US vice president warns war might not be over in our lifetime

Ananova ^ | Sunday 21st October 2001 | Ananova

[grimalkin]

American vice-president Dick Cheney warned the war on terrorism might not be over in our lifetime.

Vice-president, added Americans will have to adapt their way of life to the threat of more attacks.

"It is different than the Gulf War was, in the sense that it may never end. At least, not in our lifetime," Mr Cheney told the Washington Post.

"I think it's fair to say you can't predict a straight line to victory. You know, there'll be good days and bad days along the way."

"The way I think of it is, it's a new normalcy," he said. "We're going to have to take steps, and are taking steps, that'll become a permanent part of the way we live.

"In terms of security, in terms of the way we deal with travel and airlines, all of those measures that we end up having to adopt in order to sort of harden the target, make it tougher for the terrorists to get at us. And I think those will become permanent features in our kind of way of life."

But he warned the country could not cope with a series of warnings if there were no attacks following the alerts.

"You have to avoid falling into the trap of letting it be a cover-your-ass exercise," Mr Cheney said.

"If you scare the hell out of people too often, and nothing happens, that can also create problems. Then when you do finally get a valid threat and warn people and they don't pay attention, that's equally damaging."

And he added: "If you create panic, the terrorist wins without ever doing anything. So these are tough calls."

[riley1992]

Wow, this is a real news flash. We are never going to eradicate terrorism in anyone's lifetime.

[grimalkin]

Obviously not. Some people I've encountered locally however, seem to have the impression that we will and everything will be the way it was before.

[riley1992]

I know of a lot of people that think that same way. The stupidity of it is mindboggling.

[Dan Day]

Obviously not. Some people I've encountered locally however, seem to have the impression that we will and everything will be the way it was before.

Actually, even "before" things weren't like "the way it was before". That is, nothing has really changed at all, only perceptions have. There has *always* been terrorism, and terrorist acts against Americans. We can't turn the clock back to a time when there weren't, because there never was such a time.

I'm reminded of Yogi Berra's comment: "Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before".

[Khaleel]

"In terms of security, in terms of the way we deal with travel and airlines, all of those measures that we end up having to adopt in order to sort of harden the target, make it tougher for the terrorists to get at us. And I think those will become permanent features in our kind of way of life."

In other words, "In terms of freedom...make it tougher."

[Hank Rearden]

The only way I can think of to achieve that, even theoretically, is to breed out the mentality that supports terrorism. That takes a lot of psychological effort, suppression of the impulse in the old folks, waiting for them to die out and new kids to take their place without the defective culture they have now.

Either that, or kill every damn one of them.

Or maybe we'll get lucky, and whatever God might exist up there will make an appearance to say "Knock it off, dammit!" Unless God is some kind of sadistic nut, I would expect that to happen if things really escalate. Religious freaks, please don't use that thought as an excuse to hijack this thread, please.

[nopardons]

GOD didn't stop WW 1 , WW 2 , or anyother war.

[Newbomb Turk]

Not in Cheneys lifetime. He is adjusting his view to account for his heart condition. The rest of us might live to see it. I only wish the best for him though. He is a GREAT VP for these trying times.

[Hank Rearden]

GOD didn't stop WW 1 , WW 2 , or anyother war.

Good point. But I'm still gritting my teeth, anticipating 385 Bible quotes to be posted somewhere on this thread.

[RJayneJ]

Quote of the Day by Common Tator

[Hoosier]

War is the health of the state. In another 70 years we could be just as healthy as Russia. Just think, we can put people back to work in factories producing lots of war materiel. Of course, we are going to need many, many new laws and regulations to help us through the dark times ahead. We will be able to leave our grandchildren (assuming our kids don't die in the war) a world in much better shape than we found it. There will be work, a strong central government, a way to find glory by dying for the state, abundant housing because many won't be returning from the war, it will be much better than we have it. There will be no more oldthink. War is peace.

[sakic]

If our situation is similar in a few years, Bush will lose in a landslide even if the Dems run a toaster oven.

[Blake#1]

Interesting!! If Bush/Republicans loose to the Democrat War Party much will have to be immagined. I imagine that at that time the DWP will be advocating "compromise" with Osama BL. Fear will be the norm in the Good Ole USofA.

[Yougottabekidding]

Cheney is right. This will go on until the end of time. "Lock and Load"..

[Zorobabel]

Oceania will always be at war with Eastasia.

[Hoosier]

Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia. War is peace. The Ministry of Truth celebrates everyday.

[hoosierham]

Oh , come off it; the war on terrosism will not end any sooner than the war on crime-there will always be those who seek to gain riches and power by means of bullying and hurting other people.

[LS]

Well, I know you are being flip, but historically societies have taken a long view of war, and it is only in the last couple of hundred years that we have thought a war should be "in and out."

The Punic (Carthaginian) Wars stretched over two generations, and saw a father and son lead Carthaginian armies and lose; the Persian Wars against Greece lasted about 20; and our last true "terrorist" war---the Indian wars on the frontier, arguably lasted from at least the 1850s to 1893 at Wounded Knee.

So Cheney is showing, I think, a deep appreciation for the reality of this war.