Focusing our Defenses

This National Post is a pretty good rag.

What a load of hogwash. "Our security bureaucrats." It ain't them calling the shots. They're just carrying out their orders given to them by a population whipped into hysteria and fear by teh neoconservatives. But that's the National Post for you. Let the fearmongers and the government off the hook and pin it all on the poor schmuk raking in ten bucks and hour to go through your skivvies.

It was all fine when we were out bombing the world to make it safe for democracy, but now that buddy can't bring his steamed fucking latte on board, it's suddenly an issue.

I don't think he means the schlub waving the wand on the floor. I would assume he means the people above making the decisions.

Then perhaps that would be the Minister of Public Saftety, or the Minister of Transport. But George Jonas and the Natonal Post can't go after them--they're Conservatives after all.

Sounds more like a diatribe for racial profiling. The real problem here is numbers, there are just so many to watch over and they only need one to carry a bomb. Sure they could use the 'logic' that the bomb makers are just coming from certain countries and they are just using certain ethnic groups from a certain economic background. However, as the shoe bomber and now the powder underwear bomber have shown is that the terrorists simply adapt to any changes. You restrict beverages and they made a powder bomb who is to say then that if you scrutinize everyone from Yemen or anyone of colour they wont just use a Uyghur from China instead?

The game is whack a mole and they can do it better because they are attacking so they can test our defences before they strike. Instead of racial profiling which would be dubious in effectiveness to defend us and only lead to segregation and racial animosity which is a key aim of our attackers, we need to do less busy work to look like we are doing something to placate the masses. It is time to start dealing with terrorism instead of ignoring it and having it deal with us. Does that mean drone attacks? Perhaps, but the real focus must be on the sharing of wealth on a global scale. The west has an enormous wealth and Asia/africa/south America can barley make it day to day. We tried with guns and bombs to silence the insurgents but poverty just makes more of them. Until we deal with the true source of terrorism we will be facing more attacks just like Rome faced attacks from the Germanic barbarian hordes that eventually conquered Rome.

Obama defends Janet Nepolitano and Greg Holder for a job well done. They did nothing.
It is going to be some dude making $10.00 per hour who will be the wrath of Obama. The terrorist isn't a terrorist, he is a suspect. Suspect?
(How could it have been anybody else?)

I'm glad that transport Candada has ruled that there will NO carry on baggage on flights going into the states. Transport Canada is doing to protect the US than the White House.

I've known for years that CAnadians have their act together better than Americans.

I am bloody angry at Obama he held this press conference where he said he will not rest until the guilty are found and punished moments before he gets into a golf cart to tee off (he's not resting mind you).

I agree with this article that the most effective way to deal with this is selective screening. Being somewhat poltically incorrect is a lot better than a blownup airliner will all on board and anything under it killed.

It was only by the grace of God that the bomb burned than exploded.

This fits

I gotta say, I watched part of that press conference, had to be the most
hollow one I have ever seen.

The White House doesn't have a clue.


I only hope that changes before the next one comes round.

South America hasn't been involved in this, and the princes and sheiks have a crap load of money they hoard. And as for the Rome comparison, they tried buying off the barbarians and all that did was feed their greed, encouraging them to attack more often and on larger scales. Restraint and an attempt at compromise are viewed as weaknesses to be exploited in their eyes.

Come on Scape...the sharing of wealth (my tax dollars) with the Indians hasn't really improved their lot, has it? How do you think that's gonna work on a global scale?

The sharing of the trillions in defence spending has do what exactly to stem this tide? The reports coming from the pentagon state that the Afghanistan forces we are training are no where near ready and the ones that we have trained have a nasty habit of turning those guns on us. It will be decades before they are ready if we are lucky and that is if it isn't spent on corruption instead, after all Karzi's brother is one of the biggest drug dealers of contraband in Asia.

It's not like there should be some sort of massive give away here but let's put things in context. How much money was lost on Enron or Goldman Sacs as compared to aid to all of Africa over the last ten years? It's a drop in the bucket and that vast discrepancy for priorities is telling. The rest of the world is rising up like it or not. If there is nothing done to aid in the painful transition period the the fruit of retribution from poverty is terrorism. We can help mitigate the damage by making payments in good faith now or reap the bitter harvest of future more devastating attacks later.

Defences....not 'Defenses'. Even the article uses the Canadian spelling. Come on!

Good stuff from the post, and interesting point, Zip. I like the NP, but it is notable they are unfortunately vague on who they point the finger at. That being said, before dismissing racial profiling out of hand as fuel for racial stress, which it very well might be, I'd suggest that the racial stress growing now that, let's be frank here, Anglo-Saxons and their ilk are being targeted when they have not been perpetrators of terrorism simply becuase of PC,is not good either.

I`m sure everyone here can supply annecdotes of rediculous airline security. Mine was travelling to Edmonton. I walked through without an issue. Five minutes later as I`m sipping a beer and watching security, I saw an 80 year old guy given the most thorough going over. Appalling.

I`d like to see the government show some real courage on this and engage some of the minority leadership which profiling would effect, and frankly, I`d like to see some responsibility from the minorities in which these terrorists are recruited.

Yes and controlling what they do with that wealth has not helped at all either . We have never given free and clear there always was the Indian Affairs Dept. Just a thought