Terror threat – real or not?

The media drove themselves into a frenzy last night announcing that our government was closing embassies and issuing dire warnings of an imminent al-Qaeda attack. My first thought was, why now? I concluded that it’s connected to more revelations about the NSA (our government) spying on us. So here are what I think are the two main permutations of what’s going on…

1. Our government did detect a viable al-Qaeda plot. Al-Qaeda will either act out its plot or delay until things are back to normal. If a plan is real, then obviously, they’ll wait if they have any sense.

If they have any sense.

If the plan is fake, that al-Qaeda is just pretending to plan to attack us; they are doing it to see how much money they can make us waste while they laugh at our government’s stupidity.

This is asymmetric warfare. For every dollar they spend, they make us spend ten thousand. Eventually, we’ll exhaust ourselves financially and they’ll cripple us. They are succeeding, by forcing us to spend trillions of dollars without an end in sight. Global chaos is their friend, and our enemy.

If nothing happens, our government will say that the telephone and email intercepts worked, so the public should be happy that our government is spying on us as it saved lives. If we are attacked, they’ll say in spite of the (insert number here) casualties that the telephone and email intercepts saved many more Americans from being killed or injured.

In any instance, the NSA will ask for more money (to protect us) and get it.

All roads lead to Rome.

2. Our government made it all up. Why? To deflect the attacks of being spied on by the public. They are upset by Edward Snowden’s ongoing revelations, detailing how we are being spied on in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and other laws.

If nothing out of the ordinary happens, our government will say that the telephone/email intercepts worked so that the public should be happy that our government is spying on us … as it saved lives.

In any instance, the NSA will ask for more money (to protect us) and get it.

All roads lead to Rome.

Here’s an example of our government doing its best to scare us in February 2010.

So why did these three senior government officials (directors of CIA, FBI and National Intelligence) state with confidence that al-Qaeda will attack within three to six months in 2010? Simply put, politics and the desire for bigger budgets. It’s very easy to say we will be attacked, and when nothing significant happens, people forget. If they dare say that there will not be an attack, and one happens, they risk losing their jobs. Politics as usual.

In other words, the latest public scripts are written but which is delivered via teleprompter will be determined after the fact. They have their bases covered.

You may think that I’m cynical, but I have heard these “the end of the world” government stories for years, and they are almost always false. It’s a deflection from something; either more revelations by Edward Snowden, or Syria or something else about to be revealed.

In any instance, the news media will lap it up, sigh a breath of relief, and praise the government/NSA for protecting us. Let’s hope that the public sees through this canard, and continues to be livid about our government violating our Constitution. Why does the news media lap up nearly everything that our government tells them? The news people need access to the politicians to keep their jobs. No access, no job. So they play nice.

The tragedy is that President Obama, an alleged Constitutional scholar, is openly violating our Constitution. He took this oath –

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

I don’t see much preserve, protect and defending, do you? Let’s hope that eventually our perpetual wars will end. As with Humpty Dumpty, don’t count on it.