   U.S. is not prepared for next terror attack
  According to various news stories, like this CNN article, the U.S. is far from ready for whatever may be coming next from Al Qaeda and the like.  Then I got to thinking: does it really matter?Don't get me wrong - I'm all for making sure people don't take weapons on planes or into concerts and stadiums and also that we discourage people from setting off dirty bombs and the like but in the end, how many people really saw the events of 9/11 coming?  And how can we really stop someone who intends to do damage from doing it?So with that said, are you worried you might be in the next target area?  Do you care?  Personally I don't.  It's the luck of the draw.  I'm going to Vegas this weekend and maybe it'll be a target of some psycho, whether or not Al Queda related.  Sometimes you just have to accept that you live in a world that can take your life at any moment.  Whenever you drive your car you bet your life that others won't slam into you at high speed.  Hell, whenever you take a walk you're betting that someone won't drop a penny on you from a hundred story building.  And however and whenever this war ends, the one thing no one can do is guarantee that we won't have any enemies left.I guess I'm just rambling and no, I'm not against the war either.  Not mostly, anyway.  Sometimes you have to strike back to show that you're not an open target.  But in the end, do you feel safe?  Do you care?  Is there something else we can do or have we done enough?   
Quote:how many people really saw the events of 9/11 comingProbably not very many saw the specific events related to 9/11 coming.  Anybody who thought about it at all probably expected something to happen sometime though.  I personally wasn't the least bit suprised there was a terrorist attack of some sort against the US, the only thing I was surpised about was the scale.  But then I recall reading that even Al'Queda was surprised about the results (they didn't expect the towers to fall).  It's the "something to happen sometime" part that is one of the problems.  Until a disaster actually strikes very few people are going to be willing to believe it ever will.  We see this over & over again every time a (typically natural) disaster strikes - inadequate planning, preperation, and funding for disaster prevention or response coupled with unqualified "leadership" and political grandstanding.  9/11 was really no different than Katrina in this respect.I don't feel any more or less safe now than I did pre-9/11 as far as being attacked.   ;Quote:Original post by GameCreatorSometimes you just have to accept that you live in a world that can take your life at any moment.Putting your life in the hands of fate through your own choice is different than being forced into that situation. I enjoy skydiving because of the feel of being 3500 ft in the air, but I also enjoy it because of the rush I get when I think about everything that could go wrong. Mind you, I don't think of those things often, and it may not even be healthy to do so, but the point is I chose to jump out of that plane. I wasn't pushed.Quote:Whenever you drive your car you bet your life that others won't slam into you at high speed.  Hell, whenever you take a walk you're betting that someone won't drop a penny on you from a hundred story building.I could walk or take the subway, but your point is taken. By the way, Myth busted. [wink]Quote:Sometimes you have to strike back to show that you're not an open target.Why? Why? In my opinion, it's attitudes like this that cause so many of the problems we have - and have had - in this world.   ;Quote:Original post by Anon MikeQuote:how many people really saw the events of 9/11 comingProbably not very many saw the specific events related to 9/11 coming.Actually, as I understand it, there's quite a bit of contention around that assertion.  If you didn't see it, you should read the CNN transcript of when Condi Rice was on the hotseat for the 9/11 commission.Quote:BEN-VENISTE: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?RICE: I believe the title was, "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."Now, the...BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.RICE: No, Mr. Ben-Veniste...That's one of my favorite snippets, but the whole transcript is full of that stuff; it's horribly formatted, though.  Condi being totally unable to defend herself doesn't prove that they're lying, but it certainly doesn't help their credibility.   ;  Those of us paying attention have known that the US is not prepared for the next terror attack for some time now. Welcome to the club.Enough people knew enough information to prevent or lessen the 9-11 attacks. Among these people was the President of the United States [1], except he was on vacation and couldn't be bothered to care. He knew that an attack on the US would give him an excuse to become a "war President" [2].I seriously doubt that al Qaeda is going to attack central California. It would cost them too much and wouldn't make a big enough bang. I thought the bust of a supposed terrorist cell in Lodi [3] was bunk and expect that the truth of that will come out in a few years. Just another scene in the national theater of fear. Are there any hundred story buildings in El Segundo? Are there things the government could do better in protecting the country against terrorists? Yes. The CNN story touches on a few but wastes too much time with the he said she said. First they could direct their money and effort to places most likely to be targets, places like New York and Los Angeles rather than places like Idaho and Montana. They could improve the security of chemical factories and nuclear power plants. That they haven't yet is more evidence of the incompentence of the President and the enslavement of the country to corporate interests. They could increase inspections of shipping containers. That they haven't yet is again more evidence against the President and corporations. Remember, your safety is not as important to them as their profit making ability - all of their lip service to the contrary.   ;Quote:By the way, Myth busted. [wink]I was thinking of that when I read his post, should have known someone would have beat me to the punch... haha.   ;  I use my seatbelt when I drive.   ;  I hope that if we do get attacked again we use that as justification to go into another Middle Eastern country.  Syria or Iran would be nice.  I think the worst thing we can do to these conservative radical Islamic fundamentalists (although not all are arab, but all are Moslem) is spread our way of government, and force it upon them and their people...but only in retaliation for an attack on our soil.Don't attack the US, and we won't spread "freedom and democracy" (although the baghdad area of Iraq isn't currently particularly free and democratic, but you can thank the sunni arab insurgents for that).   ;  No, and for that matter we never can be. Sure, we can make efforts to deter a terrorist attack on our soil, but at the end of the day you simply can't stop someone from strapping bombs on to themself and blowing themselves up.Quote:I hope that if we do get attacked again we use that as justification to go into another Middle Eastern country. Syria or Iran would be nice. I think the worst thing we can do to these conservative radical Islamic fundamentalists (although not all are arab, but all are Moslem) is spread our way of government, and force it upon them and their people...but only in retaliation for an attack on our soil.So you support forcing democratic ideals on someone? Am I the only one who sees the oxymoron here?EDIT: Quoted wrong person[Edited by - Drewish on December 5, 2005 5:50:56 PM];Quote:Original post by DrewishSo you support forcing democratic ideals on someone? Am I the only one who sees the oxymoron here?No. Ideals can't be forced, but they make a good cover story for imperial adventures... "We had to destroy the republic in order to save it!"