A response to this latest large terrorist airline threat emanating in England: I am not afraid to fly. As a matter of fact, when the threat is greater, I think, so is the stepped-up protection. However, I do feel because of the lost cause that is Iraq, the Bush administration has not devoted the appropriate resources to our security. The Brits with the help of Pakistan uncovered this latest near horrific attempt. The US is skimping on the most important security procedures that could, indeed, protect us. We need not only better technological security on airlines, we need it at our port entries and at our borders as well. All the money that could go to these things is going to a futile, ill-planned war effort with no WMD's in sight. Our money should go to those things that will REALLY make us secure.
The Iraq war has emboldened terrorism, given the green light to a religious insurgency and promoted a civil war between Shite, Sunni and to some extend the Kurds. It has dropped unprecedented power in the lap of Iran our true threat. Because of the huge amount of funds being diverted to Iraq we cannot devote our attention to those things that really threaten us. Moreover, unbelievably, the real culprit Bin Laden is nowhere to be found. We have, I believe, instead, created the worst of all possible situations -- terrorists run amok through their port of entry Iraq and throughout the tinder box that is the Middle East. We have incurred a loss of our stature in the world, and an inability to protect ourselves as seen through eyes of Katrina. Because our president knew NOTHING and cares nothing about history in general and nothing about the people and history of Iraq he did unforgivable things. He destabilized that region and gave Iran carte blanche the ability to do whatever it wants. He has done exactly the opposite of what he set out to do. We are more threatened than ever before because we "elected" a president who has no capacity to think beyond his so called gut. He has no capacity to articulate and no desire to learn. His articulation abilities or non-abilities are an embarrassment. He knows only what he is told to read on a piece of paper in front of him. Without that crib sheet he is helpless. We, in my opinion, more than desperately need a change in administration, a change in diplomatic policy, a change in Congress and a true new deal with articulate leadership, intellectual savvy and true statesmen so the threat of terrorism could and, I think, would be substantially reduced.
