This 9/11, Public Isn't Swayed by Overhyped Fears

In its unsuccessful push to get Congress and the nation to embrace the idea of military action against Syria, the White House resorted to "fearmongering," writes Paul Campos at Time. It argued that Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons pose a threat to national security, "even potentially (to) our citizens at home," in the words of National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Nobody's buying this "nonsensical" argument, writes Campos, a fact that might help explain the president's interest in Russia's diplomatic option.

This is especially relevant on the anniversary of 9/11, he writes. "Fortunately, it appears that the American public can no longer be swayed so easily by the kind of panic-inducing rhetoric that led to the Iraq catastrophe in the wake of the 9/11 attacks." Turns out, people are tired of the "cynical exploitation" of that 12-year-old tragedy, "and not a moment too soon." Click for the full column. (More 9/11 anniversary stories.)