Why You BETTER Stop Terrorism and How To Do It

How can we stop terrorism?

Before you commit yourself though, you might want to consider the following – – –

~”There is no way to stop a dedicated terrorist who is willing to pay the price.” –Desert Storm General Norman Schwartzkopf, Ret., MSNBC

~”The asymmetrical advantage a terrorist has is that he can strike any place at any time, using any conceivable method of attack, and this is impossible to defend against.” –U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, CNN Late Edition

“It’s impossible to have a police officer every place. That would be unrealistic and it would change the nature of a free society.” –NYC Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, quoted by Brian Jenkins, CNN Live Against the State: An ... Rockwell Jr., Llewelly... Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $5.52 (as of 11:35 UTC - Details)

But let’s say we decide to take New York Mayor Giuliani’s prescription seriously. We “change the nature of society,” and arrange to “have a police officer every place.” Would that work?

If you take a close look at pictures from the Boston Marathon bombing, you will see that when those pressure-cooker bombs exploded, both sides of the street were lined with police officers.

So even if you manage to “have a police officer every place,” that won’t protect you.

And the FBI can’t save you either – – –

FBI Report: Agency Couldn’t Prevent the Boston Bombings

In fact, FBI tactics may seriously endanger you.

Here’s the problem in a nutshell – – –

The list of vulnerabilities is perilously long in Baltimore, as it is just about everywhere in the United States. … ”So how would you defend against frogmen blowing up half the harbor?” I asked [Sgt. George] McClaskey. … The sergeant shrugged uneasily. “Honestly,” he confessed, “I don’t think it’s possible.” …Now factor in the 276,000 natural gas wells in the U.S., the 1.5 million miles of unprotected pipelines, the 161 oil refineries, 2,000 oil storage facilities and 10,400 hydro, coal and gas-fired power generating stations … –Fortress America, The New York Times Magazine

So clearly, we’re not protected from terrorists. And can’t be. It’s called “Fourth Generation Warfare.” There’s plenty more proof, but unless you’re a masochist, you probably don’t want to know. Here, for example. And here, here, here and here etc. Swords Into Plowshares... Paul, Ron Best Price: $4.00 Buy New $15.99 (as of 11:36 UTC - Details)

And there’s one other thing. The nukes – – –

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Investment guru Warren Buffett offered a bleak prediction for the nation’s national security, saying a terrorist attack on American soil is “virtually a certainty.” … “We’re going to have something in the way of a major nuclear event in this country,” said Buffett … “It will happen. Whether it will happen in 10 years or 10 minutes, or 50 years … it’s virtually a certainty.” –Billionaire Predicts Nuclear Attack, JOE RUFF, Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. State Farm, the nation’s largest auto and residential insurer, is changing its car insurance policies to clearly exclude claims stemming from nuclear explosions or radioactive fallout. The Bloomington-based insurer …says nuclear blasts or radioactive damage are not normal road hazards, whether the incidents are accidental or intentional. –State Farm Cuts Nuke Damage From Coverage, AP

And don’t forget Dave Barry’s “Big Trouble” — the movie that was postponed because it was too realistic. It stars a backpack nuke smuggled into Florida – – –

OK, forget about the nukes. But before you do, do you remember that ABC news team which, to test U.S. defenses, toted depleted uranium into the U.S., definitively proving pissed-off folks could smuggle nukes into the heartland?

They did it twice, once through the premiere checkpoint in the Port of New York and then, the following year, through The Port of Los Angeles.

They did it without getting busted. Until they published their Los Angeles story, which apparently scared the kids — and made the law-and-order-industry look bad and fear for their plush budgets. Then the ABC news team got busted.

America Invades: How W... Christopher Kelly, Stu... Best Price: $6.50 Buy New $18.80 (as of 08:20 UTC - Details) O.K. So, one way or another, it looks like we might get nuked.

And don’t forget biological weapons.

So now you have an idea of the first part of the title, “Why You BETTER Stop Terrorism.”

And about now, you may be thinking things like “That @#$&ing writer, the $@$!@rd tells us we BETTER Stop Terrorism then convinces us we can’t! Get me a rope and find me a nice stout tree branch!”

Now hold on a minute! I hope I’ve convinced you that you can’t be protected from terrorism, not that you can’t stop it. I know it’s subtle, but there’s a difference.

Here’s the key:

“You could kill all the terrorists in Afghanistan, all the terrorists in the world. You could hang Osama bin Laden in sight of the White House. You still wouldn’t have solved the problem because you will have created a whole new generation of terrorists.” –Col. Richard Dunn, October, 2001

The torture and other abuses at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, Kandahar, etc. are regularly cited as main recruiting tools for foreign terrorists as are U.S. drone killings. And then, among other international crimes, there’s Uncle Sam’s unjustified and illegal invasion of Iraq. It’s one of those gifts that just keeps on giving – – –

LYDIA WILSON: …They had been found guilty of terrorism for various vehicle explosions and assassinations within Kirkuk [a devastated Iraqi city]. … And when I gave them a chance to talk and to ask more open-ended questions, it became very clear that they were fueled by a lot of anger, anger primarily against the Americans…. Lydia Wilson: What I Discovered from Interviewing Imprisoned Islamic State Fighters | Democracy Now!

Check Amazon for Pricing. And don’t forget all those other countries Uncle Sam bombed, droned, invaded, etc., currently including Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Libya — and I’ve probably missed a few. And the wedding parties, funeral processions, hospitals, etc. mistakes or not, blown up by bombing, drone attacks, etc. And just plain “collateral damage” in general.

“We came to the realization that the innocent civilians we were killing only fueled the feelings of hatred that ignited terrorism and groups like ISIS, while also serving as a fundamental recruitment tool similar to Guantanamo Bay. This administration and its predecessors have built a drone program that is one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism and destabilization around the world.”… Exclusive: Air Force Whistleblowers Risk Prosecution to Warn Drone War Kills Civilians, Fuels Terror | Democracy Now!

I don’t want to shock you, but a whole lot of folks think Uncle Sam is the terrorist.

Here’s a recent example:

“Today, Obama will arrive in the Philippines, and this is our welcome for him — a protest that rejects his presence because we do not want the leader of the United States, the chief architect of aggression and cruelty toward many nations around the world, to land in the Philippines.” –Diego Torres

Here’s what finally convinced me – – –

Now, although U.S. officials might think half-a-million dead kids “in pursuit of U.S. Policy” is OK, you can understand why it might seriously tick other people off. Those kids’ parents, family, and friends, for example. Maybe their countrymen in general. Maybe most folks of good will everywhere. It might even tick you off – – –

And even if Uncle stops behaving this way immediately, there will be a time-lag because, by killing their kids, relatives, friends, neighbors, etc., Uncle has ticked-off a LOT of folks over the decades. So you might want to buy that new Glock you’ve been eying — and spend a little more time at the range – – –

This is a burden that will also fall on the kids, grand kids and the yet unborn. None the less, the way to stop terrorism eventually is to stop Uncle Sam from being a terrorist NOW!

I didn’t say it would be easy.