The Nuisance Of Terrorism

[theknife]

every now and then, a moment of sheer lucidity accidentally slips into the campaign, on the part of one or the other candidate, on the subject of terrorism...

Bush had just such a moment a while back, in a television interview, when he said of the war on terrorism: "i don't think you can win it." he was right, for once - we can contain it, discourage it, minimize it, prosecute it, but we'll never eradicate it.

of course, the Dems pounced on that comment, Bush backpedalled and we all went back to which candidate can do a better Clint Eastwood impression...

Kerry had a similar moment this weekend, resulting in today's gotcha soundbite:

...a comment Kerry made in an interview with The New York Times Magazine on Sunday that the nation has ``to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives but they're a nuisance.''

Kerry suggested that terrorism, like prostitution, illegal gambling and organized crime, will never be eradicated but can be reduced so ``it's not threatening the fabric of your life.''

Kerry is right, as Bush was. the war on terrorism is never gonna be "won" - no matter how many countries we invade, no matter how many troops we deploy, no matter how much we tinker with the Constitution. we're the biggest, richest, juiciest target in the world and for every disenfranchised, disaffected, disgruntled misfit in the world who can get his hands on an RPG or a sack of ammonium nitrate, it's open season on the USA and always will be. the best we will ever be able to do is to secure our borders and entry points, go after terrorists wherever we know them to be, work the diplomatic angles vis a vis situations like the Israeli/Palestinian conlfict, continue to upgrade our intelligence capabililties....and be prepared to take the occasional hit.

so, it's a shame the discourse in this election is so far gone that neither candidate can risk telling the truth - or is the US electorate just too simple-minded to handle it?

[RoBoBoy]

Originally Posted by theknife

- or is the US electorate just too simple-minded to handle it?

I feel it's condescending and disrespectful that most politicians feel we aren't smart enough to be told the truth.

[floydian slip]

Arent we still fighting LBJ's war on poverty and Regans war on drugs.
Just another invisible threat that will never end and can never win.



Ive been listening to some Jackson Browne latley...

I’m going to be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Thought true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender

[malvachat]

Yes without doubt,the election is dumbed down.
Unlike some,I think it's so both candidates can
follow the story.
It's very sad that in a great nation like the USA.
These are your choices.
Watching from afar I will ask one question.
Which of the two,do you believe will protect you best.
Kerry keeps going on about bringing along allies.
We Brits will always be with you.
(always best to be friends with the biggest on the block)
But let me tell you something.
You can never trust the French,Germans or Spanish.
We might be friends with them now.
But they have been our Enemy's for best part of
of a thousand years.
So as far as I can see,Bush is your best bet.
Now that is fucking sad.
If or when Bush wins I'm going on a bender.
Just to try and revive the pain.