thinks The United States is faring poorly in its effort to counter ideological support for terrorism, in part because the government does not communicate effectively, Rumsfeld said in response to a question from a member of his audience at the Army War College.
Rumsfeld said:
"If I were grading, I would say we probably deserve a `D' or a `D-plus' as a country as to how well we're doing in the battle of ideas that's taking place in the world today," Rumsfeld told his questioner. "We have not found the formula as a country" for countering the extremists' message.
Ahh the formula, we need the formula to make everybody think like we think. Rummy was playing with his audience because he knows exactly what formula will be used to keep the public on his side. Fear. That is why he took time to visit Shanksville a few days before the release of the United 93 film trailer.
My understanding is that the extremists' message is that America is evil and does bad things. Torture and rendition and secret prisons and police state Patriot Act laws and wiretaps that violate the Constitution and corruption in the Congress, White House and Military are hardly the way to refute that message.
Fear is effective and the public is becoming afraid of the Republicans and so they will vote the Republicans out of office.