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[The Lemon]

US Republicans Launch Terror Ad

The US Republican Party has launched a controversial terror-linked TV advertisement to bolster support ahead of mid-term elections next month. The footage shows al-Qaeda leaders with captions of threatening statements, while the soundtrack of a ticking bomb plays in the background. The advertisement, which ends with the sound of a bomb exploding, is due to air from Sunday.

Both Osama Bin Laden and his second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are shown in the commercial, which is entitled "The Stakes". Attributed quotes such as "Kill the Americans" and "What is yet to come will be even greater" are flashed across the screen.

Gun-bearing militants in training camps are also shown, followed by the stark message: "These are the stakes. Vote November 7th."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6072326.stm


- "These are the stakes" is a famous election ad phrase, having been used in Johnson's famous 1964 presidential nuclear spot, "Daisy". (realvideo)

[Meegook]

This news warrants an entire thread?

[Ya-ta Boy]

[The Lemon]

Yes, it's not at all clear that the "terrorism" issue is one that helps Republicans, as they seem to believe. If they were doing such a bang-up job handling external relations, why is the terror alert (permanently) so high?

With only a couple of weeks before the elections, it was either run this ad, or crank up the alert level to "super-ultra-elevated" and circulate reports involving crop-dusters.

Apparently afraid voters choose Republicans.

.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Gopher]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Mr. Gopher,

I think it's too late in the game to reform American political behavior of the sort you are talking about.

As any unbiased observer of American politics will admit, Democrats are like Dove soap, 99.9% pure. The problem goes all the way back to when the nefarious Federalists (the Republicans of their day) under John Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Acts making criticism of their grab for permanent power illegal and jailed some newspaper publishers. When the campaign for Adams' re-election started they knew they were in trouble and issued various rumors in their attempt to block Jefferson from his rightful office. Here is a quote from Wikipedia: "Federalists spread rumors that the Republicans were radicals who would murder their opponents, burn churches, and destroy the country." [It's confusing because Jefferson's Republicans are today's Democrats.]

This was not a nice thing to say about your opponent, as I think you have to agree.

But there was perhaps an even greater outrage perpetrated. History books record that Jefferson's Republicans "accused Adams of planning to declare himself king and make a dynastic marriage with Britain".[Wikipedia] The outrage of course is that no Republican would stoop so low as to say something challenging an opponent's patriotism. After all, as I said, Democrats are 99.9% pure. [I'm sure our British friends reading this are scratching their heads and wondering how this could be objectionable to anyone.] There are two theories about what REALLY happened:

a) Either the Federalists (Republicans of today) made up the rumor and accused their own man and blamed it on their opponents (IGTG's great-granddaddy is a prime suspect)

b) Or that some historian, dismayed that one of our political parties was guilty of all human failures and misdeeds, wanted to write a 'balanced' account and had to make up the vicious rumor about Adams so that his book would be nice and fair.

There is NO question whatsoever that Jefferson's guys would ever have really said what they have been accused of. We know this is true because they were Republicans (Democrats).

I hope this has cleared things up for you. I know as a recent convert to Republicanism this may be an uncomfortable truth, but someone who has entered the snake pit of Republicanism should know the truth.

PS: I would agree with you that newspaper reports and history books should strive for balance and accuracy, but I don't think an exchange on a message board need to.

I�ll end with this excerpt from Washington�s Farewell Address, since he says it better than I could:

�Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party, generally.
21 This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
22 The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.
23 Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
24 It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
25 There is an opinion, that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the Government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of Liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in Governments of a Monarchical cast, Patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in Governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And, there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume. �

[The Lemon]

[EFLtrainer]

[Gopher]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[happeningthang]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[daskalos]

[Gopher]