Terrorist attack hypothetical Q

[Bucky]

In another discussion, Silverhair asked a what-if about terrorists attacking New York:

Just what do YOU think would happen if downtown Manhattan vanished under a mushroom cloud? Don't you think something like that would send a hell of a shock through the populace? Or maybe you think that after something like that, everything would still go on just like always?

The topic at hand was Tommy Franks's suggestion that the population would support the suspension of the Constitution if the case of a WMD attack.

Of course terrorists don't have conventional nukes, but they certainly might be able to get their hands on something like a dirty bomb or phosgene gas. Assuming there's an attack on NYC, about 100,000 casualties, 5-10,000 fatalities, and not a clear picture of who did it or how they got the stuff into the country....

1. How do you think the Bush Administration would react?

2. How receptive would the general population be to their actions?

3. What effect would this have on the Democratic Party and the anti-war movement?

[Terwilliger]

1. I think it would be time for all good things to come to an end

[BeFree]

2. Another attack?

If something else happens, it will point out the utter failure of the Republicans 'war' on terror.

[SheilaT]

3. The Constitution would be suspended,

probably permanently. We'd be under martial law. And even though it WOULD be proof that the war on terror was complete b.s., the Bush cabal would certainly not paint it that way.

I was thinking a couple of days ago, that if a presidential assassination occurred today, the entire country would be on lock-down for who knows how long.