people's minds from evil and turns them totally peaceful. Knowing how ****ed the country is, I do not see that technology coming along any time soon.

America needs a national enemy because 1. It scares the population into wars which are actually very beneficial to some people. 2. It makes them feel united against one enemy 3. It fukken works like a charm.

America has a boogeyman every other decade. In 1920's and 1930's the first Red Scare took flight and the homegrown communists were coming to take our freedoms. In 1940's it was the Nazis and Japanese who were coming to take our freedoms. In 1950's it was the Korean/Vietnamese Communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1960's it was the African Americans and Soviet Communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1970's it was the Iranians and communists coming to take our freedoms. In 1980's it was the last decade of the Communist/soviet scare. 1990's was the start of Saddam coming to take freedoms. In 2000's to today, its the Islamic world coming to take our freedoms. And these things have been happening with the scare of Homosexuality, Witches, Prohibition, Music, Mexicans, etc etc etc. Same story, different target. But that shit works. I can only imagine what the next target will be, I think it will be a extraterrestrial threat. lulz

By the 2020's, it will be the Chinese coming to take our freedoms.

Couldn't agree with your post more.

[auslifta]

Funny part is, the only ones taking your freedom is your own government.

If you had a seperate tax to get involved in a war, people would be less likely to support a government that takes you to war. Also conscription would keep people from voting in governments that are war happy, people would never vote for a party if they were the ones going to war.

Unfortunatly the poor people join the forces for the pension, pay, respect and meals. Its a way out from the poverty line. They are the ones getting sent over killed and getting limbs blown off. Look how many soldiers have died at war or seriously injured compared to how many have died from terrorism. Look how many people die from cancer vs terrorism, and look at the funding for cancer research vs the budget for war. Doesnt add up. Are people really that stupid over there???

[Flagg]

People are fvcking stupid and will literally believe everything the papers say, everything every smirking politician says, and then look genuinely shocked when a politician is shown to be the liar he/she is.

As long as people have McDonalds and XFactor, they could give a cobblers what is going on around them.

[jasc]

In response to the title:
Its the same reason why people who feel inadequate feel the need to pick on/put down other people.
Our gov't can't fix their own problems or do anything beneficial for its people so they find a "bad guy" and focus the media on that. People are quick to forget our internal problems if we have a "super terrorist" to fight or a "war" on terror to tend to