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They Still Don't Get It!

Reader comment on item: Are We Safer Than Nine Months Ago?

Submitted by Ken Keane (United States), Jun 10, 2002 at 17:31

Mr. Pipes: I've seen you on these type of "debate" segments numerous times. It is amazing, people (especially the hosts) still don't get it! Television persists in packaging this WAR as a sit around the coffee table debate society topic, sandwiched in between segments on movie box office rankings or the Tyson/Lewis fight, i.e., filler.

"Root Causes " arguments have about as much substance as the "self esteem" movement has in our educational institutions. They give the advocate a nice warm and fuzzy feeling; however, they are all wrong. Anyone who has flown can't help but see (at least anyone with half a brain) that "tightened" airport security measures are ridiculous.

Attempts to re-organize an already bloated bureaucracy can only render a less confused bloated bureaucracy. This behemoth can't by definition have any needed rapid response capabilities; like chasing drug runners through the Keys with an aircraft carrier!

Mr. Pipes, in your words, "Our diplomacy, our military efforts, our counterterrorist efforts, everything is changed once you take away this simple notion of terrorism - or this abstract notion of terrorism, I should say - and replace it with the much more accurate one of extremist Islam."

Before these changes in notions can possibly occur, many people (diplomats, ambassadors, politicians, editorial boards) will have to say the one thing that none will, "I was wrong".
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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Reader comments (8) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
What is our problem with defining our enemy? [219 words]Herb SuchermanJun 13, 2002 21:49765
Terror will stop only when we hit the "incubator" [309 words]A.M.BerlinJun 12, 2002 16:46727
So What's So Difficult to Understand?? [171 words]Andrea HyattJun 11, 2002 04:01648
What is moderate Islam? [219 words]Rusty RivetJun 10, 2002 21:29640
On the CNN Interview... [115 words]Jay LermanJun 10, 2002 21:17639
Recognition [20 words]Alexander BarrettoJun 10, 2002 19:09636
If we knew then [148 words]Gil SchwartzJun 10, 2002 17:38634
They Still Don't Get It! [221 words]Ken KeaneJun 10, 2002 17:31633

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