It is nothing short of immutable truth that those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.
Well, it seems that, in the throes of INTENSELY negative press, scandal and abysmal ratings, the Bush administration has seen fit to trot out their version of the Boogey Man - Osama bin Laden. The reports of a tape that surfaced at Al Jazeera containing purported messages from bin Laden only get me to thinking how much the entire thing smacks of the old “Tokyo Rose” intrigue.
A few points:
Timing - how is it that we only hear from bin Laden these days when the president is in danger of impeachment or there’s an election pending. Hmmmmmmm.
Modus operandi - the entire effectiveness of terrorism is based upon the element of surprise. If bin Laden takes the time to warn us or offer us ultimatums, doesn’t that effectively take the wind out of his sails?
Verifiability - we are told that the CIA is working to verify that this tape is indeed bin Laden. Now considering the CIA’s “stellar” record at manipulating world affairs, how am I to trust that this entire situation is not a hoax? Indeed, how am I to trust anything that any agency of this government tells me to be true?
Never have we seen such widespread corruption in government. Now, as the bricks fall from this rotting wall, I can only hope that those who have been blinded for the past 5 years see the naked emperor that stands behind it. This tape is not a call to stubborn bravado and foolhardiness. It’s a call to wake up.