Taking Terrorism Seriously

That is the discussion going on right now over at Political Animal. I have some thoughts on that, because I do not think the right avenues have been pursued.

I am on record that I think the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, and that Afghanistan should have been done right, and wasn't. I believe we are creating terrorists faster than we ever imagined possible, and that we are not taking effective measures to protect ourselves.

If we were serious about fighting terrorism, the tax cuts would be rolled back, for starters. The size of the Coast Guard would triple, at least. The Border Patrol would be effective and the Minuteman Movement would be a terrorist organization like we used to consider the Michigan Militia, rather than a political powderkeg. There would be an air marshall on every flight and the FBI would double in size. None of this is happening, but if it did, we wouldn't need to be at war over there because we would be secure and protected in our "Fortress America."

Instead we get oratory and the invasion of a country that was contained and stable and no threat to the safety of US citizens. When liberals wanted to stop the killing in the balkans, we were told by conservatives that the U.S. could not be the worlds policeman, that the rest of the world was going to have to learn to solve it's own problems. Then conservatives launch a "pre-emptive" war? That in the process, neglects the just war against the Taliban, lets Osama get away, and gets over 2000 Americans killed? Can I call a do-over?

Meanwhile, the coastline remains open and unprotected, especially in the Pacific Northwest, and both borders are porous. Environment, topography, and climate extremes are greater protections against illegal entry into this country than the Border Patrol.