Oh, for fuck's sake. This is a tragedy and a godawful act of terrorism, it is not a George Lucas film. Life is not Hollywood. While I'm pretty sure that the President's speechwriters are smart enough to realise this, I wish they'd stop trying to present it to the public in this gift-wrapped complexity-free way.
America's scared because the terrorists hurt it.
Everyone else... well... generally, speaking, I don't think they're scared of the terrorists. Not even with the level of damage that they managed to do. As has been mentioned, outside of the USA, terrorism has been a factor for a long time. Precautions have been put in place.
No, I think we're mostly scared of George W. Bush. Scared that the USA is about to go completely off the deep end, and drag the whole world into a war that creates enemies as it goes.
There's been a lot of talk about solidarity. Is America really closer to its allies today? Are we really all of one mind, united against a common enemy? Or is the world just terrified that the USA's started drawing "us and them" lines, and that any country on the wrong side of them will suffer? Which means that, however extreme the reaction, countries have to be seen to support the USA, or they'll be seen to be "soft on terrorism"?
I wonder.
And I wonder if Blair's been using his shiny new draconian anti-terrorism laws to start rounding up the 'malcontents' yet. Or if that'll be tomorrow. Or perhaps the day after.
I know it's only Sky, who are prone to hyperbole, right wing and generally unreliable. But it's the first "official" news source I've seen mention this, even as a vague possibility. Lots of individuals have thought or said it, but it's not been mentioned "in print" by an official source, afaik. Until now.
I'm fighting back a bitter laugh. Words fail me.
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