If You Were A Journalist, How Would You Help Terrorists?

The New York Times, in its "Freakonomics" section, has run a blog posing the question,

" If You Were A Terrorist, How Would You Attack?"

Mind you, this is not a question being pondered at a Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting or in a smoky backroom at the Pentagon (as if smoking were even permitted there nowadays), this is a public forum on the website of one of the world's most frequently viewed publications. Now, I don't think Steven Levitt is as dumb as he looks (although he looks pretty dumb glibly gleaming over this blog forum), but I do think this blog is as irresponsible as it appears. Consider this blog free market research for al-Qaeda & Co. By going straight to the horses' mouths to see what forms of terrorism would strike the most fear into Americans, the Times is taking the guesswork out of terrorism for their Islamic cohorts. But all of this is not much of a surprise from the publication that turns over the U.S. military playbook to our enemies in practically every military engagement the U.S. gets itself embroiled in. So, in the spirit of utter amusement that Levitt relishes when thinking of how American deaths can benefit the Democrats' chances of gaining more power in the next bout of elections, let us play advocatus diaboli
and pose a realistic reply:

If I were a terrorist, and being one implying that I am a weak horse in comparison to my enemy, I would paralyze my enemy with fear by using psychological warfare, attacking in a way much safer and easier than assailing with direct force. Since my enemy, the United States, loves liberty and free speech and diversity and toleration, I would voice my hatred and propaganda for all things American by using the sensationalistic U.S. media as my bitch. Since the 1970s journalism in the U.S. has been less about providing information to an educated public than selling headlines like so many bumper stickers at a bazaar (one doesn't have to see Network to figure out the "If It Bleeds, It Leads" mentality of the drive-by media). Basically, the Western media would be my free PR front for all my propaganda, since their attempts at being "fair" usually implies giving free reign to enemies of the U.S., especially if the President is a Republican. By being an enemy of the U.S., and by preaching to those adverse to the U.S.'s success during a Republican administration, the Democrats and the media become my natural ally. If the Democrats are in power, the administration will bend over backwards to kiss the ass of all Muslims; subsidizing them, educating them, providing political asylum, allowing open entry at the borders, mandating foot washes at every airport, paid time off for Ramadan, native foods for every Arabic and Persian cultural proclivity, the options are literally endless under a Democrat regime. Thus I would exploit the political polarization of the U.S. regardless of the party in control. With the Republicans I would cry foul for every "abuse" in a war or confrontation; I would prey on the conspiracy-theory mentality of the baby boomers who believe the greatest threat to America is the military-industrial complex; with the Democrats I would exploit their tolerance and diversity to set up shop in the U.S., attempt to convert "disenfranchised" minorities like Blacks and Hispanics by offering them a more vigorous alternative to pious, pacifist Christianity and mainstream Anglo-Saxon culture, and use mosques as a cover to preach my pan-Islamic view of the world, implying the demise of the Great Satan and the world as we know it.