-jinx- said:
Hint: I'm not on the left.
It's all right, don't be ashamed.
-jinx- said:
Yeah, he's going to regret using that word because Bush and friends love to harp on anything which can be neatly summarized in a bumper sticker -- probably because that's about the longest, most complex thought that he can keep in his brain, but that's another topic. The point of Kerry's quote was that we desperately need to do two things. First, we need to keep the ACTUAL risk of terrorism in perspective, rather than perpetuating the culture of fear which the Bush Administration has stoked. Second, recognizing the fact that America can never be 100% safe from terrorism, we need to take effective steps to minimize the frequency and impact of terrorist attacks in the future. A "nuisance" is something which is bothersome, but not a crisis.
So, you ADMIT that the risk to Americans is completely overblown, but somehow are still insisting that terrorism can never be a "nuisance" because it's a huge threat? Those two ideas are not consistent. Either terrorist is a shit-your-pants problem, or it's a fact of life that we all need to accept, protect against to the best of our ability, and move on. Which is it?
First, "culture of fear"? Do you honestly believe that's how we're living now? If anything, I think Americans are becoming less fearful now of terrorist incidents despite government warnings, and will likely continue to do so as more time passes since the last major attack. That's fine to a certain extent, as this helps in gaining better perspective, as you said... But, a healthy amount of fear is necessary as well, to maintain proper respect for what threatens us and the dangers that it poses. Crippling fear is unhealthy and unproductive, but a total lack of fear leads to ignorance and reckless behavior.
Yes sir, perspective is important - that's why John Kerry's view, that terrorism can someday be held in the same regard and erroneously cavalier "oh well" attitude as prositution or illegal gambling, is so disturbing.
Second, America does need to take steps in reducing "the frequency and impact of terrorist attacks in the future." In fact, it has been since 9/11. And nuisances by their very definition are bothersome, annoying things... BUT a terrorist act cannot be a nuisance, because it is a violent disaster, and terrorism as a whole is a potentially major crisis. A single act of terrorism can murder thousands, cost billions of dollars, generate fear and sorrow in an entire nation, create sympathy within a world, influence the outcome of national elections, and change the policies and laws of the most powerful nations on Earth. Given how powerful a single act of terrorism can be, having seen what one act of terrorism can do, don't you think it's doing a great disservice to terrorism to refer to it, now and ever, as a simple "nuisance"?
The risks posed to individual Americans by terrorism, with regards to the direct dangers of loss of life, health, and property, are probably minimal, especially in localized areas unlikely to be seen as suitable targets for terrorists. So yes, telling John Smith in Anytown, USA that he'll be attacked at any moment, that he must stock up on duct tape, plastic wrap, and survival goods, that he must check the color-coded threat level chart for updates frequently, is a bit of an exaggeration. But the potential dangers posed to America as a whole, to its infrastructure and institutions governmental, military, and economic, are very real, and people involved in these areas as well as those living and working in high-profile targets of opportunity should not live in ignorance of potential threats, and be aware of their situation. The American people as a whole need to be aware of the fact that a terrorist act affects us all, as a nation - even if most of us only feel the effects indirectly.
We do need to take steps to protect "against [terrorism] to the best of our ability." But acceptance? NO. We can tolerate its existence, only for as long as necessary, but if we are going to even attempt to put an end to it as a people, we cannot accept it. Acceptance of a problem only admits defeat. And we can "move on," but not forget.
EDIT: Oh, and by all means, drag that tired old "Bush is teh IGNORE-RAM-MOOSE" dig out in this thread as well. That dead horse has been looking and smelling pretty damn ripe for a while now, but I'm sure it's good for at least one more beating.
