The attacks of Sept. 11 were terrible, but. . .

“The attacks were appalling, but they don’t pose the threat politicians make them out to be,” Rosa Brooks wrote in the Los Angeles Times. And she urges the American public to keep the event in perspective. “We’re more likely to die on the road than as a result of al-Qaida’s machinations,” Brooks wrote.
What do you think? Is the American public falling prey to a “fear of terrorism” campaign? Is it making the public too willing to give up civil liberties?
Posted by Patrice Hein

94 Comments

  1. writerdog
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 2:56 am | Permalink

    There has to be a balance, like many things in life that are a perceived threat to your health and well-being.You can not be “fat and stupid” thinking it can not happen, but neither should you be locking your doors and living your life in the corner cowering at every noise. Our own government can not be taking it as that great a threat, else the question of boarder control and control of our sea ports what have been a no brainier!No we should not take 9-11 lightly, nor the threat of terrorism as a less then likely threat.

    We here in Kansas are coming into the season that is the classic example of how to handle the threat of terrorism. Like with a tornado, be aware, be prepared and have a plan if it happens. Otherwise live your life and enjoy the arguments on the WE blog…

  2. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:01 am | Permalink

    As if killing 3000+ people wasn’t enough, the interruption of the World’s business place of commerce was financially devastating.

    Not only was the NYC commerce interrupted, but there were major adjustments to Airline security, general security of buildings,transportation and mailing/packaging security.

    It also made a huge and costly change required for ID’s.

    Rosa Brooks needs to buy herself a copy of the 911 Commission reports and get informed.

  3. Mark
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:06 am | Permalink

    Brooks’ comments are timely.

    When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they had invested many billion dollars (in today’s value) and sevral years building a fleet of warships and aircraft. They employed millions of military industrial workers, and were training several hundred thousand soldiers, sailors and airmen dating back to the early 30’s. They had been fighting in Indo-China for several years before Pearl.

    The attack force had 6 carriers and several dozen escort ships. The attack force’s total manpower was over 30,000.

    Contrast this to 9-11. NINETEEN participants. Half a high school social studies class. They cleverly multiplied their force capabilities by taking command of four American jet aircraft. It is highly improbable that they knew enough about the World Trade Towers engineering and materials, or jet-fuel combustion data to predict that they would utterly destroy two skyscrapers and kill 3000 people. In other words, the damage was arguably greater than they expected.

    If there was a titanic “clash of civilizations” here, why didn’t al Qaeda send 20,000 men out, taking command of several hundred airliners, from 747s to little commuter planes the morning of 9/11? Or even 1000 men taking over 100 jetliners?

    Or why didn’t they use their expertise in bomb-making to blow up power-transmission towers, bringing down their lines and cutting off power to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Phoenix…? This would have triggered massive chaos and panic.

    They could have taken down hundreds of not-securitized TV and radio towers serving our largest cities.

    9/11 incurred the loss of TWO BUILDINGS and relatively minor damage to a third, the Pentagon.

    The take-home lessons are, these people aren’t very smart, and there are very few of them, or at least that was the case before Dick Cheney, George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld created a come-to-Iraq terrorist-recruitment campaign. But even there, the vast majority of recruits are poor, uneducated teenagers and and young men.

    They have no capacity to come to our shores and destroy our country. They don’t even have the capacity to do this to Europe, although it is much closer and easier to infiltrate. Which is why Europe isn’t in a panicked state as our leaders decided to put Americans into.

  4. Mark
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:20 am | Permalink

    writerdog has it.

    We’re only inspecting a fraction of incoming ship and truck cargo.

    In airline travel, the feds were making American grandmothers submit to searches. All they had to do was say to Islam-nation’s visiting aliens, “Sorry but you can’t travel on our airlines for now.” At least until they installed metal walls and locked doors to isolate cockpits from cabins, which Israelis had long shown prevented terrorist takeovers of planes.

    We could have assigned Army and Marine troops to sit on airliners, four in the front row behind the cockpit, four in the back of the plane, until cockpit-isolation was installed. Metal detectors were effective in preventing guns from being taken aboard. Four terrorists with box cutters in the cabin versus eight Marines with M16’s and side-arms. That would be uhm, no contest.

  5. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 6:09 am | Permalink

    I agree. The Republicans have so hyped the threat of terrorism to scare Americans into voting for them. You are far more likely to be killed by a criminal or a drunk driver than by Al Queada. This is the same tactic that the Republicans used with “The Communist Threat” because fear is the only issue that the Republicans have.

  6. Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:14 am | Permalink

    Apathy about terrorism from the Left was predicted.

    I don’t wish ill on anyone, but for a deed of some terrorist blowing up the Democratic Convention might make a point.

  7. raptor
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:22 am | Permalink

    “They have no capacity to come to our shores and destroy our country.”

    Nice thought. And what day was it THIS WEEK that several foreigners were arrested and charged with plotting to attack Ft. Dix–NEW JERSEY? Or, is NJ not on our shores anymore?

  8. .morg
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:27 am | Permalink

    If the airlines had only armored up their cockpit doors back in the 60″s when hijacking planes to Cuba was all the rage. But anything to save a buck.

    Rep. don’t think the terrorist would target the Dems. The terrorists wouldn”t get the results they wanted.

  9. .morg
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:35 am | Permalink

    From The National Institute of Health:Number of deaths for leading causes of death

    Heart disease: 654,092

    Cancer: 550,270

    Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 150,147

    Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 123,884

    Accidents (unintentional injuries): 108,694

    Diabetes: 72,815Alzheimer’s disease: 65,829

    Influenza/Pneumonia: 61,472

    Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 42,762

    No acts of terrorism here…

  10. Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:42 am | Permalink

    morg,

    there are death statistics in any country from disease and accidents.

    What’s your point?

  11. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:43 am | Permalink

    Wow – the Leftist’s are whining at a fevered pitch this early morning.

    What are they so frightened of?

    That our nation might need at some point to protect our citizens and that doesn’t fit in with their la-la-la-la view of the world?

    Comparing direct attacks to accidents.

    Only a liberal.

  12. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:18 am | Permalink

    GSheridan

    Your the one that’s whining about everybody not getting into a fever-pitch about being “terrorized.”

    Evidently, everyone being “terrorized is something which you need to happen.

  13. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:27 am | Permalink

    Oh, whine, whine, whine, Ed.

    You can’t stand it that we take a strong position against terrorism, so you need to start your crybaby routine that more folks die in accidents.

    Good Lord.

    Should we quit prosecuting murders? Rapes?

    Because more folks die of cancer than are raped.

    Does that make rape no longer important?

    You liberals are simply not the brightest crayons in the box.

    Are you?

    lol

  14. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:34 am | Permalink

    GSheridan

    You’re too crazy to even stay on subject.

  15. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:41 am | Permalink

    Nice comeback, Ed.

    Does your mother know you’re playing on her computer again?

  16. ksgrm
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:41 am | Permalink

    Does anyone remember Nero? He fiddled while Rome burned.

    Forgetting the lessons we learned yesterday dooms us to repeat them in the future.

    Clinton looked the other way when our embassies, twin towers (’93), military barracks, USS Cole, etc… were attacked and the result was an escalated attack on the twin towers and the death of 3,000 on our home shores.

    Anyone who sets back with a complacent attitude that terrorism is not a problem has a severe ‘head in sand’ problem.

    I don’t live my life looking for terrorist under every rock but I am aware that terrorism is very real in our world today.

    We worry about global warming which may or may not be real while turning a deaf ear to the warnings of real attacks. What happened to ‘do it for the children?’

  17. .morg
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    “You can’t stand it that we take a strong position against terrorism, so you need to start your crybaby routine that more folks die in accidents”

    Take any stand you want. I would just like to see one that works.Destalbizing the Middle East isn’t what we had in mind. An endless war is not affordable, Here’s a news flash sheridan were the largest debtor nation in the world. We need to borrow 2 billion plus a day. Our interest payment on the debt last year was over 405 billion. So like it or not your little wars are unsustainable.

  18. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:01 am | Permalink

    Morg, you need to put our debt into fiscal perspective. What percentage of our GDP IS our current debt?

    And look up the stats on debt to asset ratio that determine whether or not a debt (percentage wise) is good – or bad.

    I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try to reduce our debt – I’d like that.

    I’m just saying that there are more aspects to it – than arbitrarily throwing out a large number without the rest of the numbers in play.

    Just as a business that grosses 1 billion dollars a year – isn’t going to be as worried about a million dollar liability – as is a small company that only grosses 250,000 a year.

    See what I’m getting at?

    Throwing out our debt without the comparative numbers is an exercise in deceptiveness.

  19. Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:15 am | Permalink

    9-11 was a shock, but the idea that Al Qaeda could “take over America” and “our wives will be wearing burkahs” is just ludicrous.

    We should have made a real case to the Taliban to turn over Al Qaeda, instead of just threatening them with annhilation.

    How’d that work out? They’re still fighting the UN coalition.

    And we should have sent in a much bigger force that would have really annihilated them, once that became the only option.

    Mullah Omar, Osama bin Forgotten, and a bunch of other top Al Qaeda figures are still at large.

    All the more convenient for Bush and Cheney to lie about the threat and Iraq’s ties to them . . .

  20. Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:18 am | Permalink

    What BushCo did is what they always seem to do–make a big hue and cry that whips up the simple-minded in emotional frenzy.

    But doesn’t get the job done.

    It’s like past campaigns to pass a constitutional amendment to “protect the American flag” or the inane legal fight over “under God” in The Pledge of Allegience.

    Pure theater and propoganda, signifying nothing.

  21. .morg
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:28 am | Permalink

    gsheridan,

    What does gdp have to do with anything?

    2006 tax revenue= 1353 billion

    2006 interest on the debt 405 billion leaves 948 billion.

    948 billion – 400 billion military budget= 548 for everything else the gdp does what to this figure?

  22. Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:29 am | Permalink

    Writerdog is exactly right. We need to keep these things in mind and be careful but we don’t need to cower and be scared all of the time. You can’t stop living out of fear that something MAY happen but you can’t ignore it either.

  23. political_mom
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:40 am | Permalink

    YAH! Only for the past 6 years now, duh!

  24. political_mom
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 9:42 am | Permalink

    Dig yourself a bomb shelter, and cower in it your whole life. Get guns, ammo, you never know when someone might rob you. Grow your own food, you never know when someone might taint it. And don’t let your kids into the world, they may hear a curse word and be scarred for life. They might fall down and break something, so be sure to wrap them in foam.

  25. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:00 am | Permalink

    Well Rosie O’Donell says it’s impossible to melt steel like the steel in WTC, so it must have been an inside job.

    Probably some secret agents holding crystal pyramids or something.

    Nice for Morg to point out all those death stats as well. Makes the troops deaths look mighty trivial even though they have a greater chance of dieing than most.

    All together now…

    kumbaya…

  26. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:02 am | Permalink

    Yeah, because Rosie O’Donnell is the person that I go to when I have questions about civil and aerospace engineering… Everyone is allowed to their opinion, but who asked her? And why does she feel that she is an expert on EVERYTHING?

  27. Mike
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:04 am | Permalink

    The fear monging that the GOP has perfected is not doing the country any good. And you right wingers will scream….9/11, 9/11 to dissolve any argument of trying something that does not include “Putting a boot in somebody’s ass”. The fear monging by the use of the word “terror” has just about run its course(like the color coded terror threat alerts….remember those). The American people are waking up to those that use terrorism as a talking point.

    9/11 was a huge tragedy and shocked the country. However, our society is so free we will never be safe from someone that truly wants to do us harm. Consider what we do to each other and then consider the threat of terrorism:DC Sniper: Paralyzed multiple states for weeks randomly shooting people.VT Shooter: Killed 20+ people in a matter of minutesAmish School Shooter: Killed 9 children in their classroom.All these incidents are terroristic in nature. Yet we go about our business everyday. Republicans say we embolden our enemy by setting time tables. I say you embolden the enemy by providing attention to their cause.

  28. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:07 am | Permalink

    You’re right Mike, let’s close our eyes, they’ll just go away.

    fading…

    fading…

  29. ksgrm
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:14 am | Permalink

    Mike and that is where great minds can disagree.

    I can’t say with certainty that you are right or that I am right.

    I can say with certainty when we don’t deal with strength we give away our advantage. Whether that is through diplomacy or might we will have to deal with it.

    We have seen Bush prevent a terrorist attack on our own soil since 9/11 and if the leftwingers have their way we will see what talking to our enemies does for the next 4 or maybe 8 years.

    Trust me I do not want to be in a position to say “I told you so”.

  30. Mike
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:14 am | Permalink

    Nobody is saying that Republican. But lets not let them control everything we do politically either. You paranoid idiots in the executive branch are running this country into the ground. You have destroyed our credibility with your lies and deceived the world with your half truths. Your party my friend will be the end of America as we know it. Everybody hates you because you are self rightous assholes. The world doesn’t hate America they hate republicans. You should be ashamed of yourself for supporting this joke of an administration. I feel so much safer now that we have given terrorists the training ground to hone their craft. You idiots have been so wrong for so long I don’t believe that you clowns could pour piss out of a boot with the directions written on the heel. I will close my eyes…..maybe you will go away.

  31. brian
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:17 am | Permalink

    I think you are all missing the point.

    I think the message of all parties involved in this debate is that the Government should protect its citizens ‘from threats both foreign and domestic.’

    We as a society, and the Government, having somewhat limited means, must focus on the things that are of the highest risk at harming Americans.

    Terrorist attacks are NOT the most likely bad things to happen American citizens. Sure terrorism is scary as hell and can be devastating, but compared to many other things, it is unlikely.

    Our collective conscious needs to shift focus from the rare, dramatic events to the probable and more common problems if we really want to be ‘Safer’.

  32. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:19 am | Permalink

    Hate is such a personal thing…

    If the world wants to hate,let them.

    But it stops at the border with their hate.

    Ashamed of myself? Only when I miss an obvious scrabble word. :)

    But I tell you what I’ll do there Mike. I’ll give you a B+ on your thread entry as you almost repeated every terrorist talking point from the left.

    Good job old bean, keep up the good work. :D

  33. Mike
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:20 am | Permalink

    Well KSGRM I can say with 100% certainty that your party has been wrong for the last 5 years. This is a fact! The sooner you realize that the sooner your Crainal Rectum Inversion can be cured. I was against the invasion of Iraq from the first time I heard about it. So this I will say….I told you so!

  34. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:22 am | Permalink

    “The sooner you realize that the sooner your Crainal Rectum Inversion can be cured.”

    That was completely uncalled for! Ksgrm was being very agreeable and nice to you but simply stated that she disagrees with you. Why do you feel the need to attack her???

  35. Steven Davis
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:23 am | Permalink

    On the off chance, that anyone pays any attention to what germ posts, the Marine barracks truck bomb attack occured under the watch of Reagan.

    http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/terror.htm

    And, it was not determined for sure that Al Qaeda attacked the U.S.S. Cole until the beginning of the GWBush administration.

    http://www.answers.com/topic/uss-cole-bombing

    Rather than continuing to correct germ’s consistent factual errors, I would advise readers of her posts to assume the info contained therein is not true, until proven otherwise. Ignoring her posts may be the most efficient strategy. Thank you.

  36. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:23 am | Permalink

    “What does gdp have to do with anything?”————-

    You’ve obviously never had your Net Worth calculated, have you?

    Assets are part of the equation.

  37. political_mom
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:27 am | Permalink

    I love scrabble Repub. What’s your literati rating?

  38. Mike
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:27 am | Permalink

    We have seen Bush prevent a terrorist attack on our own soil since 9/11 and if the leftwingers have their way we will see what talking to our enemies does for the next 4 or maybe 8 years.Posted by: ksgrm | May 10, 2007 at 10:14 AM

    How did he do that all by himself? Bush has not prevented anything. Nothing else has happened under his watch……pure coincidence.

    AFN, its what GOPer’s call preemptive strike. Like Iraq.

  39. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:28 am | Permalink

    They rate scrabble? We just do it for fun…

  40. Ben
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:29 am | Permalink

    Thank you Steven for that ‘fact-check’. Reminds me of the Righties who blame Clinton for killing Weaver’s wife at Ruby Ridge in 1992. OOPS! Bush the elder was president then.

    The Beiruet embassy was also Reagan – he had involved the US in the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Thus the PRESENCE of the marine barracks there.

    As for the emabassy in Kenya Clinton did respond – and all the Republicans howled “wag the dog” in their anti-American hysteria against the president. And now they complain when we don’t blindly follow Bush!

  41. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:32 am | Permalink

    Mike, I don’t care what it’s called. It’s still rude. If she had been attacking you, I would have ignored your comment, but the fact that she was being extremely nice and calm when you replied with that is just disgusting.

  42. political_mom
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:35 am | Permalink

    Repub if you play on yahoo it’s called literati. And yes, you get rated.

  43. Mike
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:39 am | Permalink

    Sorry that I hurt your feelings AFN. From now on I will let you preview my posts in advance. And last time I looked I was speaking with the great Republican when KSGRM chimed in. And yes to all those Bushies…..you all have Cranial Rectum Inversion.

  44. Tom Paine
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:40 am | Permalink

    Aren’t the people who bombed WTC the first time in prison?

  45. Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:43 am | Permalink

    Let me review your posts Mike. I promise to leave in the coordinating conjunctions, ellipses and the letter “I.” :D

  46. steve
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:45 am | Permalink

    Why didn’t we hear about how illegal wire tapping prevented the Ft. Dix attack? Maybe because it resulted from the originator copping a deal not to be turned over to Pakistan. Didn’t even read where the informant terrorist had been tortured into revealing the plan. Just how did anything Bush has done play into this?

  47. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    The Israelis invented “terrorism” to cover their barbarism, then tagged the defending Palestinians who were themselves with being “terrorists” in order to gain sympathy and money from the United States.

    All that is now unraveling as the truth emerges through worldwide communications.

    The Zionist-Jews can no longer hide their criminal misdeeds.

  48. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 10:57 am | Permalink

    Correction:

    The Israelis invented “terrorism” to cover their barbarism, then tagged the Palestinians, who were defending themselves, with being “terrorists” in order to gain sympathy and money from the United States.

    All that is now unraveling as the truth emerges through worldwide communications.

    The Zionist-Jews can no longer hide their criminal misdeeds.

  49. GSheridan
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    Ed – your anti-semitism no longer even surprises me.

    You claim the Israeli’s invented terrorism, but modern Israel didn’t even exist when the Japanese were employing the “suicide bomber” tactic known as “kamikaze.”

    Hatred’s getting the best of you, my friend.

  50. political_mom
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:08 am | Permalink

    BOTH parties are bad in relation to Israel/Palestine.

    I’d agree with some of Ed’s comments but it ends at the racism.

    Good call GS.

  51. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:15 am | Permalink

    There Is nothing wrong with the Jewish Religion. A person race is of no consequence.

    Those who use the term anti-Semitism often try to apply it to hide bad behaviour, in an attempt to cover it up.

    Such is the case with GSheridan and those of her ilk.

  52. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:24 am | Permalink

    When I said that the Israelis invented “terrorism,” that reference was in the context of which it is misused to describe Middle East conflicts.

  53. BG
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:30 am | Permalink

    I’m still curious, who here has lost any liberty.. tell me how you have suffered thru your lost of liberties.. which is what I thought the post was about?

  54. Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:35 am | Permalink

    Waiting in line at the airport for an hour and 45 minutes to clear security apparently doesn’t count for “loss of liberty” to BG.

    A long as he can cuddle up to his big old handgun, he considers himself “free.”

  55. SolDevVB
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:37 am | Permalink

    Capn,Which part of the constitution guarantees short passage thru the airport?

  56. SolDevVB
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:39 am | Permalink

    Capn,And I do believe owning a fire arm is protected under the constitution. So is it really YOU that wnts to take away firearms and freedoms????

  57. BG
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:41 am | Permalink

    Capn,Flying is a privilage not a right.

  58. J M Walker
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:43 am | Permalink

    “Between those who manage the war in Washington and those who fight it in Iraq, the American people enjoy a safe middle ground. The country is both at war and not at war. The war machine in Washington hums along as it did in other great international conflicts. U.S. troops fight as vicious a war abroad as they have ever fought. But at home, there is no sacrifice, no serious deprivations, no mobilization of youth. Life goes on pretty much as normal.”

    “The two other categories, moral and political guilt, are most pointedly relevant at this stage of the Iraq conflict. It is not enough to complain about President Bush, or to mock him. To mock the president does not relieve one from responsibility for the war being fought in the name of every American. Bush’s disaster has become the country’s disaster. Every American is now connected to it politically and morally. We cannot be indifferent to the scorn for all things American that characterizes the worldview of us. We must pay attention. It should move us.”

    From James Reston Jr’s column in yestredays USA todays paper. Full column here:http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/05/were_all_respon.html#more

    I recommend it.

    The idea we are fighting terrorism in Iraq is pure nonsense. Iraq never attacked us; they invaded Kuwait, and we helped kick them out.

    Iraq is no worse off then they were prior to the attack. Thousands dead and homeless. Thousands fleeing the country, civil war is there and going on now; the elected government taking a couple of months off.

    This is where we need to make our stand, and in other countries, as military assistance, not invaders, to combat terrorism. We have sent our national guard, along with much of the equipement needed in this country to Iraq and Afghanistan, when it needs to be here for national emergencies.

    Utterly ridiculous.

  59. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:44 am | Permalink

    The Bill of Rights is under siege by the Patriot Act and over 800 signing statements attacked to bills by Bush to change the intent of congress and give absolute power to the Executive Branch of Government.

    That destroys the balance of power, which the Constitution guarantees.

    Bush has also referred to the Constitution as: “That G-D piece of paper”

    George W. Bush and those around him want absolute power.

  60. J M Walker
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    Should be: “Iraq is worse off . . . “

  61. Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:45 am | Permalink

    Sol–

    “And I do believe owning a fire arm is protected under the constitution. So is it really YOU that wnts to take away firearms and freedoms????”

    Read through my posts on this thread so that you don’t make a further idiot of yourself . . . as hard as that is for you.

    http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/05/liberals_led_wa.html

  62. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:47 am | Permalink

    The so-called “surge” has displaced over 4 million Iraqis as it is nothing less than a murdering spree.

  63. BG
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:54 am | Permalink

    Capn,

    So where does this fit in then?

    A long as he can cuddle up to his big old handgun, he considers himself “free.”Posted by: CapnAmerica | May 10, 2007 at 11:35 AM—–
    Ed,Bullshit, Bush has never said anything like that and you know it.

    Capn,the reason for the long lines at airports is because of the fact you have liberties, if we could use a common sense approach to airport security, and not have to check everybody equally because someone will yell profiling..

  64. Mark
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 11:58 am | Permalink

    During the Lebanese civil war, what was Reagan’s response to the marine barracks bombing in Beirut? He immediately promised that the U.S. would not be cowed, and retaliation would follow.

    But then he changed course and brought our men home. Did this make Reagan a terrorism supporter and a wimp? A flip-flopper? No, it demonstrated his administration’s ability to calm down when the smoke cleared, think things through, and make a wise decision to take our men out of other people’s crossfire.

  65. Vaughn Tolle
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:01 pm | Permalink

    To me, the common sense approach to airport security is to “profile” everyone, period. If it takes four hours to do it before a flight leaves, so be it.

  66. outlander
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:07 pm | Permalink

    Long lines at the airport are a loss of liberty? Well, I suppose you can say that. Increased security at airports is necessary because of the times we live in. I remember that among my first thoughts after 911 were thoughts related to the effect this was going to have on our freedoms. That this was not going to be quite as free a country. I can accept that as a necessary evil.

    Does Ed broadcast from Hamas HQ?

  67. Brad S
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    Mark, why do I get the feeling that you wouldn’t be so charitable toward Bush if he did the pullout in Iraq as you were with Reagan and his pullout in Lebanon.

    I just want to ask everyone, right now: If Bush ordered the pullout tomorrow, and a terrorist attack happened between the pullout and the day Bush leaves office, would you blame Bush for that terrorist attack?

    I await your responses.

  68. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

    NYT

    “One told Mr. Bush that voters back home favored a withdrawal even if it meant the war was judged a loss. Representative Tom Davis told Mr. Bush that the president’s approval rating was at 5 percent in one section of his northern Virginia district.”

  69. Brad S
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

    I meant to say: A Terrorist attack of mass-killing proportions on this nation.

  70. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:44 pm | Permalink

    “Does Ed broadcast from Hamas HQ? ”

    No, I broadcast from reality. Something which seems to elude you…

  71. SolDevVB
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:44 pm | Permalink

    Brad S,As an individual, of course I would. I would also blame him for the meaningless sacrifice of the soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors since their deaths served no fruitful meaning. Instead of their deaths being the price tag of liberating Iraq, he just abandoned Iraq.

  72. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:46 pm | Permalink

    That “terrorist attack.” Is that something you do or just hope for?

  73. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:49 pm | Permalink

    “liberating Iraq” From what? Themselves?

  74. Vaughn Tolle
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:52 pm | Permalink

    Brad S, my response(s):

    No, I wouldn’t place blame on him iff investigation showed the attack had been in planning for a period beginning before any pullout and training also begun prior thereto, even if some training, etc., occurred post-pullout.

    Yes, I would iff the investigation showed that the planning commenced in Iraq following the pullout, and the only way the attack was able to be executed was that all planning, training, etc., occurred in Iraq as the result of the vacuum created by the invasion followed by the pullout.

    Given either hypothetical, I would assess blame on intel resources, et al, for not being able to uncover the plan, more in hypothetical 1 than 2, however.

  75. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 12:59 pm | Permalink

    And how would you tell if the intel was true?

  76. Brad S
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 1:01 pm | Permalink

    SolDevVB, thank you for your response. A change to the question: Would you blame Bush if the attack happened AFTER 1/20/09?

  77. TDT
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    We have seen Bush prevent a terrorist attack on our own soil since 9/11ksgrm | May 10, 2007 at 10:14 AM

    There has only been one terrorist attack on “our” soil, and it was 9/11. I don’t understand this sentence.

  78. Posted May 10, 2007 at 1:33 pm | Permalink

    Brad S.–

    Clever!

    I’m going to have to remember that.

    Good one, dude.

  79. Parkay
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 2:38 pm | Permalink

    The 09/11/01 attacks on America’s population, economy, and military were outstandingly vicious in a long string of attacks on us by Muslim terrorists, both on American soil and abroad. We are not stupid enough to think that that was the end of Muslim attacks, or that the intensity, severity, and number of attacks will not increase, given sufficient laxity by American citizens, their government, and their military.We will not forget. We will not let up, soften up, or give up in our global war on Muslim terrorism, until the attacks on us and our troops stop, and the threats to our national security are gone.We are not stupid, or weak, or gullible. We are Americans.

  80. Ed Friedemann
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 5:32 pm | Permalink

    Patrice Hein is correct in asking the question if “terrorism” per se’is real. The 9/11 commission says it is not. The attack of 9/11 was in retaliation for years of slaughtering mostly Palestinian Arabs, while stealing their land.

    “Terrorism” is just another myth being oversold to a public weary of being lied to. It’s being sold by people with the same ulterior motives as attacking Iraq.

    If the so-called “war on Terror” was for real there would have been multiple attacks on unprotected American soil, yet none have taken place. Thousands of shopping Malls would have made easy targets.

    When the FBI tried to recruit a half-dozen loser kids in Florida into pretending that they were al-Qaida is about all “Homeland Security” can show for the billions wasted on that myth.

    They probably would have been more successful in selling the “boogieman” than the elusive nonexistent “terrorism.”

    America has wised-up { with the exclusion of the promoters }.

  81. ksgrm
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 5:44 pm | Permalink

    Mark you asked how Reagan reacted. I give you the following.

    “President Reagan proved that these fanatical regimes can be kicked in the pants and put in their place when Libya’s leader Muammar Al-Qaddafi was acting similarly to the leaders of Iran today. In 1986, Lybia was a small player using terrorism as a tactic to play on the big stage and creating fear just as Iran is today. On April 15, 1986 President Reagan ordered a quick and decisive air attack on Lybia in retaliation for a West Berlin discotheque bombing April 5, 1985 and other terrorist acts committed by this regime. This action not only knocked Qaddafi down to size but his fear of further retaliation took him off the world stage completely and he has been virtually quiet ever since.”

    http://www.hinzsightreport.com/kntr/ken-033007.html

    Lybia hasn’t been heard from since. If you deal with strength!

  82. WSClark
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 5:58 pm | Permalink

    So, Grm, what did Reagan do about the bombing of the Marines barracks in Beirut?

    Hmmmmmmmm?

    243 dead and what did the Great Communicator do?

    Nothing.

  83. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:38 pm | Permalink

    Note the writer said DESTROY the COUNTRY and no, they do not have that ability. Can they ATTACK inside the country YES and they probably will again. But life goes on.

    “”They have no capacity to come to our shores and destroy our country.”

    Nice thought. And what day was it THIS WEEK that several foreigners were arrested and charged with plotting to attack Ft. Dix–NEW JERSEY? Or, is NJ not on our shores anymore?”

  84. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:39 pm | Permalink

    Really the Republicans are more of a threat to the future of America and the lives and freedoms of the American people than Al Quada could ever hope to be.

  85. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:43 pm | Permalink

    Carl Rove, Cheney and Bush probably just made up that Fort Dix plot to scare the American people into cowering behind Bush. I guess they figure if it worked before, should work again. They figured wrong. Bush’s poll numbers are still in the toilet right where he belongs.

  86. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:45 pm | Permalink

    “So, Grm, what did Reagan do about the bombing of the Marines barracks in Beirut?

    Hmmmmmmmm?

    243 dead and what did the Great Communicator do?

    Nothing.

    Worse than nothing. He surrendered our position to the very terrorist that blew us up.

  87. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:50 pm | Permalink

    Didn’t she design the skywalks at the Hyatt Hotel in Kansas City?? Or was that Saddam too?

    “Yeah, because Rosie O’Donnell is the person that I go to when I have questions about civil and aerospace engineering… Everyone is allowed to their opinion, but who asked her? And why does she feel that she is an expert on EVERYTHING?”

  88. Kev
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:53 pm | Permalink

    “This action not only knocked Qaddafi down to size but his fear of further retaliation took him off the world stage completely and he has been virtually quiet ever since.”

    Well by golly there are about 300 people in Lockerbee Scotland on a Pan Am flight that might disagree with that except for the fact they are DEAD.

  89. brian
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    DHS has been reviewing my library records since I mooned Bush.

  90. brian
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:06 pm | Permalink

    ” would you blame Bush for that terrorist attack?I await your responses.Posted by: Brad S | May 10, 2007 at 12:39 PM”

    I want to Jump in on this even though it’s a little late.

    I would not blame Bush, I would blame the terrorists.I know no one person, not even one as powerful as the President of America, can stop terrorism.

    The only way to stop terrorism is to change the thinking of those who would be terrorists. The only way to change the thinking of someone else is through our own actions. We must change our views and attitudes toward those groups mainly responsible for terrorism if we want to affect their thinking and behavior.

  91. Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:10 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, let’s out think them. That’s the ticket…

  92. brian
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:37 pm | Permalink

    Well Republican, we will have to wait for the next Presidential administration to actually be able to implement a strategy of out thinking.(if you need me to explain that one to you feel free to ask)

  93. Steven Davis
    Posted May 11, 2007 at 12:04 am | Permalink

    Isn’t interesting how the Germ shuts up when she has been called out on her lies and disinformation?

    Germ, would you please go away until you can defend your B.S.?

    See you later… Hopefully, much later.

  94. cosmos
    Posted May 11, 2007 at 12:09 am | Permalink

    ksgrm,

    “We worry about global warming which may or may not be real while turning a deaf ear to the warnings of real attacks. What happened to ‘do it for the children?’”

    The current global warming trend cannot be explained by natural variabilty — humans have caused it, and it’ll get worse, even if we sharply reduce GHG’s.

    What “warnings of real attacks” have been ignored? Besides the Aug 2001 PDB.

    “‘do it for the children?’”?

    What about the future generations?

    Please print out your post claiming that Al Gore said “that scientists “don’t know…” at,’Climate change also a security issue’http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/04/climate_change_.html#comment-66956272

    And print out my post, and links re sea level rise on same thread,http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/04/climate_change_.html#comment-67033538

    Then give copies to your children, and grandchildren. Let them, and your future generations decide if your opinions re human-caused GW are correct.

    You falsely claimed that scientific unknowns about future sea levels = scientific unknowns about AGW. And you respect Lindzen’s bogus op-eds more than peer-reviewed climate science.