Tuesday, July 26, 2005

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!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are completely on point. As far as I'm concerned, the shooting in London is a sign that the "War on Terror" (how the ass do you wage war on an abstract concept like 'terror' anyway?) has been lost. The terrorists terrify me, and the defenders of "justice" and "liberty" terrify me too. I'm terrified all round. Nobody wins. We all lose. And there's no end in sight.

Anonymous said...

If you're interested, check out the Flex Your Rights Citizen's Guide to Refusing New York Subway Searches. It details how to assert your rights should you be the one chosen for a random bag search when boarding the subway. There's a downloadable flyer version, too.

Amadeo said...

What I find the most stupid is what do they expect to accomplish by randomly searching bags and putting the word out about it...I'm sure terrorists will just stuff their bombs in their bags and cross their fingers.

Radmila said...

You know, the whole checking your bag thing is an exercise in trying to make people feel safe and doing something.
Frankly, do I care if they search my bag? Not really, since I'm not carrying anything illegal. But, for some people this is a big deal. Really, a suicide bomber can swallow something for all I know...or strap it to him/herself.
But to just go about our merry way without even bothering to step up security on public transit just because some people feel that their "rights" are being "infringed" on.
Where is everyone elses "right" to survive a subway ride?
The whole concept of our "rights" kind of makes me laugh anyway.
While we ants shout and wave flags on the tops of our hills for our minor little gripes and piss offs, we're being financially raped by government through taxes, and user fees, and inflated consumer rates for every little thing...from banks to cable tv.
Yet...I"m putting drawing the line at participating in the safety of myself and others..because it's "my right".
I guess we have to grasp at the control any little place we can get it.

Campfyah said...

You are so onpoint with your thoughts and words. We have lost the waron terrorist long time and loosing it more each day as another security measure is put in place. Random bag checks---so what's gonna happen when school resumes. students (adults&children) will now carry their books in what?
The terrorist are always two steps ahead of us.

Maria Elisa said...

Everyone rants and raves about all this but I don't hear anyone offering up any solutions. REAL SOLUTIONS. How can we "cancel the apocolypse?"

It isn't that I don't feel that people have valid complaints. I just am tired of complaining. I challenge you to study the issue and think of a viable solution that balances the need for security against the need for privacy and freedom. It's not easy, I know (I'll be taking a final on it in five days). But I have to believe it is possible.

-_- said...

I touched on some of di issues here on the alter-ego blog. Good points, J-Diddy.
The US needs to pack up dem tings and gwan. You know the saying... 'nuh gwan fass wid wha nuh fass wid yuh'... Bush has to realize he can't fight his Daddy's war.
And Bin Labby too smawt fi di whole 'eap a dem!

Don Tate II said...

Scary confusing times. Im a waffler. Originally, I thought Bush to be a dufus. His being the gov of Texas, I thought he'd never be elected to the White House. Then he was. I supported his original claims of WDMs thinking, damn, he's the prez., he knows better than I do. Now I'm wafflin' again.

Don Tate II said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jdid said...

Gunner from your experiences i think that the 'random' searches aint that random. will respond to the other comments later

Ananse's Web said...

J I couldnt have said it better myself.

Marc M said...

Yes the effectivness of these searches are up for question but the motivation is to protect the public. As Maria said it's an incredibly difficult task to balance freedom and security, yet someone has to do it or try to do it.

Yea Gunner I think the Patriot act is sketchy and that there are a lot of things being drafted that are too extreme. I dunno if those random searches fall into that category.

But the irony is there for everyone to see. In an effort to combant terrorism and/or to maintain neo-colonialism (as some would argue), the United States and the Western world has had to increase the power of the state and sacrifice freedoms and civil liberaties.

I think currently heightened security measures are necessary - may be not as constructed by the Bush government (that's where I feel the debate lies). I feel heightened security will continue to be required until the hate of Western society that is a breathing organism around much of the world is sufficiently dismembered - easier said than done.

This is my main criticism of the war on terror. You can't fight ghosts with only an army - much more is needed. The biggest part of this battle needs to be fought through changes in foriegn policy and by improving foriegn relations.

Marc M said...

Also as you say jdid. The war is far from over and people are living in a constant state of fear, which is what the terrorists want.

Luke Cage said...

Don't get me started my friend. I have so much to burn on this, that I think I'm just going to... steer clear.. Good post though...

dorna! said...

"How can we "cancel the apocolypse?""

Perhaps the question is, rather is there any apocalypse? Terror and atrocity litter human history. So now, for us in the West, for our generation, it's come to us. We pay the price for the short sightedness of a few prior generations and maybe even our own. But I'll say this, I'd sooner cease to exist this very moment than cage myself with constitutional amendments, automatic weapons, intrusive searches and rhetoric.

It may sound hokey but violence begets violence. The escalation only ceases once all participants are either dead or find common ground. Wars can be fought in hearts too.

Maria Elisa said...

"Cancel the apocolypse" was a metaphor. I was borrowing it from Saul Williams . . . "

"Calling all tarot readers
and sparrow feeders
to cancel the apocolypse
metaphorically speaking,
metaphorically speaking."
-Saul Williams

Maria Elisa said...

Concrete solutions anyone? Perhaps this is part of the solution . . . discussion. But that is only the beginning.

Namaste

Jdid said...

@titilayo - you are correct about there being no end in sight
@matt - thanks for the info
@amadeo - where is the search conducted? inside the station right? if the terrorists get into the station already with that bag and its rush hour does it really really matter if he's on the train or not?
@radmila - but my point is the checking the bags does not make one feel safe.
@camp - well i guess we'll see what happens then
@maria - so are you saying that no one is allowed to rant and rave because they dont have all the answers. If I think something isnt going to work or it seems like something stupid to do do I have to shut up because I cant think of a better plan at the moment. Can we not challenge anything that the authorities decide to put into action. They are not God so they ca n occasionally be wrong.
@soli - yea nice blog soli
@don - i'm a waffler too.
@sunshine - welcome back
@slow met - thanks
@shotta - well said my friend.
@luke - yea its getting heated wise choice
@dorna - yea the irony is that we're bringing freedom to those societies that are restrictive while putting more restrictions on our free society. come on that signals for sure that the terrorists have won

Radmila said...

Realistically, checking bags doesn't make us safe, but at least it makes it seem like the authorities are doing something.
It's a PR call.
And it does make some people feel safe(r)

Anonymous said...

discussion is definitely needed, but it's figuring out how to move that ahead into action. how close to 'home', do all the things that happen to 'the people over there', before we (the people) really get off our butts and do something? do we have to see our next door neighbours (literally) 'bombed', for us to realise, that everything that is happening, everywhere in the world, does effect us directly.

chrome said...

that shooting of the brazilian dude was sad. r.i.p