Posted on 07/04/2003 10:14:58 PM PDT by Commie Basher
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NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
World Wide Web: http://www.LP.org
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For release: July 4, 2003
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For additional information:
George Getz, Communications Director
Phone: (202) 333-0008
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Color-coded terror alert system is useless and should be scrapped, Libertarians say.
WASHINGTON, DC -- The national color-coded terror alert system should be scrapped, Libertarians say, because it only alarms the public with warnings that are too vague to be useful.
"Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge risks becoming like the boy who cried wolf with his frequent, unsubstantiated orange alerts," said George Getz, Libertarian Party communications director. "Soon the public might start ignoring him -- and that could be a real disaster."
As the Fourth of July weekend approached, Department of Homeland Security officials declined to say whether they planned to raise the terror alert level from yellow to orange, the second-highest category. Since the system was instituted last fall, the threat has been raised to orange four times, and no attacks have taken place -- raising questions about the reliability of the underlying intelligence data.
One example: In February, Americans stockpiled food and water and rushed out to buy duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal their homes after the government warned about the risk of a chemical or biological attack.
At the time, Ridge claimed the intelligence reports were based on "multiple sources, obviously credible and corroborated." But days later he quietly canceled the alert after being forced to admit that the reports were "not as accurate as we thought."
An unreliable terror alert system may be worse than none at all -- which is why the program should be dismantled, Libertarians say.
"Telling a nation still reeling from the September 11 terrorist attacks to be on alert for another horrific attack -- without telling them when, where, or how it might occur -- is nothing more than scaremongering," Getz said. "In fact, every orange alert that is issued based on flimsy evidence actually endangers the nation by making Americans more likely to ignore future warnings."
The federal system also forces local police departments to squander tax money on unnecessary security precautions, he added.
"The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that cities spent $2.6 billion on additional security costs since the September 11 attacks, much of it related to 'code orange' overtime costs for police and other emergency personnel," Getz said. "These warnings actually made America less safe, because every dollar spent on imaginary threats is a dollar that can't be spent arresting an actual murderer, robber or rapist."
The solution is to replace the gimmicky color-coded system with one based on law enforcement needs rather than political posturing, he said.
"If the federal government obtains a specific, credible threat, it should share it immediately with local law enforcement officials and let them take the appropriate steps to warn and protect the public," he said. "But in the absence of solid information, it should cut the political chatter and refrain from alarming 280 million Americans with a vague, generalized terror alert."
Libertarians believe that preventing another terrorist attack is one of the most important functions of the federal government -- and that's why Americans should insist that it's done right, he said.
"This Fourth of July, let's declare our independence from unnecessary fear by pulling the plug on this counterproductive terror-alert system," he said.
I believe that people are capable of governing more of their own lives than the government now allows. If the government can stop playing safety police and fat police, there will be more resources for catching domestic murderers and foreign terrorists.
Ah, a cadre of biological warfare soldiers! How utterly diabolical! "Watch out! They're spitting!" ;-)
The lp could get a chewing tobacco company to sponsor their national defense posters!
I don't believe it would, since I'm not a "totally open borders" kind of guy. I would like to cut out some fat from other areas to shore up law enforcement. Why should we tell the bad guys we know something's up? What good is the DEFCON rating? If something's up why broadcast it?
And anti-gay FReepers don't?
No idea. I try to stay away from those flamewars, and this is coming from someone who usually enjoys a good argument. :-) I just remember some of your more memorable exchanges with him. So why the FR hiatus?
Oh, I forgot, you "care" about gays, so you want to lock them up. My bad.
"Telling a nation still reeling from the September 11 terrorist attacks to be on alert for another horrific attack -- without telling them when, where, or how it might occur -- is nothing more than scaremongering."
Weren't these the same guys who complained about the Bush administration failing to warn us and prepare itself for the possibility of a 9/11 happening?
Darn, I'm starting to think like an lp'er now. I think.
Well so far, I've figured out that the lp's method of defending us would be to:
1) Open all of our borders up.
2) Remove all restrictions on immigration and trade.
3) Create a nationwide recession when 90% of the population looses their jobs to (legal) immigrants willing to work for $2.00 an hour.
4) Blame the previous administration.
5) Put up posters (in 30 different languages).
How brilliant!
Well, let's presume for a moment, and I don't mean to piss on your bashing party here but work with me for just a moment, let's presume a Libertarian was elected to high office, the difference between the border would be what? Your two party (really one party) cartel has been in charge, and the border's are wide open, and there is no Immigration control. So 'splain to me the difference. Blackbird.
"Libertarians believe that preventing another terrorist attack is one of the most important functions of the federal government -- and that's why Americans should insist that it's done right, he said."
Now we've heard all the complaints in the world about this administration but still no answer on how the lp would go about performing this "most important function of the federal government".
Piss on a bashing party? Hell, you didn't much succeed in doing much then tinkling on your own feet.
"Libertarians believe that preventing another terrorist attack is one of the most important functions of the federal government -- and that's why Americans should insist that it's done right, he said."
From the responses it would that the lp's idea of getting this "most important function(s) of the federal government" done "right" would be to blame the Republicans and Democrats. The one decenting lp opinion was to revert to WWII style posters, which while being imaginative, would be about as effective as just blaming everyone else.
So it would appear that collectively, no one has a clue how the lp would accomplish this "most important function(s) of the federal government" because beyond complaining, the lp hasn't got a clue either. Symbolism over substance.
Good night.
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