Posted on 07/23/2002 8:06:27 PM PDT by Texasforever
We are a little more than a month away from the 1st anniversary of 911 and I am sure that the media is gearing up for a deluge of heart rending retrospectives and for a few hours Americans will turn from the stock market and remember that long ago event with not a dry eye to be found. I say “long ago” because on American time, a year is ancient history. We vaguely remember that we fought a 3-month campaign in Afghanistan that may have killed Bin Laden but even that is unknown at the moment. We vaguely remember the anthrax mailings and the President’s speech in which he declared war on terrorism and that the war would be long and for the most part not a television event. We will vaguely remember the flood of patriotic feelings and calls for citizen participation in a war to save our civilization against an enemy that wanted to kill us and did so by the thousands.
In the weeks and months following 911, the American people were shocked into an awareness of danger that can only be described as a nerve laid bare. We accepted the fact that air travel was going to be more inconvenient and that the need for added security measures in all areas would need to be tightened up. As 911 receded and the TV action in Afghanistan gradually withdrew to be replaced by the Enron collapse and the mundane day to day events that were so common pre 911, a sense of comfort started to seep back into our lives. It has been almost a year since the last attack and we are beginning to wonder if all of this inconvenience is required. Many people from the entire political spectrum are also now asking if the government and especially this administration are using a year old event to expand government intrusion into the lives of average citizens. To make their point they cite every step the government takes to strengthen security as either unworkable, an over reaction or a sinister plot. You would be hard pressed to point to one government action that has been taken that has been viewed as positive from the media and pundits.
The administration is pilloried for issuing too many warnings, not enough warnings and the non-specificity of any of the warnings. All new laws passed are immediately interpreted as a threat, not to terrorists that may be in our midst, but to the citizens of this country. Volunteer efforts are not exempt from this onslaught with the “TIPS” program a prime example of equating a telephone tip line to the East German Stasi. The big news now is how to protect the constitutional rights of terrorist suspects. What this tells me is that many people are ready to “declare victory” and get back to our comfortable pre-911 lives. That certainly would calm the nerves of many that fear the government more than the terrorists that seem to have given up and gone home. It could be that President Bush was wrong and the war was actually only 3 months long and that any further action will be far away from our shores as we have come to expect.
I would truly hate to be in the shoes of this or any other president given public’s loss of urgency in the War on Terror. If he actually believes, based on all information given to him that there remains a serious threat to the country and he does not take the steps he and his advisors deem necessary and an attack succeeds, he is through as president and with him his party and depending on the nature of the attack maybe the country. If he does take the steps required he is in the situation he faces today, a public that has decided that an attack unmade is a threat not real and it is time to go back to our comfortable slumber unencumbered by needless and “dangerous” laws and government intrusion and inconvenience. There is validity in fearing expansion of government and the attendant powers it assumes. That is always a threat from any government ever conceived by man. That fear is sometimes tempered by an external threat dire enough to balance the fear of our own government against the fear of the external threat such as terrorism. I sense that the external threat is no longer perceived as strong enough in the War on Terror to keep the perception of being at war. Without television coverage of bombs dropping and anti-aircraft fire in ghostly green streamers and Pentagon press conferences war is not a state many feel the country is in.
One thing we have learned is that no “war”, without public support and cohesiveness of purpose, can be won and certainly not a war that is without a defined battleground and an easily identifiable enemy that is what we are used to and that image is ingrained in our national psyche. For a short 5 months there was a battleground, it was in downtown Manhattan and in our nation’s capitol. It was on an airplane that was headed for the White House and brought down by ordinary citizens fighting an identifiable enemy. It was in Afghanistan complete with Pentagon Briefings and eerie green battle scenes. That was war. But that was long ago and far away. The new War, in the minds of many, is now called, “The War on Our Civil Liberties” and is now being fought on the familiar battleground of politics and agendas. It is a war against the possible abuses of a government that many people are far more afraid of than an enemy that appears to have given up. They may be right. I pray they are.
It's really the stupid PC insistence to not profile. There have been several reports of old ladies and men being 'random' searched, AL Gore was searched, etc.
It's more than urban legend, and as An Coulter said
“One hundred percent of the successful terrorist attacks on commercial airlines for 20 years have been committed by Arabs. When there is a 100 percent chance, it ceases to be a profile. It's called a 'description of the suspect.'”
In case it has escaped your aqttention, the USA, England, and many other countries ( the number 60, has been used for how many countries al Qaeda factions / sleeper cells are in )are our " enemies then. Shall we bomb ourselves
How many friends and / or family, did YOU lose on 9/11 ? Many FREEPERS lost loved ones, you know; so don't talk so damned cavilerly about innocents losing their lives ! You go and fight " your " way. Let the president and the military figure this one out, dear. You haven't the qualifications, nor the brains for it.
You don't have the vaugest idea how the USA is fighting this war on terror. What we aren't doing, is fighting it as though it were WW I, WW II, Korea, Nam, nor the Gulf War. Neither has it been the catastrophe of Somalia, Bosnia, ofr a " Wag the Dog " scenario.
It's not a laughing matter. IT's WAR! GET A CLUE!
In case it has escaped your aqttention, the USA, England, and many other countries ( the number 60, has been used for how many countries al Qaeda factions / sleeper cells are in )are our " enemies then. Shall we bomb ourselves
Do they or we knowingly have caves and roads for them to run their operations from? Did they let them hide there?
How many friends and / or family, did YOU lose on 9/11 ? Many FREEPERS lost loved ones, you know; so don't talk so damned cavilerly about innocents losing their lives ! You go and fight " your " way. Let the president and the military figure this one out, dear. You haven't the qualifications, nor the brains for it.
Make no mistake the ones who blew up the WTC and Pentagon know and understand what I just posted. BTW read the Bible to see how wars are fought. I was a trained sailor and a trained soldier so don't go there. I served 4 years on board one of the most powerfull weapons known to mankind. I was later a reservist soldier that was trained to do things that would not make you sleep well at night. I've forgotten more about warfare than you could ever begin to imagine. The rest of it pays me visits in my sleep even after 22 years and I was a peace time Vet.
You don't have the vaugest idea how the USA is fighting this war on terror. What we aren't doing, is fighting it as though it were WW I, WW II, Korea, Nam, nor the Gulf War. Neither has it been the catastrophe of Somalia, Bosnia, ofr a " Wag the Dog " scenario.
It isn't over yet. Used to be a non recongnized person could not approach a United States Naval vessel without a threat of deadly force. You see the sailors were taught to be diplomats or ambasadors of good will, A side show for the state department. Sailors lives were lost because MANY long established protocols were abandoned. There is only one way to fight a war. You identify the enemy. Which we have done. And then you go where they are and destroy them at all cost. We stopped using this manner to fight our enemies after WW2 which was about the time our institutes of higher learning started getting Marxist professors as well. Look on my profile and click on Origins of Political Correctness in my Book Marks a good read on just what that means. BTW written by Bill Lind who will be a speaker in Las Vegas at the FR convention.
Biblical type warfare hasn't been used, by Western nations, for centuries. You know who uses it ? al Qaeda, and that ilk. You could also have used what Rome did to Carthage. Why did you confine yourself to the Old Testement ?
It matters little, that you were a sailor and a soldier ( you were both ? ) a long time ago. You aren't acative now, weren't running things back then, and, since you haven't boasted about it, weren't trained , for warfare / leadership by any military collge. You're nothing but an " armchair general " and a little tinpot " expert " , with a Napolean complex.
YOU GET A CLUE AND TAKE A READING COMPREHENSION COURSE !
No, dear, we and England and germany and the Phillipines and France and Spain and oh so many other countries didn't " invite " the terrorists in, the terrorists didn't / don't live in caves in these countries ( except, perhaps in the Phillipines ); however, they were " harbored " and even funded , in part, by people in ALL of these nations. That's giving aid and comfort to the enemy and that YOU don't undrestand , even this, and call for destruction of all such nations, it is YOU who need a great deal more than just one " clue ".
If your posts are any indication of your knowledge and abilities, then it is patently obvious, that you couldn't fight your way, sucessfully, out of a wet paper bag ! Huffing and puffing and screaming for the massacer of ALL men. women, and children, the utter destruction of every nation, where the terrorists wre / are ( which, BTW, includes the USA, dear ! ) is lunacy.
Unlike you, I don't make protestations about what an expert I am, re military conflict. Do I want the enemy laid low ? You bet I do ! I loathe PC garbage and need no one to " explain " it to me. People I knew, died in the 9/11 attacks. I want blood, far MORE than you do. Unlike you, I trust this president, the military ( this isn't McNamarra and the idiots running Nam ! )and those in the field, far more than you, who imagines that all we need to do is have the military walk around, blowing trumpets, and then kill everyone in sight / make slaves ( yes, the ancient Hebrews made slaves of some of those , whom they captured in war ; learn some fact=ual history, dear ) of some of the women and children, afterwards.
Instead of a " clue", dear , get a grip ! LOL
Based on an unfounded belief system of fears that we will allow another Clinton or Gore steal another election and abuse their powers, again.
great article.
So.....you're praying, people are afraid of the government? Or you're praying the enemy has given up?
Or both?
First of all knock off the dear crap. How many active duty years did you do No Pardons? What do you know about NBC warfare no I'm not talking about the braodcasting network either. Yes I was both a sailor and a soldier. I saw death on the ship. Carriers go to sea people die even in peace time. You sound like a the ones who greeted our vets home by calling them names rather than thanking them. BTW are you so niave as to think women and children didn't die in the World Wars by our weapons? They in fact did and likely many many more than Nam, Korea, the Gulf War combined. You are very ignorant on what war is, how it is fought, and what it takes to do the job. I know men Soldiers to be exact who had to do that very thing to save the lives of their fellow troops. One was in the Guatamala raids {sp} to be exact. Others carry unneed guilt from places like Nam where Professor Spock was spewing his PC vile on the inhumane actions of soldiers.
Your knowledge on wars and how they are fough is limited indeed. It reaks of Political Correctness and is part of the problem not a long term solution.
We know the Middle East nations supporting terrorism and yet we do business with them. Good grief Saddam himself is paying rewards for terrorist acts. Thank you GHW Bush for your lack of guts to finish the job. And lets look at this statement you made
Biblical type warfare hasn't been used, by Western nations, for centuries. You know who uses it ? al Qaeda, and that ilk. You could also have used what Rome did to Carthage. Why did you confine yourself to the Old Testement?
It has been used up into the middle part of the 1900's and IT WAS US WHO DID IT REMEMBER?????? There was a bomb called Little BOY we dropped on Japan not once but twice??? Did it ask male or female or how old are you before it unleashed it's power? As for the Old Testament? It's words are still valid as they were. The difference is salvation through Grace rather than Law. Laws we could not fullfill. So does this mean we can toss the 10 Commandments as well?
I mentioned my service because you questioned my crendentials to discuss war and military matters. If you knew much about military matters especially Naval ones you would have seen my FR name is derived from that.
I take war very serious. I think if we ask a our troops to possibly lay down their lives we not tie their hands with PC stupidity as the have been for over 50 years with disasterous results from it. If the matter is serious enough to go to war over then declare that intention in Congress and be quick about it. Our responsibility is not to the other nations but to our own. Had we done the Gulf War correctly we would now have a sea and air base in the Gulf without having to make pathetic groveling deals with thug nations. Yea that's right IMO Iraq should be occupied U.S. Territory. Do we or do we not still have bases in Japan,Italy, & Germany? To our foolishness we gave up the PI's and China is moving in to fill the void there as well. No you are living in some dulision that wars must be nice and fought by some rules written BTW by those who would cheer and celibrate our fall.
I'm proud anti UN and I think Private New deserves the Medal of Honor. I think the U.N. should be given 30 days to vacate our soil. I see no good ever coming from it past the date of May 14, 1948 if that means anything to you. After that date its usefullness was over. That was it's last significant act which will alter the course of this world forever. An event foretold around 2600 years ago.
The best way to avoid any war or any attack is to make you vengance swift and complete. Don't act in haste but act will full intention of victory. Right now in Afganastan we still are not safe. The Bombs dropped in December should have been the ones dropped 9/12/2001. By the time we asked, announced, plead. and begged the U.N.., Middle east Arabic states, and everyone else he likely may have escaped. This is a man like Saddam bent on getting WMD capabilities. I say don't let them get a chance. Each day they breath or remain in power puts us one day closer to an attack of which likely will make 9/11 small in comparassion. Sorry but U.N. sanctioned PC warfare is the farest thing on my mind at this point.
agreed
This so-called war on terror lost its momentum and credibility when its leader went weak and did not permit the arrest and conviction of Arafat. That demonstrated to the world that Bush is just playing games and this war is really about something else, like say the NWO and destroying America.
The leader of this unconstitutional war lost credibility by not closing the borders to the hoards of illegal aliens, along with potential terrorists, flooding into the USA.
How can the government and its minions demand patriotism and vigilance from the citizens when they don't care themselves?
Nice writing...you nailed the problem right here. Immediately after 911, and then the Anthrax scares, people would've accepted (indeed expected) some real quick action...close the borders...remove illegals...close shop to check industries, transportation, set up emergency procedures.
Whoever ordered the planes grounded could've well have saved us from total chaos. The stock market being closed for a week didn't do the damage that the erosion by events since then. The "spend, spend, spend" mentality is going to have a lot of people paying off debt now.
Dramatic events require dramatic action. What we've seen is a lot of incremental stuff with people just vying for political advantage. And other events overtaking the terrorist threat. It isn't good.
Well said.
Any country that hosts a terrorists group that strikes America must know that we will consider it as if the government itself struck- unless they hand over the terrorists pronto.
As for your barbary pirates analogy, I did not know that the government was suspending civil liberties and imposing growing police state powers on Americans in response to that crisis!
I must have missed the constitutional REQUIREMENT for congress to exercise its POWER to declare war before a state of war exists. Could you point it out to me? Thanks.
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