I see a lot of complaining. What I don’t see are solutions.
Lets forget for a moment that this wiretapping has enabled the US to prevent -- and assisted in preventing -- numerous terrorist attacks, including the most recent one in the UK. Never mind that detail, since non of you will believe me anyway.
If NSA wiretapping played a role in preventing the recent British attacks...? That's a pretty extraneous "if." It doesn't matter whether the president's illegal spying program played a part in this overhyped, half-bungled fiasco or not. When the president chooses to commit liberty-abrogating crimes against our privacy in order to ostensibly fight terrorism, then there's either a problem with the president, with the law, or both. Which do you think?
Wiretapping is out? Ok, done. How do you plan to prevent the next attack? How will you find, monitor, and apprehend the people who want you dead for now other reason than your zip code?
What is your solution?
Lord J, I'm looking in your direction…
You're asking me to do the work of several departments of the government? Fine, how about some generalities:
1. First layer of defense: We can prevent some terrorist plots from ever beginning. This is where foreign policy comes in. There's a lot we could do to improve our image in the world, strengthening our alliances and at the same time discouraging enmity against us. The Bush administration's indefensible bullying of the other countries of the world is an umbrella of bad policy. Once we get that idiot and his incompetent cronies out of office, it'll be like the end of
Return of the Jedi all over again: fireworks, singing, and joy. It's about time we had some motherfuckin'
joy in the house.
2. Second layer of defense: We can foil terrorist attacks in their planning stages. This is where our intelligence comes in. We already have massive a government apparatus to keep tabs on our enemies, both foreign and domestic--Fox News, Republican extremists, Christian fundamentalists, and the Bush administration notwithstanding. There's a lot these powerful organizations can do before it comes to nullifying the Bill of Rights, as the administration would have them do.
3. Third layer of defense: We can deflect operational terrorist attacks. By securing our borders and ports of entry, foreign terrorism will have a much harder penetrating the United States. The administration's negligance of our seaports has been particularly treasonous, but their rotten handling of our airports is no joke either. Rather than publicity stunts like banning liquids, the
Bush Next administration could direct our ports to actually inspect cargo, screen passengers, and fund these programs so as to make our ports harder to breach than the Death Star. Where the borders are concerned, we should work with Canada to marginalize the significance of our nothern border--and I think that'll be a pretty job--and then secure our southern border militarily. (A defensible proposal when taken in context of my hope to eradicate illegal immigration by legalizing just about all of it.) But none of this is going to happen with Bush in power. It's like he always says: Keep your friends close, shoot 'em, and then sell your ports to your enemies.
4. Final layer of defense: We can endure successful terrorist attacks. Rather than promoting a message of fear and fascism, as this government and its arms in the Church and the media have done, we can accept that shit happens and that sometimes we will not be able to stop it. Rather than driving the people to a blind panic and then gleefully offering them to sign away their liberties for the illusion of security, we can promote a cultural message that values our freedom rather than just paying it lip-service.
My solution, Silvercry, is to get that bastard King George the Bush out of office and put a decisive end to the fundamentalist-neocon alliance. I don't care about Osama bin Laden a tenth as much as I care about the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I'll bet the thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died in the past few years would agree with that--if they weren't dead.
And as for those of us who are not, I say: Be not afraid. The solution to terrorism, is a propserous and educated society.
