[glorgau]

Say what you want, but the current war does not threaten out national survival. It is really more like a large police action. Even if Al Queda obliterated New York from the map with some sort of WMD, there would still be a whole lot of Americans left over to reek vengeance. This is nowhere near as much of an existential threat as toe-to-toe thermonuclear war with the Ruskies.

Truncating our essential liberties removes us from our base identities as free citizens. That said, let's do our best to lower the hammer on non-citizens.

Membership has it's privileges.

[Publius6961]

Say what you want, but the current war does not threaten out national survival. It is really more like a large police action.

Say what you want, but this is the essence of the difference between the ignorant and the informed.

This is in the long run an attack of our survival in our current form.

You will excuse us if most of us are not willing to allow it to happen to prove a point.

[IncPen]

Say what you want, but the current war does not threaten out national survival. It is really more like a large police action. Even if Al Queda obliterated New York from the map with some sort of WMD, there would still be a whole lot of Americans left over to reek vengeance. This is nowhere near as much of an existential threat as toe-to-toe thermonuclear war with the Ruskies.

Playing devil's advocate here, suppose a virulent strain of weaponized anthrax or smallpox were released in several places, to large crowds simultaneously.

Much discussion has taken place on this board about the consequences of such an attack, and the general consensus is that the medical facilities would be instantly overwhelmed; most services would cease (think: electricity, water, gas) as people shunned contact and possible contamination.

I think it's rather smug of anyone (ie. you) to believe, in post-911 America, that these people aren't serious, prepared, willing and able to destroy all of us.