The OKC bombing was seen initially as a heart-stopping moment to the American people - terrorists in middle America. Remember?
But just as suddenly, we will were all relieved to know that it was a captured, RIGHT-WING male who didn't like the government, and we marvelled at the feel-good news of the nation so seemingly worry-free under Clinton.
It also provided carte blanche to ridicule, humiliate and destroy any anti-government agitators. As a result, the only terrorist threats the FBI/CIA acknowledged and pursued were home-grown, white-skinned ones.
And for years, the media was complicit, warning us of the dangers of extremists on the right who opposed Clinton. Patriotism was a dirty word.
The world of 'fake' ruled our country - Hollywood, celebrities, sports. Bread and circuses.
The media et. al. rallied 'round the president to defend him to his last moments of office, and buried story after story of government corruption in the interim.
Even the story of his public fall from grace was spun by the left (and therefore the media) as a right-wing conspiracy, garnering him sympathy and public poll support even in his shameful acts. Ken Starr was demonized.
The TWA-800 missile attack, similarly, at a critical moment in the presidency (re-election of 1996, just prior to the Olympic games of Atlanta), was re-packaged as an accident. Don't worry, be happy! And you would be lying if you didn't feel relieved when you learned that it was just an 'accident'.
Now we know the truth.
In summary, with all due respect, we all need to
We ignored or covered up many wake up calls in the past.
It's just a shame that 5,000 or so people had to lose their lives for us to realize that we have been at war for a long time already.
WTC (1st time), OKC, TWA-800, possibly Egyptair....
and now, under a real administration with real leadership, it has happened again. Methinks dubya is going to pronounce the truth to the American people....and then get on with the business of WW111.