How we can get the upper hand in fighting terrorism

[question everything]

(which is supposed to be the area of strength for Republicans):

Chertoff was interviewed on Face the Nation earlier and was asked about securing trains and subways and he was evasive as something that needs to be done.

No doubt, one hurdle is the needed funds to, say, add more sensors to the turnstile at the NY Subway, or adding more guards.

But just think how much funds we can get by, at least, suspending the generous tax cuts that the top 1% is getting, that investors are getting, that other millionaires would get if the Republicans could proceed with their plan (promise) to eliminate the estate tax. Normally in time of war most countries raise their taxes, temporarily to support the war. But Bush and Cheney promised their friends..

Thus, perhaps, this could be part of our campaign: we cannot afford to protect you on public transportation because Paris Hilton, or some of other Bush's cronies, need all their millions and, of course, they do not use public transportation.

Hey, if Cheney can claim that Lamont's win is a victory for Al Qaeda, we can go the in your face route, too.

[unschooler]

1. Absolutely. The best defense is a good defense. eom

[MercutioATC]

2. Become less of a target.

These people don't "hate us for our freedoms". They hate us because the U.S., in its foreign policies, is an asshole.

We're NEVER going to stop every person who wants to cause us harm from harming us. We could live in a completely totalitarian state and the threat would still exist.

The only answer (and it's not a short-term answer which places it outside of the comprehension of 80% of Americans) is to adopt fair foreign policies.

Until we do that, the "war on terror" will never be "won". In fact, unless we do this, we're destined to lose...regardless of how many foreigners we kill or how restrictive we make our society.

[question everything]

5. Easier said than done

According the reports, the people arrested in Britain were second and third generation of Pakistani origin who felt diensfranchised... even though one of them, at 24, recently purchased a home for $400K.

Just like the "dittoheads" of Limbaugh, there will always be angry young people, mostly men, who feel disenfranchised for whatever reason, and will always look for someone to blame.

For the jihadists, right now it is Israel and the US and the UK and, tomorrow, someone else.

For the white people in this country, it is Blacks, and Jews, and gays, used to be Catholics, and, of course, independent career women.

Read a book review http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x228602 about the start of Al Qaeda and other extreme Muslim groups.

[MercutioATC]

6. As I said, it's not a short-term solution.

But the fact is that these "terrorists" do not hate us for our freedoms, they hate us for our actions.

It's going to take quite a while to undo the damage we've done but unless we do, no number of people killed, no restriction or our personal freedoms, will resolve the issue.

My personal feeling is that we'll be unable to make this change and that we'll be another member of the "failed empires" club in about 30 years. I'd like to see a different resolution, and I believe that addressing the real problem and doing some long-range planning is our only hope.

[babylonsister]

3. How about ending the bullshit war in Iraq that's costing trillions?

Perhaps not hiring inept people for positions because they're sycophants to dimson and instead hire people who actually know what they're doing?
We can get the upper hand in fighting terrorism by kicking the bums out. Taking over Congress/House/Senate would be a great first step. I want the Dems to run on this!
Haven't we learned recently that, should we have any kind of real time threat to the US, we have
NO mechanism to back up this country, no Nat'l Guard, troops, equipment, nada? Don't we also know
that nothing has really been accomplished in the wake of the 9/11 commission's reports?
We are NOT safer and that should be screamed from the rooftops!

[pinto]

4. Oddly enough, our best tack, imo, is to highlight the obvious

success of the British model - coordinated intelligence work, effective communication with local law enforcement, rapid response when warranted, preservation of legalities to ensure adequate prosecution and a refreshing absence of overt political spin on the whole thing.

We don't need to bankrupt the budget on more Halliburton schemes, Bechtel fiascoes, or mid level political robots. We need to do what works well, well.