Here is exactly why the War on Terror won't be won in the next few decades.
As I've said before, this is like the Cold War and it's 1953.
Question, Do you know anyone who doesn't really believe we are at war? Because I don't, even if they don't obsess on it like Freepers do.
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True Grit To Counter Terror, We Must Conquer Our Own Fear
Rand Corp. ^ | Summer 06 | Brian Michael Jenkins
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1739562/posts
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Enlist the public. The best way to increase our ability as a nation to respond to disasters, either natural or man made, is to enlist all citizens through education and engagement. This also happens to be a very good way to reduce the persistent anxieties that afflict us.
In the wake of 9/11, Washington’s continual reminders of imminent threats induced Americans to think of themselves as victims instead of protagonists in a long struggle. By making homeland security a purely Washington affair, the government was signaling that it would take responsibility for both security and response. Instead of promoting self-reliance, the government created dependency. But the federal government does not provide homeland security. Citizens do. This nation has powerful traditions of self-reliance and resiliency, as proven on 9/11. We must build on those traditions.
It is amazing how many people want to assist in homeland security — not just “be vigilant” or patriotically keep shopping when alert levels are raised. Citizen volunteers, from schoolteachers to security guards and from medical professionals to CEOs, could be assigned emergency roles, which could then be practiced in drills. Psychologists have learned that knowing what to do and having an assigned task in preparation, planning, and response not only increases preparedness but also reduces stress.
Public education is the first step toward strengthening ourselves. We need to aggressively educate the public through all media, in the classrooms, at town halls, in civic meetings, through professional organizations, and in volunteer groups. This means more than speeches in front of the American flag. The basic course should include how to deal with the spectrum of threats we face, from “dirty bombs” to natural epidemics, with the emphasis on sound, easy-to-understand science aimed at dispelling mythology and inoculating the community against alarming rumors and panic. More-advanced training, including specialized first aid and family protection measures, can be offered through youth organizations and other groups. Our goal should be to have all American teenagers, adults, and able-bodied senior citizens capable of taking care of themselves first, then taking care of their families, then taking care of their neighbors who need assistance.
Become more sophisticated about security. We cannot banish danger. Not every terrorist plot can be thwarted, no matter how much is spent on security. We have to become savvy about security, accept its limitations, and ensure that measures taken in the name of security do not destroy our open society or disrupt our economy.
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Right. The periodic "Code Orange" alerts in New York City whenever there is a terrorist attack overseas or threat of one here in the U.S. are particularly silly. You've got government officials telling people to be alert for a potential attack even as they: 1) insist that people should go on with their lives as if nothing is wrong; and 2) prohibit these same people from carrying firearms -- in direct violation of their Constitutional rights.
Question, Do you know anyone who doesn't really believe we are at war? Because I don't, even if they don't obsess on it like Freepers do.
Yes I do. We know a Methodist minister and his wife, who think the war is Mr. Bush's war for oil and nothing more. Islam is misunderstood and has been hijacked by a few radical members, but that it is not our problem.
They live in a tofu induced la-la land, fearing the Republicans will re-instate the draft and worrying about where to send their son when it happens. They think Al Gore is the smartest man on earth and would have been the president but the election was stolen. I am not kidding.