Joe Conason: No Vast Missile Shield Could Have Prevented This

The New York Observer ^ | September 17, 2001 | Joe Conason

[aruanan]

Joe Conason: No Vast Missile Shield Could Have Prevented This
Joe, you idiot. A vast missile shield protects against missiles. You may as well say that a vast missile shield won't protect against all the car deaths during the course of a year or against all the deaths due to influenza during the course of a year. The fact that one thing doesn't protect against another thing doesn't mean that it's inadequate for its designed purpose.

[JohnHuang2]

The LIBERALS are scurrying for cover and dropping misinformation turds on their way out the door.

Bump!

[PLK]

This is just the very beginning of the liberal press blaming Bush for the terrorist hits. In our small town weekly, a political science professor from the private, liberal arts college here (known for its leftist leanings and one of the first small schools to start a women's study program which eventually made it a star attraction to lesbian students) was interviewed and spouted off the most amazing crap that was actually printed on the front page yesterday.

The gist of it was that this is all Bush's fault. Quotes:

"If it turns out to have been orchestrated by a Middle Eastern source, it may have grave things to say about U.S. foreign policy - especially that of the Bush administration."

"The administration is seen as tilting too much toward Israel and as caring too little about the Palestinians."

"When a recent poll revealed President Bush's unpopularity in Europe, the American media brushed it off, but that was the wrong attitude."

"...these attacks would be used in Congress to promote jingoist foreign policies and a missile defense initiative - even though missile defense wouldn't have been relevant in the attack."

And on and on. Between reading that and seeing Clinton on teevee in New York hugging and kissing weeping people on the street, I was so furious I could not fall asleep last night. I laid awake for hours fuming at this stupidity. Also, I attend graduate school at a Big 10 university and at a research team meeting yesterday, one of my professors actually said that she suspected that their WAS intelligence available about the attacks but that the Bush administration allowed them to proceed in order to shore up their budget requests for more military and CIA funding. I was speechless. Of course, she has admitted that she is a Marxist, so what else can you expect.

Even worse, she knows I am a Republican, and made a point of walking up to me during a break asking if I thought there may be problems between any of the doctoral students who are Americans and the several Middle Eastern students we have in the program. Her message was clear, she probably thought I was going to send them hateful emails or something. The truth is, we have 3 students from Jordon and 1 from Pakistan. They are all good friends of mine - her statements were ridiculous and insulting. Is the liberal mind REALLY that stupid???? Their belief in the worst stereotype of conservatives must be pervasive and deep. It's something we need to take seriously.

[BurkeanCyclist]

No, Joe, it wouldn't have prevented THIS tragedy. But because something doesn't prevent one tragedy DOES NOT mean it will not prevent other future threats. Does he not understand this?

Of course he understands it. He's a liar who will say anything to win a political point.

[Cincinatus]

The Next Attack
If the terrorists had missiles, can we doubt they'd use them?

Friday, September 14, 2001 12:04 a.m. EDT

Can anyone doubt that if the terrorists behind Tuesday's attacks had had access to a ballistic missile, they would have used it? Why settle for toppling the World Trade Center if you can destroy all of New York in an instant, without having to go to the trouble of sneaking a crew over the border and arranging for pilot training in Florida?

It's hard to believe, but there are some people who think the main lesson of Tuesday's attack is that we don't need national missile defense. Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy looked at the carnage and noted that "today our threat is not a threat of somebody launching a nuclear missile against us." So because we couldn't defend against hijacked airplanes that kill thousands, we aren't supposed to defend ourselves against threats that could kill millions.

Do we still need missile defense? You better believe it. (Wall Street Journal; E-mail registration required; no fee).

[b4its2late]

Joe Conason = (_o_)

[Cincinatus]

format off

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

The reason the libs are are harping on the missile sheild is that nobody's buying their Florida whine so they need a new flag to rally around.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I was speechless.

Find your voice and you'll sleep better tonight. You have my prayers.

[lavaroise]

KGB and friends of the KGB will always try to disrupt the algorithm of military preparedness by having liberal art people create non military thinking on military issues. I am saddened that we do not have a gag order on the media in order to not disrupt military preparadeness for WWIII. Has American leaders lost the courrage to fight?

Star wars is not only a shield, but also an offensive device, where you can explode a nuke at a laser site, take this energy and direct it with a laser light capacitor to pin point accuracy against enemy bunkers.

At this point in time of war (whether congress votes for it or not, we are at war, it is a fact that political assumptions cannot overcome, even if blind about it), offense is the only thing we can do. No shield can protect us from the enemy, that is clear. However an offensive laser system would be extremely valuable. After all, a laser is a sword, not a shield.

[lavaroise]

When he talks about unilateralism, read between the lines. He does not want America to have first strike capabilities and rights, while any half witted enemy does reserve this right to itself, especialy Russia and CHina.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Also from WSJ: -- Before Tuesday's attacks, Senate Democrats had staged their own raid on President Bush's missile defense proposal, cutting back on even the $8.3 billion he had requested. In the aftermath of Tuesday's attacks, both Democrats and Republicans pledged to set aside differences over missile defense to focus on new strategies for dealing with terrorism. Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee and the Senate's most implacable foe of missile defense, struck the right note: "We cannot be divided at this time on any subject." He said he would try to work out an agreement with the Republicans, but if that failed he would defer any fight. The ranking Republican on the Committee, John Warner, agreed: "We've got to build a bridge on missile defense."

The President's plan for missile defense ought to go forward with all speed. It's a realistic blueprint to develop and deploy a layered defense against ballistic missiles in all three phases of their trajectory--boost, mid-course and terminal--and builds on promising research and already-deployed theater missile technology. If anything, and in Tuesday's wake, it may be too modest. [End Excerpt]

[IonInsights]

Consider this -- if we completely defeat the majority of the rogue states (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, etc.) through sustained campaign and occupation, then is the need for missle defense substantially reduced? I think there is some logic here.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Perhaps...but I know this to be true.....Our lack of stomach for what it takes to defend ourselves is known throughout the world. And that is what caused this.

As James Baker and former President GHW Bush said, it requires things that "poltie people" do not like to talk about.

I think it is time to vote every socialist democrat and RINO out of office.

Conason is a pathetic, bubba butt-lickin' idiot.

[Lazamataz]

Joe Conason, have you no shame, at long last? Have you no shame at all?

Your trying to score partisan political points as the bodies decay in the Manhattan noonday sun, makes me wonder if the world might not have been a little brighter and better, had you been on floor 93, South Tower on Tusday morning.

[Lazamataz]

He's a liar who will say anything to win a political point.

His concern for political points over the bodies strewn, the lives shattered, the buildings ruined.....

..... speaks volumes. He is a very twisted, very evil little man. If he had the misfortune to have been born in Iran, he would have been a member of Hammas, no question in my mind.

[Leisler]

Neither would the Marines, the Army, nor the Navy. So, ergo, get rid of them. D'oh!

[gunnedah]

He speaks of supporting our leaders and then comes out with both barrels.We could use a missle shield because I believe their are those already in this country set to attack and if they do we need to Nuke every country that hides terrorist while we fight them here.We also need to close our borders down and go to ridding this country of the illegals that are already here.This will probably be long and drawn out but if we are to save our America it needs to be done. By the way I saw the Antichrist on the news from NY last night.How did he get back into the country from Australia when the airspace was supposed to be closed?

[Poseidon]

Applying this logic to gun control, one can easily make the argument that this tragedy could not have been prevented through personal disarmament either. Therefore, shouldn't Joey and his ilk abandon their lust for our guns?!?!