Onion: Bush Calls for Panic

The Onion proves once again that is truly is the [US] Nation's Finest News Source in a great piece of satire titled: "Bush Calls for Panic".

In a nationally televised address to the American people Wednesday night, President Bush called upon every man, woman, and child to spiral uncontrollably downward into complete and utter panic.

It sure has been looking like inducing panic is the Bush administration's goal. The way that they suddenly switched from "everything is all right, our banking system is save and sound" to "we are doomed, unless we get to blow the lid off the national debt, in which case we are doomed anyway" is a sure way to create a massive panic.

This is not the first time, either. After September 11th, there was an equally sudden turn to scaremongering from absolute indifference. The initial approach to the threat of terrorism in the Bush administration was highly dismissive, even though the departing Clinton officials tried to raise awareness of the situation. This dismissive attitude was then suddenly switched to claims of existential threat.

If the purpose was not to create a state of panic, it can only be explained by complete incompetence. Maybe the administration will next produce a colour-coded economic warning system, directing the citizenry to selling into coordinated panics, followed by buying at the tops.