The End of "The Emperor's New Clothes":

"But he has nothing at all on!" at last cried out all the people. The Emperor was vexed, for he knew that the people were right; but he thought the procession must go on now! And the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever, to appear holding up a train, although, in reality, there was no train to hold.

How real is the war on terror?

Is Bush only 75% cynical about the "war on terror," or 100% cynical?

Sure, Bush hasn't protected the ports against loose nukes (they're Blue), butchered the Department of Homeland Security (thanks for that one, Joe), and turned "terror" funding into a pork barrel. But what did we ever expect from Republicans?

And sure, the Republican gaslighting tactic has politicized every terror alert. But what we ever expect from Republicans? And, give them credit, they were "firm," and "strong," and "stood up for America" [Down, Rush! Oh, you can't?]

And then there's the whole Iraq Clusterfuck. The Republicans have wanted to go to war in Iraq for years (Project for a New American Century), and when 9/11 gave them an excuse, they grabbed it (on the very same day).

So, I've always been prepared to believe that Bush was 75% cynical about the war on terror; after all, it has been working out very well for Him, as the Republican effort to replace our Constitutional system with authoritarian rule has been driven by the (putative) requirements of "a new kind of war."

But 100% cynical? Could the whole Fucking thing be a scam? Way, way too foily! They would never do that. Well, an establishment organ, Foreign Affairs, finally asks the unasked question:

Is There Still a Terrorist Threat?

Rarely it the question asked. What's the answer?