[dawn53]

The whole argument seems so absurd to me.

If on September 10th, we had arrested 19 Arab men who the FBI said were planning to hijack planes and fly them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, what would the left have said?

If we had unilaterally invaded Afghanistan and taken out the Taleban based on the fact that they were supporting AQ, what would the left have said?


It's like saying, "What if on Dec. 6th, 1941, we had dropped a bomb on Hiroshima in order to prevent Pearl Harbor?"

September 11th happened, it changed the course of American history, just like Pearl Harbor, just like the sinking of the Lusitania.

At this point, blame is only political rhetoric, and IMHO, not even worth discussing.

[headsonpikes]

Good post.

[Capt. Tom]

If we had unilaterally invaded Afghanistan and taken out the Taleban based on the fact that they were supporting AQ, what would the left have said?

Could you imagine what would have happened if we had invaded Afghanistan before 9-11.

We would not have been able to stop the 9-11 plot anyway. That was well developed outside of Afghanistan, and going to happen.

All the terrorists would have to say was that 9-11 was in response our invading Afghanistan,and they would get world wide approval.

The blame America first crowd in this country and around the world would have had a field day saying we brought it on ourselves by invading Afghanistan. -

We were saved from a major PR blunder by our own incompetence. -Tom

[jocon307]

"If on September 10th, we had arrested 19 Arab men who the FBI said were planning to hijack planes and fly them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, what would the left have said?"

Well the thing of it is, nobody would have said much of anything. The dog that didn't bite just isn't news. Even to this day it really hasn't sunk into my brain that the so-called Millenium Bomb plot was foiled, and it isn't because that would be to give credit where due to Clinton, or whoever. I don't think the prevention of that plot has seeped into anyone's mind, left or right. Or the terrorists convicted in NY of plans to blow up the Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel, etc.

Before 9/11 we just weren't on war footing. Should we have been? Yes. Could Clinton (or other presidents, Carter, whoever) have made us realize we needed to be? Maybe, but they didn't. Does Bush get it? Yes.

But my lingering question (my tagline not withstanding) is DO the American people get it?

[altura]

The same thing they are saying about Iraq.

All these "should have done something" people don't even know what we should have done.

Should we have done something offensive? Maybe, but without 9-11 there would have been no support. Defensive? How?

It's just like Iraq. If Iraq had been left alone and leashed some kind of attack, there would have been far more ammo to attack the administration on "should have done something" grounds.

Yet all these whiners in these stupid hearings which I refuse to watch don't even think that far.

[bayourod]

Very well said.