Sac, the “islamic monsters” are here and there are more of them coming, legally. They don’t need to sneak in across the border and in fact I suspect most don’t have the toughness or competence needed to do so.
As you point out, the only way to defeat terrorism is to put resources into, well, defeating terrorism. Border fences and restricting recreational boating and all that sort of things may or may not be desirable according to some people, but they’re not going to fight terrorism. In fact, I would expect them to divert resources from the kind of unglamourous law enforcement and intelligence work that’s been successful in combatting terrorists.
Most of the people involved in the Fort Dix plot were legal residents. Two of the illegals had been arrested numerous times. This indicates that, instead of building a fence, we should simply change our policy so that we do check the immigration status of people who are arrested and throw them out. That might have foiled this plot then and there. The fence wouldn’t have done a thing.
Unfortunately there are plenty of legal residents of our nation who have decided their Islamic identity is more important than their identity as Americans. Consider John Walker Lindt; he was not an illegal alien but he fought against us in the Afghan war. He surely could have participated in attacks within the US. The border fence does nothing to people like him.
So again, I’m all for more law enforcement resources being placed against terrorism. I’m all for more intelligence resources being placed against terrorism. I am against measures such as the border fence and this attack on recreational boating because I think they nibble at - literally - the periphery of the issue, while we need people to stab straight to the heart of it.
Rides The Miles, it’s interesting that you point this out. As you would know if you read my other posts, I am one of the very few Freepers who thinks illegal aliens are largely benign. I think the overwhelming majority of illegal aliens are harmless and just want to work. As a result, the border fence strikes me as a huge waste of time and resources.
I did think when I was writing my response to this question that my opposition to such measures pretty much followed from it. In this recreational boating proposal, we are talking about huge reductions in freedom for potential gains that are in my view entirely illusory. In the fence proposal, we are talking about spending billions of dollars on a measure that will only reduce terrorism in the most indirect possible way.
I know this response was against what many of you believe, but I hope it made you think, and was of interest because of that.
D
(Ok, so it is for us peons, but)...
Our ‘Betters’ are eagerly looking forward to the next major attack.
On both side of the aisles.
The demoncrats want pictures of bloody mangled babies they can wave at the cameras while blaiming Bush and repubicans for not doing everything that they, themselves, blocked at every turn from happening.
They hope to leverage it into votes and power, power they can lord over the serfs at every turn.
The repubicans are eagerly anticipating that the dumbocrats will grossly overplay their hand (they will), and repubicans will ride to glorious victory on the backlash. Thereby giving them power they can lord over the serfs at every turn.
So what if a bunch of rabble dies? The skulls of infants and patriots make great stepping stones to power.