What America Has Lost - It’s clear we overreacted to 9/11.

[thundley4]

Nine years after 9/11, can anyone doubt that Al Qaeda is simply not that deadly a threat? Since that gruesome day in 2001, once governments everywhere began serious countermeasures, Osama bin Laden’s terror network has been unable to launch a single major attack on high-value targets in the United States and Europe. While it has inspired a few much smaller attacks by local jihadis, it has been unable to execute a single one itself. Today, Al Qaeda’s best hope is to find a troubled young man who has been radicalized over the Internet, and teach him to stuff his underwear with explosives.

I do not minimize Al Qaeda’s intentions, which are barbaric. I question its capabilities. In every recent conflict, the United States has been right about the evil intentions of its adversaries but massively exaggerated their strength. In the 1980s, we thought the Soviet Union was expanding its power and influence when it was on the verge of economic and political bankruptcy. In the 1990s, we were certain that Saddam Hussein had a nuclear arsenal. In fact, his factories could barely make soap.

The error this time is more damaging. September 11 was a shock to the American psyche and the American system. As a result, we overreacted. In a crucially important Washington Post reporting project, “Top Secret America,” Dana Priest and William Arkin spent two years gathering information on how 9/11 has really changed America.

Here are some of the highlights. Since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has created or reconfigured at least 263 organizations to tackle some aspect of the war on terror. The amount of money spent on intelligence has risen by 250 percent, to $75 billion (and that’s the public number, which is a gross underestimate). That’s more than the rest of the world spends put together. Thirty-three new building complexes have been built for intelligence bureaucracies alone, occupying 17 million square feet—the equivalent of 22 U.S. Capitols or three Pentagons. Five miles southeast of the White House, the largest government site in 50 years is being built—at a cost of $3.4 billion—to house the largest bureaucracy after the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs: the Department of Homeland Security, which has a workforce of 230,000 people.

Fareed Zakaria-NewSpeak

**** him. The idea is that when you are attacked, you respond with overwhelming force.

[MrsSmith]

Many people, worldwide, expected America to roll over and whimper like a whipped puppy.  Many are upset we didn't.  I seldom do this but  them.

[Ptarmigan]

Who reads Newsweek? America should of done more after 9/11. We should of had the opportunity to after the enemy within.

[cavegal]

I think we should have nuked them.. Fareed! and then warn them! 

[true_blood]

I think we should have nuked them.. Fareed! and then warn them! 

YUP!!! Do not send not a single one of our American troops over there at all. Let them conjure there and then, BOMBS AWAY!!!! You know how easy and cost ridden that would have been?!? Of course civilians die, but isn't that war?!? Weren't we attacked? Didn't we have civilians die as well??
Who knows?!? Maybe Iran is next up on the plate. I hear that Israel is buying all sorts of jet fuel.

[DefiantSix]

Who knows?!? Maybe Iran is next up on the plate. I hear that Israel is buying all sorts of jet fuel.

I hear they're buying F-35s as well.  Probably won't be available to drop the trap door on the mad mullahs when the time comes, but every little bit helps... 

[PatriotGame]

Fareed Zakaria-NewSpeak

**** him. The idea is that when you are attacked, you respond with overwhelming force.

Better to over produce / over spend to cover innocent American children, than to acquiesce to liberal/democrat/0bama/Pelosi/Reid/Bwarny Fwrank/"Chuck-You" Schumer/Blow-Job Biden give up tactics that will allow OUR enemies to murder more of our children and mothers.

[BlueStateSaint]

I hear that Israel is buying all sorts of jet fuel.

I found on the Net a press release dated 5 Aug 2010 highlighting the sale of 60,000,000 gal of unleaded gasoline, 100,000,000 gal of diesel fuel, and 284,000,000 gal of JP-8 to Israel.

[Revolution]

^ Go Israel, GO!!!

If they take Military action against Iran, and their bat shit crazy leaders, they have MY full support!

[JohnnyReb]

I found on the Net a press release dated 5 Aug 2010 highlighting the sale of 60,000,000 gal of unleaded gasoline, 100,000,000 gal of diesel fuel, and 284,000,000 gal of JP-8 to Israel.

I don't have a pencil or calculator handy so bare with me here....that's 444,000,000 total....right....divided by 42 gallons in a barrel of crude oil = about 10,000,000 barrels ....and each barrel produces about half that about in useable fuel....so, you need about 20,000,000 barrels to produce that much product or about a 1 day supply of crude for the U.S......doesn't seem like much when you look at it that way.

[Revolution]

Still, I think one day supply of crued for the ENTIRE U.S. could do a decent bit of damage to the heart of Iran.

[BlueStateSaint]

Here's the link:

http://www.asdnews.com/news/29635/Israel_-_Unleaded_Gasoline,_JP-8_Aviation_Jet_Fuel,_and_Diesel_Fuel.htm

Yeah, a 1-day supply of what the US uses could, in the hands of a country vastly smaller than the US, do a lot.  Let's remember that the IAF is a lot smaller than the USAF, and they're a lot closer to their targets.

[JohnnyReb]

Still, I think one day supply of crude for the ENTIRE U.S. could do a decent bit of damage to the heart of Iran.

If they are stockpiling it, got enough storage to hold it, maybe. If they're just buying futures to be delivered later, then it might not be forthcoming after they hit Iran.

I don't how much oil Israel uses daily but if this is a "BIG" increase with maybe some more purchases in the near future, it may be an indication of future events in the middle east.

[NHSparky]

And CNN wonders why their ratings are lower than the Cartoon Network.

Overreact, you blathering dipshit?  If most other nations had the power we did, a large portion of the ME would have been a glass parking lot by sunrise on 9/12, and everyone Islamic would be in a camp in BFE.  The fact that you can still fling a few IEDs around speaks volumes to our restraint.

[Freeper]

Yeah we over reacted. It's not like 3000 people died that day. Oh wait 3000 innocent people were murdered in cold blood.

I really hate liberals.

[Revolution]

And CNN wonders why their ratings are lower than the Cartoon Network.

  Some reason, I find that extraordinarily funny. MSNBC must be an absolute LAUGHING STOCK!

[Chris_]

How can one say we overreacted?  I don't think we did enough.  There was a special on NatGeo last night on 9/11.  Watching that all over again was like going back to Sept. 11, 2001.  It was upsetting to see, but there was no way I could change the channel.  The stories from the firefighters, survivors, and police brought tears to my eyes.  These people are heroes. 

It's unbelievable that we have such people, like this writer, in our society.

[Odin's Hand]

Wow, a muslim author of "The Post-American World" by the name of "Fareed Zakaria" is pissed that the we all didn't lay our heads gently under the falling scimitar and instead decided to kill those with evil intent of action, whom he respects.

Never thought I'd see the day...

[JohnnyReb]

What America Has Lost - It’s clear we overreacted to 9/11.

You mean we nuked Mecca into non-existance and no one bothered to tell me.

[DefiantSix]

What America Has Lost - It’s clear we overreacted to 9/11.

You mean we nuked Mecca into non-existance and no one bothered to tell me.

That wouldn't have been an overreaction.  Now if we'd included the Dome of the Rock on that targetting sheet, then I think you could argue overreaction...

[true_blood]

And CNN wonders why their ratings are lower than the Cartoon Network.

HA HA!!!

[Ptarmigan]

The next terrorist attack could make 9/11 forgettable. This time the Middle East will be a large glass and Muslims, illegals, Ronbots, and leftists will be rounded up, tortured, and disappear or turn up as mutilated dead bodies. All those alphabet networks will probably be shut down.