The Truth Behind Terrorism

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Since the events on 9/11, the word “terrorism” has been on the lips of nearly every politician in the media. The United States has since been waging a war on terrorism, claiming it is the greatest threat to the American people. According to statistics, however, if you’re an American citizen you’re more likely to die from a car accident, influenza, or even suicide than a terrorist attack.

According to a report by Forbes, America has spent $1.7 trillion on the war on terrorism. In 2008 alone the US government spent a staggering $195 billion. That year, 33 American citizens died at the hands of terrorists—none of which were on American soil.

 

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Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/chart/3189/cost-of-the-war-on-terror/

 

In actuality, Americans represent a very small fraction of the total number of terrorist victims, in fact, since 9/11 there have been quite a few years that zero Americans were killed by terrorism. In the meantime, “a comparable number of Americans are crushed to death by their televisions or furniture each year.” You should be more afraid of your couch than ISIS.

By contrast, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the number one killer of Americans. On average, around 2400 Americans die each day, that’s an average of one death every 37 seconds. For the past four-years, the average amount spent on the research for heart disease has been around $1.2 billion—a mere fraction of what is spent in the war on terrorism.

 

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In related news: Americans Killed by Cops Now Outnumber Americans Killed in Iraq War

Terrorism has become a tool used by governments to manipulate the public into supporting war. This tactic has been in use for quite some time, in fact it would seem the US originally learned it from the Nazis.

American psychologist, Gustav Gilbert, attended the Nuremberg Trials where he had the opportunity to speak with many Nazi officials. These conversations were recorded and published in Gilbert’s Nuremberg Diary in 1947. In one of the conversations recorded, German politician and military leader, Hermann Göring, outlined the Nazis tactic for manipulating the German nation into agreeing to war. Many readers will find this tactic familiar as it is now being used in the US.

Göring: Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.

Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare war.

Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.

The United States government has, for years, convinced the citizens of America that “patriotism” means being patriotic to the government. There is a reason for this. By instilling the belief that patriotism should be directed to the government, people will readily turn on those who question the establishment or speak out. This has been the United States goal, and it goes hand-in-hand with their terrorist-scare propaganda. jpg16

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, patriotism is defined as a “love for or devotion of one’s country”, while country is defined as “the people of a state or district: populace”. For those of us who question the establishment and speak out, we do so because of our sense of patriotism—our love for our fellow countrymen. This is the opposite of what those who place their patriotism with the government accuses us of.

This brings us to Edward Snowden, a man who has risked everything due to his sense of patriotism for the people. Here are his thoughts on terrorism:

The bottom line is that terrorism has always been what we in the intelligence world would call a cover for action. Terrorism is something that provokes an emotional response that allows people to rationalize authorizing powers and programs that they wouldn’t give otherwise. The Bullrun and Edgehill type programs—the NSA asked for these authorities back in the 1990’s. They asked the FBI to go to congress and make a case. The FBI went to congress and did make a case, but congress and the American people said ‘no’. They said it’s not worth the risk to our economy, they said it’s worth too much damage to our society to justify the gains. But what we saw is in the post 9/11 era they used secrecy and they used the justification of terrorism to start these programs in secret without asking congress, without asking the American people, and it’s that kind of government-behind-closed-doors that we need to guard ourselves against because it makes us less safe, and it offers no value.”

While there is no arguing that terrorists exist, the danger they pose to Americans is questionable. The longer Americans feed into the government’s terrorist-scare propaganda, the worse the situation gets. Now, thanks to the Patriot Act, pretty much anyone can be considered a terrorist. It would seem it isn’t enough that Americans are afraid of everyone else, now we are expected to fear ourselves as well.

 


Sources:

Brinkerhoff, Noel. All Gov. May 5, 2009. (http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/33-americans-killed-by-terrorists-in-2008?news=838759)

The Insider. (2011). Put Terrorism in Perspective. Retrieved from http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=0472

Zenko, Micah. The Atlantic. Jun 6, 2012. (http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/americans-are-as-likely-to-be-killed-by-their-own-furniture-as-by-terrorism/258156/)

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9 COMMENTS

  1. ‘Terrorists’/ ‘Terrorism’, is a tool used by those in power to take away your rights and liberties to make you safe from (THEM), but not safe from your government.

    • Racism will never end as cars use black tires;
      Racism will never end as we first wash our white clothes and then the other;
      Racism will never end as long as people use black to symbolize bad luck and white peace;
      Racism will never end while people wearing white clothes at weddings and black at funerals;
      Racism will never end as long as those who do not pay their bills are blacklisted and not white;
      Even in the pool, not won before deleting the black ball, and the white should remain in the field;
      BUT NOT CARE, WHILE I CONTINUE TO USE TOILET PAPER WHITE,
      It IS OKAY

  2. Excellent article!!!

    Also, the war on terror is an instrument to turn taxes into private money. From average Joe to the richest of the rich.

  3. Would a country unwilling to give it’s money, time and literal blood sweat and tears to go to an unknown territory to save endangered citizens be considered righteous? Of course not. As far as domestic terrorism goes, I believe certain additional precautions and grants must be given, though not in the trillions of dollars.

  4. 8 times more likely to be killed by the USA Police than a terrorist . So if you see a terrorist in the USA at one side of the street and a Police Officer at the other . I would pick the terrorist . Saver

  5. Too many facts have been set to the side to support one opinion in the article. Cyber attacks against the grid and defense systems have been negated but not spoken of openly. The threat exists. There is much talk of Americans being ‘patriotic to the government whereas the truth is that Americans do not trust their elected officials . Civic religion exists, but that is not the same base by which many of us have galvanized our ethics as Americans .

  6. you constantly claim we’re (rightly so) prisoners of the MSM, but why and HOW should we believe YOU? You may just be another arm of the same monster. I know how sexy it is to believe you but REALLY, who are you and why should i (WE) believe you? Don’t insult me with polemical shit that is not verifiable unless you can REALLY deliver. SINCERELY, me.
    PROVE ME WRONG, PLEASE.

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