September 11, 2003 - are we a safer country?
Nope.
External evidence
* Osama Bin Ladin is still at large. Afghanistan is the "forgotten war" now, why? The shell game, shift the focus to another subject close at hand....
* Iraq is now a bigger magnet for terrorists than any one other country, and certainly more than before the war.
* VP Dick Cheney himself said that Iraq was not thought to be connected to the twin towers incident immed after.
* More US Soldiers have been killed since the "end of the conflict" than during the "conflict".
* Now more than ever America is percieved by the Muslem youth of the Middle East and the world as the bully that beats their people and their culture up. It does not matter that this is not true. What matters is that this is the perception. Things have been handled so badly in "post war" Iraq that this perception is stronger now more than ever. This youth are the terrorists of the next decade. We have not limited terrorism. We have initiated a whole new generation.
* North Korea has been running rampant for the last two years. The world is unsafe if they are exporting nuclear arms.
* The present administration refuses to treat with N. Korea. Why? Insiders know that it's simply because the previous admixture DID treat with them.
* Anecdotal evidence: Seems nothing has been done (except to hide their identities in Congressional reports paid for by tax payer dollars) regarding the support of certain Middle Eastern Countries who are known to financially support terrorism targeted at the US.
* The Palestinian issue is if anything worse, not better, with the heavies both having their way: Sharon and Arafat.
* Regardless if whether you support it or not the Homeland Security department is massively underfunded and toothless.
And what have we got in return?
* Try flying recently. Or better yet ask a frequent flyer what happens if you decide to save money and book one way tickets on different airlines....
* Children shipping themselves unnoticed cross country via those vaunted safe airlines.
* The "Patriot" act. Now there is a hidden oxymoron if there ever was one. No American Patriot would support the wholesale evisceration of their civil rights.
* Massive budget deficits which have conservatives and liberals alike shaking their head in wonder.
* With more requests to come from the present administration even Republican Senators are wondering...
Are we safer than we were on September 10th 2001.
Nope.
Living in America means open borders. Freedom to say what you think. Freedom to just LIVE. It also means that there will always be the possibility that some crazy fundamentalist will acquire a gun, bomb or worse and use it against civilians.
I cannot justify, rationalize nor frankly even explain how the last two years have made this a better place. Eroded civil rights. Massive unemployment. Unilateral wars declared without the support of the Global community.
This is the "trade" we have had to make for a "safer" America? You know what? I want my money back.
Nope.
External evidence
* Osama Bin Ladin is still at large. Afghanistan is the "forgotten war" now, why? The shell game, shift the focus to another subject close at hand....
* Iraq is now a bigger magnet for terrorists than any one other country, and certainly more than before the war.
* VP Dick Cheney himself said that Iraq was not thought to be connected to the twin towers incident immed after.
* More US Soldiers have been killed since the "end of the conflict" than during the "conflict".
* Now more than ever America is percieved by the Muslem youth of the Middle East and the world as the bully that beats their people and their culture up. It does not matter that this is not true. What matters is that this is the perception. Things have been handled so badly in "post war" Iraq that this perception is stronger now more than ever. This youth are the terrorists of the next decade. We have not limited terrorism. We have initiated a whole new generation.
* North Korea has been running rampant for the last two years. The world is unsafe if they are exporting nuclear arms.
* The present administration refuses to treat with N. Korea. Why? Insiders know that it's simply because the previous admixture DID treat with them.
* Anecdotal evidence: Seems nothing has been done (except to hide their identities in Congressional reports paid for by tax payer dollars) regarding the support of certain Middle Eastern Countries who are known to financially support terrorism targeted at the US.
* The Palestinian issue is if anything worse, not better, with the heavies both having their way: Sharon and Arafat.
* Regardless if whether you support it or not the Homeland Security department is massively underfunded and toothless.
And what have we got in return?
* Try flying recently. Or better yet ask a frequent flyer what happens if you decide to save money and book one way tickets on different airlines....
* Children shipping themselves unnoticed cross country via those vaunted safe airlines.
* The "Patriot" act. Now there is a hidden oxymoron if there ever was one. No American Patriot would support the wholesale evisceration of their civil rights.
* Massive budget deficits which have conservatives and liberals alike shaking their head in wonder.
* With more requests to come from the present administration even Republican Senators are wondering...
Are we safer than we were on September 10th 2001.
Nope.
Living in America means open borders. Freedom to say what you think. Freedom to just LIVE. It also means that there will always be the possibility that some crazy fundamentalist will acquire a gun, bomb or worse and use it against civilians.
I cannot justify, rationalize nor frankly even explain how the last two years have made this a better place. Eroded civil rights. Massive unemployment. Unilateral wars declared without the support of the Global community.
This is the "trade" we have had to make for a "safer" America? You know what? I want my money back.
Comments