It's an interesting concept, the notion of intelligence, and even more interesting is what the powers that be do with the intelligence they supposedly collect. I myself just find it incredibly convenient that only AFTER four explosions rock the foundations of London do CIA officials find it necessary to say that they had intelligence suggesting that attacks of that type might take place. Surely it's a bit late now, isn't it, to be telling us you had intelligence pointing to the attacks??
I swore when I started blogging that I wasn't going to turn it into a political commentary, or at least nothing beyond the occasional snarky comment about W. and his Administration of Zero Accountability. My friends and family know where I stand, and I don't have any need to convince the rest of the world by blog that they should stand with me; for one thing, there are minds out there which are so closed, they can never be convinced. So politics have been put aside for the most part. But today, when people are hurt and dying (actually, how IS this day different than any other??), people who didn't sign up to possibly get hurt or possibly die, I just get so angry at all the morons who continue to support politicians who promise to protect them, saying that they would have felt unsafe any other way.
So let me ask you: Is this what safety feels like?? Do you feel safer because this didn't happen someplace in middle America, but in London, overseas, off American soil? Do you really believe that maybe those primitive Britons were somehow lax enough to ALLOW this to happen, and that it can't happen -- again -- here because W. and his guys are on it? Come now. Let's be real. We should all be panicking, and we should all be asking W. and his guys, "How could you let this happen? You promised us we'd be safe." Because if London isn't safe from psychotic zealots, you can bet your ass that Denver and L.A. and New York City and Washington D.C. and your own backyard aren't safe from them either.
Here's the deal -- and this has been the deal since September 11 and I think we all know it but just refuse to admit it because then we would be too uncomfortable to live our daily lives: There have been no further attacks on American soil simply because the terrorists haven't felt like attacking. That's it -- that's all there is to it. None of these powerful guys know how to stop it or do a damn thing to prevent it; no one really knows how to interpret the intelligence that may or may not suggest it's about to happen. Do any of us really think our airports and planes are any safer than they were 4 years ago? It's the same uneducated dolt holding the metal-detecting wand, but they've provided him with a gun now.
And no, you're all absolutely right, I don't have any answers or suggestions or anything, just lots of ire and head shaking. This is why I wanted someone smarter than me elected President. This is what we get when the common denominator is elected to represent us -- someone who's no more capable than the rest of us of doing anything about anything.
Maybe that's a bit harsh. I'm sure if I thought long enough and hard enough I'd come up with one or two good things he's done. But I have other crap to worry about today. Don't we all.
3 comments:
It really is quite sad. You know, I woke up to this news this morning, much like the rest of America and my first thought (sick as it is) was "Please let this be a joke." Obviously, it wasn't.
How many times does the intelligence have to fail, do these attacks have to kill scores of innocent people, do fingers have to be pointed before someone will stand up and take responsibility and TRUTHFULLY tell us, "This will never happen again."
I don't know what else to say that I haven't said already to day in one form or another, so I'll just stop here and say that my thoughts are with everyone affected and my heart goes out to them all. There will always be at least half of America (the intelligent, compassionate half) who stands with them.
There is power in a name, in the selection of the accurate word. What is termed intelligence is, in this case, merely information and that without any assurance as to its accuracy except in hindsight.
Ask not for leadership smarter than you but rather at least above average and definitely both wise and compassionate. Aw, who am I kidding? I'd settle for any one of those three...
There's a more lighthearted look at how to deal with undersized opponents called THE MOUSE THAT ROARED; have you read it? The suggestion there is that the U.S. can resolve the dispute by simply acceding to the opposition's demands. Why is that a problem for us? What is being demanded that is so unreasonable? Unless perhaps it is their objection to our nation's very existence?
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