Well, the jihadists are at it again.
When the story first broke, I didn't know what to make of the incident, the timing, (a major holiday, giving the attack very significant psychological impact), or the actual execution of the plan, (so late in the flight). As details have emerged, the significant ramification of the thing has been the fallout of finger-pointing in the media and the government.
Geez, I didn't realize that there were so many experts, and that being a Republican automatically qualified you as an anti-terrorist specialist, or that being a reporter automatically qualified one as an "analyst".
Many things are and will continue being said, all with 20/20 hindsight, but what is significant are those things not being said. What will we do going forward? Who among the experts will stick their neck out with an idea?
This will, most likely, be my last post of 2009, or, if I tarry, my first of 2010, so I am going to rattle off a few observations here and see if the political cat bites at them, (either of you).
Things I would like to see in 2010:
On the Homeland Security front, I think the President ought to confer with the best republican president we have had in a while, Bill Clinton, and get in front of those things that he is going to be hammered with during the mid-term election year, (this is one of them) and go to town.
Secure the borders a little better. (I am talking about this kind of security, not a few Latinos crossing the Rio Grande looking for work). Beef up security on international flights, step up the use of the vast mechanized resources now at Big Bro's disposal, (I don't like it, but that horse has already left the barn), and add screeners and equipment to the 30 busiest international airports with flights in and out of North America. Fund these initiatives out of foreign aide, (make sure the aide checks go through the screening process). Those governments not liking it can make other arrangements, and feed at other troughs. (A 'like it or lump it attitude always plays well in Congress and at the polls....).
One of the things that bothers me is that there is no clear indicator of progress except nothing happening. Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum, and that leads to the manufacture of bullshit, which leads to a lot of finger pointing, which takes us off task, which opens up opportunities for things to happen, which brings us to the point where we are now, wondering what to do next.
There is currently a drive to add troops to Afghanistan, a move that I think is good, to the extent that this is no time for half measures in that part of the world. This brings me to item number two. It is my sincere hope that the capture, dead or alive of bin Laden is a top priority for these people.
When that piece of pig shit is captured, in whatever condition, he should be put on display, first in his home territory, then in the US, wrapped lovingly in a shroud of pigskin. When he is gone, the rest of his gang should go out the same way. And then, the real work begins. The US and the western world must make some amends for the hardships imposed on the peoples of the mideast, no matter what the cause, and leave with a positive impression, or all of this is for naught. I am not sure of how to do that, in Afghanistan, it may boil down to buying the poppy crop every year and operating a small chain of clinics to keep the population healthy and out of poverty. The money we would spend on poppy's could be offset by what we would save in the war on heroin, (or, we could manufacture the stuff, and flood other countries with it, f**k with them for a change).
In short, I want to see progress in the mideast, and I want to see bin Laden dead and humiliated.
Then we have global warming. The Copenhagen conference is over and we really got it up the wazoo. I think that those nations serious about reducing greenhouse gases should band together and do what they can, and tax the living hell out of goods and services from those two countries that can't afford to reduce emissions right now, (China and India). If these two emerging giants can't go along, then tax imports from these countries, and make up the difference. Let them ante up or pay up, one way or another. being a global powerhouse is expensive, and they need to understand that from the get go.
I would like to see a few political candidates be truthful for once. (Yeah I know, I have more chance of seing my hometown team in the Superbowl). I saw a very intelligent position paper regarding the effect of coastal erosion, caused by elevated sea levels and its impact on local and a state economy, and how it should be dealt with this past week. It was concise, it did not fall back on a lot of legalese and theory, it dealt with the here and now, and the likely impact in the coming ten years and how the trend could be identified and possibly mitigated. It was written for the lay person, not for the scientist and it impressed me.
It was signed by Sarah Palin before she started sleeping with the national party, dealing with the problems faced by her state, Alaska, and what it would take to stop or slow the damage.
Bot has she changed, but ambition will do that.
