One of the conundrums for me of the last five years has been how incredibly successful Osama bin Laden's terrorists tactics have been at shocking the American culture. The common term I've used has been that Americans are "fearful".

But that never really cut it for me.

When I interact with fellow citizens I don't sense any palpable fear or sense of being "at war". I hear people interviewed on the Tee Vee talking about fear of another attack, but they seem awfully calm and detached, almost as if talking about tonights beef stroganoff.

Digby addresses this phenomena in this post.

It [the fear] features the psychological traits of a country watching a horror movie, which is not the same thing at all. You certainly see this in the fevered one-handed war blogging and the endless evocations of pre-9/11 and post 9/11 thinking reminds me of nothing so much as people who are hooked on a stimulating drug.

That really captures a bit of what I think is happening. But even more so, it's become cool to be afraid. There's certainly plenty of media reinforcement of the need to watch out for the boogyman, but there was a time in the distant past where it wasn't cool to be afraid. Bravery in the face of threat was considered a virtue ... stiff upper lip and all that jazz.

Now it seems that it's cool to be chickenlittle, locking your car while it's in your garage, bars on the windows at home with the obligatory ADT alarm system armed and ready, have your handy 357 at the bedside, and vote for legislators who give a death sentence to anyone jaywalking.

There are times when it's prudent to take care. Of course. And there are real international terrorists threats. But an American citizen is much much more likely to get run over by the spouse backing out of the garage in the spanking new CIA colored black Cadillac Escalade SUV than being the victim of an Islamic terrorist. Hell, you're more in danger of dying from high cholesterol clogging your arteries from eating too many Big Mac's than a suicide bomber. Yet, the horror movie images of terrorist attacks are burned into our consciousness on a daily basis like the zombies walking towards the viewer in "Night of the Living Dead".

Bushco has done a fine job of producing this little horror flick over the past five years and we're all to willing to sit back with our popcorn and spectate. And like the cattle call, we move herd-like into the latest conventional wisdom fad of "being rightly fearful" while never really having to experience the consequences of true fear. Isn't that the essence of our culture, i.e. having our cake and eating it too? We get to be pitiful yet disengaged victims remaining all clean and tidy.

Isn't it time for a little "stiff upper lip"? Perhaps a reality show based on a contestant that can show the greatest amount of emotional dissociation while facing a real threat.

Naw. Too boring. Give me the shirtless scruffy hunk or bikini clad young rail screaming her head off any ole' time. Good ratings.

Added: More proof. Geesh.....