Shook Ones Part III

Son they shook cause aint no such thing as half way crooks
scared to death or scared to look
they shook!

Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Part II


or is that rather we are at War! As Sista Solja used to say. Or more correctly possibly we've lost the war. I'm still not sure.

But the facts speak for themselves don't they? 9/11 ushered in a new era in the Western World, North America in particular because Europe had already had to deal with bombings and the like for a while with groups like the IRA, ETA (Basque Separtists) and Algerian freedom fighters. It was the start of a new century, the 21st century and it was starting off with a bang both literally and figuratively. Things dun changed like Biggie said. A once happy go lucky western society is now living in this perpetual fear of terrorist attacks. Son we're afraid, we shook!

Memo to the terrorists, the Afghans, the Iraqis, the axis of evil and anyone else who we think is a bad guy umm according to George W and some of the other leaders you guys are losing have lost the war. That pesky war on Terror. The West went to Afghanistan and chased out the Taliban and beheaded Al Quada. What a relief that's all over now! Whew! Had me worried for a quick minute now with all this talk about Mullah Omar and Bin Laden sounding like a terrorist Jordan and Pippen combo but we crushed them fools. So now lets put fear on hold and continue with our regularly scheduled lives.

Oh wait a minute hark is that another threat from yonder that dost break? Saddam Hussein and his Weapons of Mass Destruction. Doesn't that have a Hollywood ring to it like you expect the trailer to end and hear 'Coming to a theatre near you!' or possibly 'Available now only in select cities'. Yep good old Saddam, the tyrant, the man we can all focus on as the face of evil since no-one seems to have recent photos of Bin Laden. So the West steps up again, invades Iraq, topples Saddam, searches to no avail for the WMDs and all is right with the world yet again. Hurray!

Memo No.2 to all you terrorist dudes. We the West are bringing freedoms and liberty to your neck of the woods, whether you like it or not, so if you're a tin-pot despot, an axle of evil or just a guy in Muslim garb who thinks women shouldn't show their face in public you're on our list mister. Guard ya grill son, we're coming to freedomize you! Cower in fear!

But wait a second. Bombs in London two weeks ago. Then more bombings in Iraq (which actually didn't really grab my attention that much since it seems like they are bombs in Iraq every day and the casualty list from Iraq has been so steady I'm a bit desensitized). Then other bombs in London again last week and then more bombs in Egypt. Whoa that's quite a lot of explosions isn't it? Hey terrorist dudes did you NOT get the memo. You run we pursue, you go into hiding we search for you, that's the way the game's supposed to be played.

After that last bombing Police shoot a suspected terrorist in London 5 times. They say he had a definite link to the last bombing and then it turns out it was just an ordinary citizen who was in the wrong place at the wrong time got afraid and ran. Lets see now hmm stand and be blown to smithereens by a bomb or run and get shot by the police which option seems like the best one now. Don't we get a choice number 3?

Now NYC has subway cops and armed personnel doing random checks of commuter backpacks and the like. How long till that transfers to the rest of North America? Its supposed to make one safer I suppose but wait a second random checks of commuters? Isn't that a little intrusive? Well maybe it works but does one feel safer being randomly checked? I know if I'm anyplace and there are too many policemen or soldiers with guns I start to feel a bit paranoid and start wondering about my safety. I feel less safe rather than more safe. So if they are randomly checking bags it starts to be a bit worrying for me cause I'm going to start wondering whose bag has in that explosive device. Hmmm.

So lets recap we're bringing the freedom train to the undemocratic, tyrannically ruled lands while here at home we increase our vigilance or rather erode our civil liberties and live in fear of our fellow man on the street. Is that correct? Alrighty then. So are we winning this war after all? What's next after random checks on the subway? Checkpoints on roads leading into the major cities? I mean already you can't even carry a safety pin through Airport security so whats the next step?

I don't know about all this. Sounds like we've lost this war to me cause they already got us shook, scared to death or scared to look, we shook!