are we prepared.......

[Godiva]

..9/11................Anthrax.................

..........Sniper..............9/11.....Antrax.

9/11............Biological....................

 

 

 

I always thought that we Americans were at the top of our game when it comes to protecting our own..That notion was all but shattered when 9/11 happened. but what is really scary is the follow-up events that have happened ie......."Anthrax" and more recently "The Beltway Sniper." The amount of the nations time devoted to these relatively regional antics was mind boggleing. It's as if we are creating our own worse enemy...I thought with all of our intelligence we could out smart these idiots..

 

The Belway Sniper...we gave him a name.......we gave him a personality..........we gave him a car...........we gave him a skin color............we gave him a sex........we even told him who to shoot... Its like "Chauncey Gardner" in "Being There."

 

There was a recent cartoon in the NY Post were it showed the Sniper watching the news, changing his routine based on the news account..

Its like law enforcement turns into a bunch of moronic cunts when they are faced with anything other than a speeding ticket, racial profiling..domestic abuse..corporate theft..etc

 

We saw what 2 guys could do to a society and a country...What do you think would happen if this occured in 10 states at the same time. I don't think we could haddle it...

 

Even after 9/11....Anthrax........Bio..........Sniper.

 

Are we, as a nation, prepared for the next one?

 

I most certainly think not..I think our ego is still toooo big..

 

I keep thinking that some terrorist groups are watching and sayin to themselves.......Those foolish Americans..

 

...............................and that pisses me off..

[+ Lucky]

Very good point, Godiva. Yesterday in the NYT Frank Rich wrote about these things, and the fact that somehow we have to pay for what we want (not that!). No one is asking the American people to cut down on their use of fuel, to chip in more for security, or do anything, except live in fear because we are not protected.

In New York we keep reading about the threats to the subway and the trains. But the cops who were watching the tunnels seem to have moved on....

[+ deej]

The US never *has* been particularly well secured. We've always been wide open to attack. Intentionally. We take pride in our freedom.

 

Geography has always been in our favor. With friendly neighbors to the North and South and oceans to the East and West, we've been geographically protected and developed a mental image of being isolated. But that was a different era, eh?

 

It's going to take a major national mood swing to bring about any sort of permanent change. I thought 9/11 might have been a big enough shock to bring about that mood swing, but if you've been through an airport recently you know that we've reverted. The bitching and whining you'll hear as you line up to have your shoes X-rayed is appalling.

 

We're all for security, as long as it doesn't affect *us*, and that's the attitude that needs to change. It won't happen over night.

[CT Dick]

Shortly after 9/11 I was talking to my weird neighbor. His biggest concern about the attack is that it will consume our attention so that we aren't prepared in case we have visitors from outer space.

 

He was serious. :o

 

THAT was the last time I talked to him.

 

Dick

[Guest fukamarine]

>I keep thinking that some terrorist groups are watching and

>sayin to themselves.......Those foolish Americans..

 

I think they might just use a different word than "foolish".

 

fukamarine

[Rick Munroe]

What do you think about Gore Vidal's claim that Bush deliberately allowed the attacks to happen?

 

http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,819931,00.html

[KY_TOP]

Are we prepared? NO!

 

This is a very timely subject for me due to my profession and the Conference I just returned from. The main reason we are not prepared is due to the Freedoms and protections of those freedoms built into our laws. Many people do not realize that pre-911 the CIA could not legally spy on US citizens in the US and are VERY restricted on US soil. Some feel the CIA can go anywere and kill anyone they please. Well, as arrogant as we are sometimes we do occasionally respect the sovereighty of some nations, especially certain allies.

 

We severely cut our spy agency budgets, pre-911, then wonder why they did not know everything about everybody throughout the World. Under Clinton, the CIA knew were Osama bin Laden and many al-Qaeda members were very often, but assassination or air strikes pre-911 were not considered options. And today we still debate (argue) amongst ourselves about attacking other known terrorist. I am sure WHEN some of them strike (some have already by financing previous attacks) we will want to blame someone when today we criticize those same people for OPENLY wanting to take some of these people out.

 

I just sat through things other countries are doing (Israel was the main example used) and if we tried some of the things other countries are doing the out cry in this country would be huge.

 

There is alot of debate, much behind the scenes, by agencies and yes politicans about were do we draw the line between security, privacy, and Freedom. We as Americans also tend to have short memories and then tend not to support certain actions over the long haul. Airport security is the perfect example, at first we were all patient to the waits and inconveniences, as time from 911 has lengthened we now get pissed off if we are asked to remove our shoes. But yet we'd be blaming those same security people if a bomb blows up a plane.

 

I have just sat through slides, video, and powerpoint presentations of the effects of terrorism in places outside the US. Even with the limitatioms of freedom these countries have in the name of security it is unbelievable what is still happening. Can you imagine going thru a check point and search everytime you go to the grocery... How about 3-4 check points and searches each trip? No we can't but many outside our country do each day. You can only see so many slides showing the effect of a bomb blast on the human body until you really wonder if we can truly ever be secure. (It is unbeleivable how a bomb strapped to the torso of a body almost always completely severes the head, completely intact, from the body while the rest of the body becomes a mass of blood and flesh.)

 

The real question we as Americans must ask is not if we are prepared?... or even secure.But the real question is were do we draw the lines between the freedoms and privacy we all hold so dear and Security and Preparedness? I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWER!

[+ imagooddog]

I have never been a George W. Bush fan and did not vote for him in the last presidential election. I believe that he has proven to be so beholding to the business and money powers that helped him get elected that he ignores other issues that affect the people, our economy and environment. And the people he has surrounded himself with for the most part are just as bad. I cannot stand Ashcroft!

November 4th will the election of a new Governor here in Florida, with

Jeb Bush (currently in office) vs. McBride. Although Jeb has not been a particularly bad governor, I know of a lot of people who are going to vote against him as a protest vote against what his brother is doing as president.

[Guest elwood]

This is a BRUTAL world and we are into it up to our necks.Our security and "freedoms" are are purchased at great cost.We are naive to think that we should be loved by the world.We consume VAST resources and we have dealt death to many thousands to preseve and protect our consumer society.What is happening in Israel and in Russia could indeed happpen here ( as we saw in 9/11).It seems so easy to divide the world into good and evil camps.Yes, geography has somewhat protected us..but that protection is fading.Our own technology is closing in. If we think we can have nuclear weapons and no one else can we are very much mistaken.We must find another way..but niether can we take a "Polyanna" approach.I take some pride in living in a country which produced Jimmy Carter.Maybe his approach will prove more realistic (if we ever dare try it) than the tired platitudes and hypocrisy of Bush/Cheney etc. etc. etc. etc.We are now caught in a web of contradictions which can have no long term positive outcome.We must come to a reaalisation that we do NOT own this world and we must deal with and treat others ralistically and not out of some '50's daydream.

There is indeed a lot of "evil" out there and much more of it is coming our way.There is so much altruism,intelligence,compassion,courage in the USA that we must have the ability to see those same traits in others.And there is also selfishness,cruelty,arrogance,greed.We are no better or worse than others.Lets view each other honestly because America cannot stand alone against the world.That is a dead end.

[Guest fukamarine]

>Many people do not

>realize that pre-911 the CIA could not legally spy on US

>citizens in the US

 

Hell - I'll bet that little obsticle never stopped them!

 

fukamarine

[Guest flibbits]

We do both consume AND create vast resources.

 

We provide more aid to foreign nations than any other nation in the world.

 

We're the 3rd biggest consumer of middle eastern oil...not the first.

 

People like Bin Laden hate us because we oppose the type of instability that allows people like him to dominate a region.

 

Yes, we do things in our best interests. We work hard, America reaps its hard work. If people in other countries, particularly their leaders, would work to build something of their own rather than to tear down what others have, we wouldn't have enemies.

 

Stop blaming the victim. Stop blaming the champion for the evils of Al Qaeda, Hussein and people like the snipers. BLAME THEM!

[Godiva]

So I guess the Office of Homeland Security is waiting for someone to run into Grand Central Station, Penn Station or the Mall Of America (during the holidays) and blow themselves up..Do you think that would get the flame going again?

[KY_TOP]

>So I guess the Office of Homeland Security is waiting for

>someone to run into Grand Central Station, Penn Station or

>the Mall Of America (during the holidays) and blow

>themselves up..Do you think that would get the flame going

>again?

 

Unfortunately that is exactly what the security planners and emergency responders expect to happen and are having a Hell of a time on trying to figure out how to head it off. They honestly expect that type of terrorism more than a repeat of WTC.

 

If they take the same number of terrorist that were in the WTC attack, strap a bomb to each and sent them across this country to sights like you mentioned above... you cannot start to imagine the carnage and pure panic that will over take this country.

[+ bigjoey]

i agree with KY_TOP, the trade off between our freedoms and what the terrorists can do next is a difficult one. some of the restrictions are imposed by the institutions themselves because of the fear of not being politicially correct rather than by law; for example, the FBI will not go undercover in a mosque (they will observe from the outside only). this is stupid beyond belief. the whole profiling thing is crazy; the terrorists have all be young men (and one woman) of islamic belief and mideastern background so why give an intensive search of an 80 year old lady at the airport and let someone who fits the profile walk through? we need to use our assets in the most effective way.

 

while the CIA can not do domestic "spying" they should coordinate with the FBI that can do the domestic work. the fact that the congress has let special interests come ahead of national security and we have no HOMELAND SECURITY BILL is criminal. unfortunately, it will take more attacks for the public to demand more of the government and an adjustment in the freedom/terrorist balance. we ARE at war and in times of war that balance has always shifted; the trick is that the shift is temporary with the public mood.

 

i have traveled in many countries over the years and have seen the daily restrictions people have had to accept. during the washington sniper attacks, someone said we are becoming israelis; after another terror attack or two my fear is that this may be true.

[Godiva]

Officials were wondering today how a boat load of Hatians could get so close to the US coastline without being detected...Someone asked what if it were a boat load of Osamas friends??

 

Kinda scary..

[KY_TOP]

>Kinda scary..

 

Very Scary... I think it answers your original question.