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What They've Thought
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What They Thought April 16, 2006 Alan
Caruba Click here for columnist bios |
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I have been trying to figure out why we haven’t had a second 9-11 since 2001. One would think that al Qaeda, to whom is attributed vast intellect, funding, and an invisible international network of operatives, would have delivered a second devastating blow by now? Are we just lucky? Are we more secure? It took between 1993 when the first bombing of the Twin Towers occurred and 2001 when the really spectacular event imprinted itself on our memory. We may well just be dealing with people who have more patience than we do. Or we may have degraded their capabilities to launch another attack. Or they may be concentrating their focus on Israel as they establish a base in Gaza? Or? Or? Or! I have no doubt that many dedicated Americans are working in our intelligence and justice agencies to protect our lives, probably having prevented attacks. Critics have said the reorganization of these agencies simply created an even larger bureaucracy. Others say it has enhanced the connectivity needed in a new era of anti-terrorism. For a long time now I have been thinking about how utterly defenseless this nation is in real terms. To put it another way, if a couple of teenage vandals can break into a Massachusetts town’s water supply, we’re doomed. For example, nine million cargo containers arrive at our major ports every year. It is probably impossible to inspect them all, but lucky for us, the Bush administration has just finalized a no-bid contract with Hutchison Whampoa Ltd to use our most sophisticated equipment to detect radioactive materials passing through the Bahamas. Never mind that this Hong Kong company is well known for its close connections with the Red Chinese army and government. (They also own facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal!) Did I mention that a Red Chinese company runs the largest port on the West Coast? Pretty soon we’ll have a similar inspection deal with some nice folks in the Philippines. Who needs Americans guarding the nation when others will gladly do it for us? At least with Dubai Ports, our own people are inspecting cargo debarking from the United Arab Emirates for here. All those other nations in which it operates ports aren’t worried and, apparently, neither was our ever-vigilant White House until the deal was widely reported. To insure that our ports are “secure,” your government has embarked on producing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential. I’ll bet that makes you feel better. However, as Harold Evans, a contributing editor at U.S. News & World Report noted recently, “We are coming up to the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks and the fourth year since Congress authorized the money. Some $70 million has been spent developing the card if you include the $24 million testing a prototype. So where is it?” We’re doomed. That’s why an estimated half million legal and illegal immigrants marching around downtown Los Angeles, waving MEXICAN flags, barely evoked any reaction whatever in the White House. If we can out-source our security to the Red Chinese, why would anyone think we might actually be worried about eleven million illegal aliens demanding to be U.S. citizens by the end of next week? Mexico has an even better system in place on its southern border than we do on ours. They don’t want competition from other Latin and South American immigrants. When asked, President Bush said he was against amnesty, but is he for stopping these folks from coming here? Is he for sending a lot of them back to Mexico? No way, Jose! We’re doomed. Recently, USA Today ran an article,“Brain drain hits Homeland Security,” reporting that “top managers and rank-and-file employees” are bailing out. Could it have something to do with the fiasco of last year’s Katrina? Could it be that all those separate governmental fiefdoms that have been joined together still don’t really get along with one another? Could it be that all the inter-agency politics that existed before is now — how shall I put this — worse? Could it be that even the folks at FEMA know how unprepared they are for the next hurricane season? Could it be we’re doomed? As this is being written, every day countless foreign visitors are arriving at our airports, deplaning, showing their visas, filling out forms, and disappearing into America never to be found again. Most will presumably go home, perhaps after attending one of our universities like that former Taliban spokesman at Yale, or after a nice vacation or a business trip. The problem is we have no system to track any of them. I have friends who have devoted their lives to emergency management. The good news is that some efforts are being made to improve communications programs and there are lots of first responders training all the time to help the rest of us. As one of them put it, “Somewhere there’s a big file cabinet filled with plans to attack us somehow, somewhere.” My best guess is that it’s in a mud hut somewhere in Waziristan. Are we more secure? I don’t think so. I don’t think any nation with the kind of 2,000 mile-long open northern and southern borders, countless flights from overseas, and an indigenous population of three million Muslims can ever expect to be secure. Homeland security? You’re kidding, right? |
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After watching the many capitulations to cowardice by the media, I have concluded that the entertainment industry and the media (the mouthpiece of the idiots in the entertainment industry) are made up of cowards and girly men. I’m not joking, either. When the religion of peace (Islamic radicals) decided to riot over cartoons that insulted them, the media ran and hid. When the TV show "South Park" had a few items in it that might be insulting to them, they self-censored the show. [Editor's note: The makers of South Park didn't censor the episode; the network that airs it did. The producers, in fact, protested.] It is the finest hour for cowardice. Some would point to the fact that they support fine art such as "Piss Christ," etc. But they’re safe doing things like that right now. We haven’t reached "that point" yet. It is coming however, and it’s going to be ugly. One of the biggest problems with cowardice is that it creates a power vacuum, a power vacuum that the radicals in Islam and the radicals in illegal immigrations are more than happy to — and do — fill. These people as surfers being eaten by a shark halfway to the shore would be inclined to side with the shark. They would come up with all kinds of apologetic verbiage to describe the shark, but at no time would they actually have the nerve to say they are diametrically opposed and there’s only room in the world for one of them because of that. They are incapable of lashing out at something or someone who is about to destroy them, and will find a way to blame "W" for the shark attack. It is virtually impossible to get them to deal with anything directly. The illegal aliens showed up to their protests with Mexican flags; the next day they all arrived carrying American flags. That tells me there is some serious coordination to the protests, and the fact that the media didn’t make a fair amount of noise about this sudden change of nationality and allegiance says they are in bed with them, too. Either that or they’re stupid and unobservant (flaming liberal). Why is it that the left-wingers are willing to self-censor, but at the same time any dissenting voice against them is also called censorship? Actually, the answer to that one is quite obvious. The left knows exactly what censorship really is. and the only reason they are inclined to scream censorship when it isn’t is because of that very important victim status. They forget that the world loves a winner because they are the exact opposite of normal people and only like the losers. It’s not that they hate winners so much as it is that they find it difficult to mold the mind of a winner into a regular voter for them, while losers can be led around quite easily by the rings in their noses. But the original question was why are they so willing to self-censor, and the answer is cowardice. I’m quite certain that, in a sick way, it will be interesting to read what these feckless cowards will have to say about the illegal immigration issue as it continues to rear its ugly head. They will be presenting only the warm and fluffy side of the illegal immigrants, and anyone who doesn’t agree with them will be labeled a racist. This will continue even after those same immigrants decide to retake California by force. Not that big of a loss, but a loss nonetheless. This issue is eventually going to make the SoCal riots after Rodney King look like a church picnic. We are watching an insurgency building right under our noses and these left-wing idiots either know it and are on the other side, or they are cowards. But to be honest, who cares why they think the way they do? The fact remains that is the way they think. They are losers, and that is why they are drawn to losers. Whoever said opposites attract wasn’t thinking of the Democratic Party. Rather than try to define the left-wing media in apologetic terms, I’ll get right down to the task at hand. They are the enemy. I don’t know why and I don’t’ care why. The fact remains they are the enemy in all things. Their unwillingness to engage in any kind of an intelligent discussion on any of these matters will continue to hurt their credibility. Eventually however there is going to be a backlash against all of this. The reason for that is that some people just don’t recognize good manners as good manners. They mistake them for cowardice. Then they find out the sad truth. R.A. Hawkins Web Site Contact Back to Top |
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To: The American
People Fellow Americans, Greetings! By now you’re probably wondering why the heck you’re getting a letter from the White House. The answer to that question is simple: Because we’re coming to get you! Ha ha. No, just kidding. Bet we fooled you for a second, though, didn’t we? But seriously, folks, the reason you’re getting this letter is quite simple. Basically, it’s come to our attention over the last few weeks that many Americans think we’re doing a terrible job of running the country. Obviously, nothing could be further from the truth, unless something happened to be further from it. But your confusion is perfectly understandable, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, in a nation of 300 million people run by a small, tight-knit group of men, it’s impossible for every American to truly know what goes on behind the impenetrable doors that we lock and seal with guards whenever we hold our meetings. Sometimes this leads to hilarious misconceptions about what we’re doing and how well we’re doing it. Like we said, your confusion is perfectly understandable. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t take the time to personally clear things up. So here goes. Misconception No. 1: Many Americans think we’re doing a terrible job of running the country. Wrong-o! At the moment, President Bush enjoys a 35 to 40 percent approval rating, depending on who you talk to. In 1935, the greatest baseball player of all time, Babe Ruth, retired with a .342 career batting average. Think about it. This is Babe Ruth we’re talking about here. Babe Ruth only hit the ball 35 percent of the time. George Bush, on the other hand, only bottoms out at a .350 approval rating. And he tops off at closer to .400. These are Ted Williams-like approval numbers. George W. Bush is basically like the Ted Williams of U.S. presidents. Still think we’re doing a terrible job? Do the math. And don’t believe the spin. Misconception No. 2: A growing consensus around the nation believes we fixed the intelligence to start the Iraq War. Pure propaganda. You want to know what we fixed? The Oscars. You don’t think Crash really deserved Best Picture, do you? Of course it didn’t. You’ve never even heard of Crash. When did it come out? Who the hell is in it? Brokeback Mountain was positioned to win Best Picture, and we had to act — as a matter of national security. It was a tough decision, no doubt about it. But had we sat idly by, homosexuality would’ve erupted like mushroom clouds over major American metropolises. We’re very intelligent people. We had the intelligence to prove it. So ask yourself: If you were in our position, which American city would you have been willing to risk? (San Francisco’s already pretty gay, so don’t say San Francisco. That doesn’t count.) Misconception No. 3: The White House doesn’t care about [insert ethnic minority here]. Actually, it’s been a while since we’ve heard the race card pulled out on us, but we just thought we’d bring it up, since we’re the only ones in this country who supported open borders and the Dubai Ports World deal. Seriously, we deserve more credit for this. We’re living in a country of freaking xenophones. Misconception No. 4: The word is “xenophobes,” not “xenophones." No, it isn’t. It’s “xenophones.” Okay, okay — it’s really “xenophobes.” Sorry for the typo. Misconception No. 5: The White House leaked on CIA agent Valerie Plame, because her husband, Joseph Wilson, wanted Dick and Bush to pull out, and Dick and Bush wanted to keep going. The press would have you believe the president and vice president leaked on Ms. Plame after her husband talked dirty about the war and asked them to pull out. But we can assure you Dick didn’t leak on Ms. Plame, and Bush didn’t leak on her, either. We firmly believe Ms. Plame leaked on herself, because she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Eventually, the truth will come out, and Dick and Bush will both get off. And finally: Misconception No. 6: The United States is currently planning a tactical nuclear strike on Iran. This is ridiculous. Just think about what you’re saying here. First of all, if we were going to nuke Iran — which we’re not, but if we were — why in the world would we tactically nuke them? If the goal is to stop nuclear proliferation, wouldn’t it make more sense to just wipe Iran off the map and show the international community precisely how bad nukes are? Secondly, it’s like OJ Simpson once said: Even if we were going to nuke Iran — which we’re not, but, again, if we were — we would only do it because we really, really love them, you know? (Okay, that may not have been OJ who said that. It may have just been Tim Meadows playing OJ on SNL. Either way, we think it rings true.) So there you have it, America. All of your most pressing concerns and misconceptions have been dealt with — hopefully to your satisfaction, as well as our own. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to return to our undisclosed location underground for the next several months, and we’ll be back next February 2nd to answer any further questions you may have. Peace. Insincerely, P.S.: Hi Mom! P.P.S.: Our mom, not your mom. P.P.P.S.: Okay, hi to your mom, too. Jonathan David Morris Web Site Contact Back to Top |
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Congress is poised to consider an immigration reform bill this week, but as usual the devil will be in the details. A sensible bill would bolster enforcement of existing immigration laws, reject any form of amnesty, and address the underlying welfare state that adds to the problem. I fear, however, that Congress will bow to the president and accept some sort of amnesty. Even worse, I fear Congress may use the immigration bill to create a national employment database that has nothing to do with border control and everything to do with monitoring American citizens and employers. Most Americans understandably want Congress to do something about illegal immigration, which has become a national embarrassment. One important solution is better enforcement of the laws we’ve got-- which plainly call for illegal immigrants to be arrested and deported. Congress can pass any law it wants, but unless federal agencies enforce those laws they are meaningless. The ultimate responsibility for our immigration mess, therefore, lies squarely with successive presidents, not Congress. For decades our chief executives simply have lacked the political will, the manpower, or the desire to police our borders and deport lawbreakers. It’s been nearly impossible politically for presidents or candidates to suggest the obvious, namely that illegal immigration mocks the rule of law and creates huge social and economic problems. But the tide is turning, and a majority of Americans will demand real action on immigration by the next administration. Real immigration reform will be difficult, but it need not be complicated First, enforce existing laws by controlling the borders once and for all. We must recognize that true national defense means defending our own borders and coastlines. This is the primary constitutional responsibility of the federal government. This means it’s time to stop spending hundreds of billions of dollars on overseas military adventures and countless alphabet soup domestic agencies. Borders should be the number one national priority, plain and simple. Does the federal government have something better to do? Second, we must end birthright citizenship by constitutional amendment, if necessary. House Joint Resolution 46, which I introduced earlier this year, begins the process in Congress. As long as illegal immigrants know that their children born here will be citizens, the perverse incentive to sneak into this country remains strong. Citizenship involves more than the mere location of one’s birth. True citizenship requires cultural connections and an allegiance to the United States. Americans are happy to welcome those who wish to come here and build a better life for themselves, but we rightfully expect immigrants to show loyalty and attempt to assimilate themselves culturally. Birthright citizenship sometimes confers the benefits of being American on people who do not truly embrace America. Finally, we must end welfare state subsidies for illegal immigrants. Some illegal immigrants — certainly not all — receive housing subsidies, food stamps, free medical care, and other forms of welfare. This alienates taxpayers and breeds suspicion of immigrants, even though the majority of them work very hard. Without a welfare state, we would know that everyone coming to America wanted to work hard and support himself. Immigration admittedly is a difficult issue, and nobody wants America to become an unwelcoming fortress. On the contrary, we need to attract the best and brightest people by remaining an entrepreneurial society that rewards initiative and hard work. But we must gain control of our borders not only to strengthen our national security, but also to preserve our national identity. Rep. Ron Paul Web Site Back to Top |
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No column this week. Nancy
Salvato
Web Site Contact
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©2004-2006 by their respective authors. Reprinted by permission. |
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