"The greater one's physical or emotional proximity to the attacks, the greater is the danger that one will seek excessively to empower and submit to government authority and cheer for destructive counter-measures which allow few, if any, limits."

-- Glenn Greenwald

I actually found it bizarre that the further away people were from the 9.11 attacks, the more eager and proud they were to want to eliminate civil liberties, empower Bush with dictatorial rule, and scrap both the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. While there were, undoubtedly people scared shitless in the NYC area, it was the people that Gov Palin considers "real Americans" (heartland, all-white, all-Christian) who became the most unhinged and cowardly - demographically speaking - post 9.11. The correlation between rank cowardice and supporting Bush & the GOP is hard to separate. And the areas that were attacked were, and remained, very much anti-Bush.

.... Love Will Find a Way.

Thanks for reaffirming what I'll always believe - that love and romance can never die!

(sniff)

"I was just reminded of such titles as 'The King of Pop', 'The King of Rock' and other such designations that arise in our pop-culture. Many people in the thread have pointed out that politics is not the only sphere in which a fascination with royalty exists and here is another example."

-- Patrick Morgan

Yes, but would you really want to be deprived the royalty of such artists as Hank Williams Jr, Desi Arnez Jr, Enrique Iglesias, etc.? Particularly Hank Jr, who is not only a dumbfoundingly awesome performer, but the complexity & insight of his political observations put Michael Savage to shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2MKG2hFWao

The Duke of Earl? The Count of Basie? The Prince of ... Prince?

Oh well...

"Conservatism is and has been since the early 80s in the DNA of most Americans."

--ehillesum

A people unwise enough to fall for the bait-and-switch shenanigans of conservatism will always fall for new & equally dumb things to believe in tomorrow - but rarely the same thing they've already been fooled by.

Don't forget, one of the top acts of the late 80's & early 90's was Milli Vanilli.

"And when the Obama girls enter politics you will declare a good and noble thing. Of course you know you will. Just saying.... Now delete this post.

-- Glenn Greenwald is a coward

That's sad on so many levels.

"Protecting the nation and its citizens is the first priority for any country."

-- wbgonne

No it's not! What a cowardly viewpoint! This is real life, not Hollywood! The top priority of the US government is to uphold and adhere to OUR LAWS!

I would MUCH rather live in a free society where I may die (the former United States) than an authoritarian state that “protects me” (the post 9.11 insanity).

The bandwagon hysteria of post 9.11 insanity & cowardice, sold to Americans through incessant Rovian propaganda via the media, is epitomized by wbgonne (who no doubt believes he came to his "realistic, practical" views completely on his own, and not by media manipulation and brainwashing).

One the biggest post 9.11 lies was that it was the “worst catastrophe in US history!”, and presented "the worst, most unpredictable threat we’ve ever faced!” The likes of which no one could have ever imagined!!! Accordingly, it should lay waste to all the quaint laws written previously, even laws written when America faced MUCH, MUCH worse threats than 9.11 and a street gang with box cutters.

I’m sure the people who lived through the civil war would be interested to know that the killing of 23,000 people in one day on US soil (Battle of Antietam) was nothing compared to the 3,000 killed on 9.11

All perspective was lost when gutless, weenie, cowards like Bush, Cheney, Rove, et.al, decided to act like their refusal to take terrorist threats seriously prior to 9.11 should result in a complete dismantling of our Constitutional liberties, while (surprise, surprise) empowering them with near dictatorial authority.

Terrorists “want to bring us down to their level,’’ he said. “Military doctrine says you have to hold the high ground.’’

If there's one thing that's been made bundantly clear by having Dick Cheney and born-again Christian George W Bush at the helm, it is that they and their underlings are certainly are no better - morally or ethically - than terrorists. Even if Obama doesn't turn out to be a great president, at least he isn't a morally bankrupt piece of filth in the eyes of the world like Bush/Cheney. Hopefully, he'll maintain that.

By the way, I'm amazed that John Hutson is a Republican (at least according to his Wikipedia entry). He actually understands the need for maintaining the high ground.

Apparently there's a program called Planet in Peril. And apparently this program is being broadcast on a network called CNN. I hope they're doing enough to promote it, like say having 20 ads per page of Salon!

Nothing is more appealing than a Poseidon Adventure ripoff under the guise of journalism.

Will Anderson Cooper survive??!!! And what of Sanjay Gupta?? Will he at last find the cure for a ... PLANET IN PERIL!!!!!!