bocastephen

I pronounce this day Good Friday The 13th - the day upon which at least 3 semi-prominent representatives of the American media let the fists fly with scathing criticism of an out-of-control DHS Secretary and cluelessly inept President.

Let's keep it coming, American Media - every day should be just like today, and continue until the American public wakes up and realizes that they have been bamboozled, pickpocketed of their money and liberty and placed at far deeper risk of harm from terrorism than almost ever before.

manneca

I heard Chertoff a couple of times on the radio and he said he had a gut feeling about an attack on the "homeland". Sounds fascist to me. Where did this "homeland" come from anyway? I hadn't heard it in reference to the USA until this administration.

bocastephen

Because certain people in this Administration saw the tragedy of 9/11 as a unique opportunity to further their desire to turn our country into a quasi-police state where the limits of government intrusion into and control of the lives of citizens could be pushed to the extreme and the liberties and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution could be re-written, minimized or just pushed aside, not to mention the plethora of propaganda and manipulation opportunities that abounded.

By using the term 'homeland', they were just showing their hand - revealing their true feelings and beliefs. They could have easily called present-day DHS something else - like "Department of National Security", or the "Department of Domestic Protection" or something along those lines. They had to reach deep and dig up a term which is more closely aligned with totalitarianism and fascism than a free democracy. Makes one wonder, eh?

Superguy

Hitler already used and abused Fatherland, so that was already taken. Homeland was the next "best" choice.

xamsx

.....the only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.

sonora

"Many New Yorkers probably share the view of Representative Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He wrote to Mr. Chertoff, reminding him that “words have power” and must be chosen “wisely.”

“What color code in the Homeland Security Advisory System is associated with a ‘gut feeling’?” Mr. Thompson wrote.

Actually, there might be two colors: black and blue. They’re what you get when you’ve been bruised."

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/07/13...ion/13nyc.html

From an editorial in today's NYT. Perhaps someone more clever than I can post link that is not to a payment required site.

Spiff

Mr. Thompson can save his breath. Comrade Chertoff doesn't have even the smallest amount of wisdom. He's a scaremongering, civil-liberties-destroying, traitor to the USA.

bocastephen

In my experience and reading, it appears most New Yorkers would align themselves more with Chertoff then Thompson. They seem very quick to hand over their liberty and freedom in the name of security and have approved some of the most police-statish surveillance this nation has seen since New York was patrolled by British Redcoats.

SJCFlyerLG

All I can say is everyday when I wake up, my "gut" largely doesn't fear, ponder, or otherwise consider that some crackpot in a cave is going to kill me today... It's amazing how many people in this country continue to fear terrorism above all else. I would be willing to wager that the average person felt fear after hearing Chertoff's rumbling gut.

bocastephen

Even more amazing is how many of these same people drive themselves home half-baked on booze without wearing a seatbelt, or taking other dangerous risks with narry a thought of the consequences to themselves or others....

...but mention terrorists? They will roll over and kiss Chertoff's toes while he picks their pockets of cash and liberties.

theblakefish

This reminds me of a 1980's miniseries on TV that showed what the US would look like if the Russians and Cubans invaded our country. One of those lame 1980's TV actors from Dynasty (James Farrentino or someone like that) played the President of the new country, which I remember distinctly being called HOMELAND. As a kid, this scared me a lot and I asked my parents a lot of questions about this, because we weren't called America or USA.

I think this was a puppet government he was in charge of....hmmmm.....

gilpin

He's just following in the footsteps of Tom Ridge who was always advising both that a terrorist attack was imminent and that people should remain calm, etc. At that time The Onion ("America's Finest News Source") ran the following article which is still apt:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27924

Spiff

I'm still wondering how a gutless punk like Comrade Chertoff can have a gut feeling about anything.

gilpin

"Homeland" was the term (along with "home islands") the U.S. used in WWII to denote the main Japanese islands in contrast to their imperial possesions. Using the same term to describe the U.S. itself therefore has definite fascist and imperialist connotations.

FliesWay2Much

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D052; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

The thing I fear the most is that Chertoff, as a cabinet member, is in the line of Presidential succession.