New York Times front page (in my email version) headline:
President Readies U.S. for Prospect of Imminent War
Does this seem like excessive build-up to anyone else? Perhaps you aren't as affected by the suspense of it all, but let's review three words out of that sentence to see how much of a feeling of apprehension/nervousness/near doom they are trying to build in us (all definitions are from dictionary.com):
"readies" - Prepared for what one is about to do or experience; equipped or supplied with what is needed for some act or event; prepared for immediate movement or action; as, the troops are ready to march; ready for the journey.
"prospect" - Something expected; a possibility
"imminent" - Threatening to occur immediately; near at hand; impending; -- said especially of misfortune or peril
Wouldn't something like "US Readies for Possible War" seem better? Or "Presidents Prepares Public for War"? Or something else? It just seems over the top.
Meanwhile, whistle-blower Colleen Riley, who called out the Minnesota FBI bureau's shortcomings when it came to the requested and denied permission to investigate Zacarias Moussaoui before the Sept 11 attacks, said that the FBI has not shaped up its game since. In a very reassuring article, the NY Times said that:
"The bottom line is this," Ms. Rowley wrote in her Feb. 26 letter to Mr. Mueller. "We should be deluding neither ourselves nor the American people that there is any way the F.B.I., despite the various improvements you are implementing, will be able to stem the flood of terrorism that will likely head our way in the wake of an attack on Iraq. What troubles me most is that I have no assurance that you have made that clear to the president."
Yay.
In totally unrelated news, I made a book page. Nothing special, but something nonetheless.
baby bush annoys me. i'm pretty sure he doesn't know a damned thing.
My cousin, who is a medic, got called out last weekend, and a guy that I work with was called from the reserves into active duty; he shipped out last Tuesday.
That makes four people who I know (three of them family members) who are out there, somewhere, involved in the "imminent war."
I'm scared.
Trista - I hear that.
Angel - I hear that too. I think you probably know more about "readying" the country for the "prospect" of an "imminent" war than Bush does.
If only we lived in a world that could solve problems in a more peaceful manner...sigh. It is deeply saddening and disheartening. Perhaps something, miraculously, will disway this war. The high impact verbage that has been thrown around does make me feel like I am being put into a state of perpetual alarm.