My biggest fears for america

Fear number one: that we will be manipulated into believing that the confluence of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction have "changed the rules" in a way that makes basic tenants of our democracy obsolete. The creation of a class of people called "enemy combatants" which are not in our criminal justice system or considered prisoners of war seems in this spirit. This construct seems clearly designed to allow our government to do things in an arbitrary manner. The notion of a boundless/endless war (remember that we are still officially a "nation at war" according to Barak Obama)  seems inherently dangerous and also in this spirit.

Fear number two: our ever decreasing attention span and superficiality will leave us vulnerable to such manipulation. Arguments in favor of things like torture can typically be made quickly and often employ fear. Counter arguments often require thought and contemplation.

Very shortly after 9/11 the Bush administration and conservatives in general began talking a lot about "Weapons of Mass Destruction" (WMD). The weapon employed on 9/11 was a box-cutter. Clearly the focus on Weapons of Mass Destruction (which continues to this day) was opportunistic. In my opinion, the purpose of focusing on Weapons of Mass destruction was to bolster an agenda. An agenda that pre-dated 9/11. An agenda that included invading Iraq and undermining liberals domestically. A "nation at war" that faces "weapons of mass destruction" does not have the luxury to indulge in things like health care reform or carbon offsets. 9/11 was a huge opportunity for the right and they took every ounce of advantage of it that they could. It's striking how the right has equated 9/11 with Weapons of Mass Destruction at an emotional level.

Irony creeps in here like it does in many other historical cases: As of this posting (April 2009) the godfather of 9/11 (Osama Bin Laden) is still alive and Al-Qaeda is more powerful than they were on September 10 2001.

Could it be because we allowed ourselves to be diverted?