This is a departure from my usual lighthearted and under read fare, but I think it needs to be said. As the day has approached, there have been tributes and incantations and commentary on this day and its meaning, but looking back to 2001, what have we really learned? Did we take the lesson to heart or did we just react instinctivly and fled down a blind alley?
I watched Keith Olberman’s commentary the other night, and while he had brough up some points that need to be addressed, he was just as bad as those on the right in areas of his speech. Yes, the attacks happened on Bush’s watch, but the plan apparently was years in the making, with key parts of it taking place on American soil. There is more than enough blame to stain Clinton’s gutting of the CIA as well as GW’s complete lack of inital effort on national security.
I am constantly offended that this is such a political issue. Niether side wants the nation to be any less than safe, but neither side will admit to the one fundamental truth: it starts out there, not here. I honestly believe that the TSA has been responsible for stopping zero actual threats to the airline system. What we’ve done is basically allowed the airlines to prevent you from carrying anything on board that might be able to be sold to you at your destination. Random checks and searches are unwarranted, allowed simply to avoid the specter of “racial profiling”. If we’re concentrating on stopping the terrorist at the checkout gate, we’re too late. And demonstrations have shown that the TSA’s efforts have been largely as effective as the damage control teams aboard the RMS Titanic.
I am offended that we are geared to live in a state of fear. Being old enough to remember it, I’d had that with the Cold War. The nineties were nice because we, frankly, weren’t 30 minutes from being a smoking cinder. But as horrible as the attacks were, I don’t believe we need to live in the same fear today. We have the means to protect ourselves. Al Quaeda or whatever does not have the capability to eliminate every city in America in half an hour, yet we’re still being geared to see “death at any time”. A well-motivated person can accomplish the suicide mission of killing people, only our over-reactive response can kill our ideals.
I am offended by the war in Iraq. I understand rolling into Afghanistan, that’s where all signs pointed to the origin of the plans. I raised a glass to the occupation of Kandahar. But when I heard about the move to get Saddam Hussein I was confused. We already had our bite at this apple, back in ’91, and we had our chain jerked by Saudi Arabia. I resent that. Either he’s a threat or not, and they made it clear that once he was out of Kuwait, he’s not a threat. Fine, let them deal with him. Then came the “WMDs”. I found it hard to believe that a country like Iraq, under constant aerial surveiliance, under one of the tightest blockades ever, could hide the construction of these weapons for ten years. TEN. YEARS. We were sold the line that Clinton didn’t care, but frankly, Bill was on the trigger quite a bit, more than one would expect from the man who cut the DoD by 20%. This smelled like crap, and it was no suprise to me that it was crap.
I am offended by the complete derailing of domestic policy. Our national debt is insane. Our balance of trade is in the toilet. Our wealth gap is increasing. We cannot control immigration into this country. Our educational system is being given short shrift. Our land of laws is increasingly becoming a land of apathy. Americans no longer by U.S. products, even when they are just as good as foriegn products, and CEOs of these corperations are no longer interested in maintaining jobs here in America. What good is it to cut $5 million in payroll Mr. Head-of-GM, when you turn around and give yourself a $15 million bonus? All those jobs could have been saved for three years at that rate, even if they stood around and did nothing. But the unions have to be held accountable too for the looting of corperate America, holding on to outrageous demands that have allowed documented cases of completly incompetant or indifferent people being kept in positions simply due to the fact they are Union (and give generously). If you’ve got a union job, you should still do it to the best of your ability, and the company should be able to get rid of you if you do nothing but suck up water from the cooler. Corperate America needs to start thinking about America, and thinking long term again. With our dollar disparity, if they don’t, how long will it be until there is the Toyota-owned GM? We’ve already lost control of all our beer.
I am offended at the left, for their lack of change. For all his speeches, Obama is from Illinois, home of Machine Politics. When a program needs to end, end it. We have programs all over this country sucking up dollars because the politicians in charge of them use these programs as power. Find. Another. Program.
I am offended at the way America handles “corperate welfare”. I agreed with the immediate bailout of the airline industry, they didn’t deserve what happened to them. But this latest sub-prime morgage fiasco? Rather than give billions to these companies who were trying to bilk the people out of their money, how about giving those billions to the people themselves? Yes, the story goes “then they won’t value their homes and they’ll think that next time they get into trouble the government will bail them out of their mortgage”. Oh, like the industry won’t? At least if you give the money to the borrowers, the companies still get the money and PEOPLE GET TO HAVE HOUSES. If you do it the other way, the companies get the money and people are on the street. After the bail outs of the 80′s and the “turnaround” of oil companies, we should insist that these companies are treated just like us: bailout money has to be repaid. Zero interest is fine, a long term is fine, but it’s no longer free money. ExxonMobil could have paid every last dime it was given by the Government in the 80s with the profit of 1 quarter in 2007, and still had enough to pick up ARCO’s (now lost to BP) tab.
I am finally offended at the lack of civil discourse between the left and right. Snarky comments should be reserved for Jay Leno or David Letterman. The huge paintbrushes used to tar and smear “all Republicans” or “all Democrats” are inane. “McBush” and “Obama Bin Laden” comments are more than inaccurate, they are disrespectful. I am tired of watching editorial pages and seeing page after page of letters that are full of vile, vindictive crap. If you can’t respect the other side, even if you don’t respect their view, don’t even expect me to listen to you.
In the wake of 9/11, one important issue was brought up that has needed to be addressed, and sadly it has been derailed in the name of the War on Terror: religious extremism. Religion can be a powerful force for good, and for culture and tradition. I hate athiests who broadly paint all those who believe as idiots, as I’ve known people who are brilliant who also find solace in the concept of divinity. It is extremism that is bad. Living here in Bakersfield, I am forced to watch as a reactionary “Christian” sect is bound and determined to try to theocratize my town, the city which raised Earl Warren. That’s right, EARL WARREN. Extremism in Christianity is just as bad as Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or atheistic (you know, China’s little crusade against Falon Gong…) extremism. As long as the person next to you is being raised as an ETHICAL person, why should you care about his personal beliefs? As long as his spiritual advisor is not telling him to kill in the name of god… or kill in the name of NOT GOD… why shouldn’t you feel safe?
These are my thoughts, seven years on. Just so you know, and you might disagree with me and I’m sorry, but due to the real problems that I’ve seen first hand here in Bakersfield due to a reactionary, extremist and THEOCRATIC Christian agenda (this is not all Christians, understand) I hearby endorse the Obama-Biden ticket. Even though I think Biden is a useless timeserver, and I’ve a little respect for McCain, frankly Sarah Palin scares the hell out of me. I’m not a big Heinlein fan, so I’ve no desire to experience Revolt in 2100…
Hoping for some respectable and civil discourse,
Douglas C. Glendower,
32nd Lyran Guard.
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