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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
 Posted - 10/30/2001 : 13:18:06
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????To do what???
Is it just me, or does this sound like a knee-jerk reaction? We already have a whole alphabet-soup of agencies who are supposed to protect the country. What will a "Directer of Homeland Defense" do? The only way he'd do any good is if he can resolve the different agencies' territorial pissing contests. Pardon me while I don't hold my breath.
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room.
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2001 : 13:36:29 [Permalink]
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quote:
????To do what???
Is it just me, or does this sound like a knee-jerk reaction? We already have a whole alphabet-soup of agencies who are supposed to protect the country. What will a "Directer of Homeland Defense" do? The only way he'd do any good is if he can resolve the different agencies' territorial pissing contests. Pardon me while I don't hold my breath.
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room.
Awwww. Cmon. I haven't seen someone pass out in a long time.
I think that quite a few people wanted to see an immediate reaction. To do that, GW had to make a new cabinet post.
(from Blazing Saddles)
Let's have some indignation to save our phony-baloney jobs. Hrumpf! Hrumpf!
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2001 : 15:34:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
????To do what???
Is it just me, or does this sound like a knee-jerk reaction?
Lisa the United States has been attacked. New York City lies partly in ruins. Thousands upon thousands of Americans have been killed. It is still on fire after more than a month. Yesterday the families of some few hundred of these people were given urns of dirt from the site because they can't find pieces of their rotting corpses big enough to identify them.
And you think that the Federal Government setting up a bureau to coordinate the defense of our homeland is a "knee-jerk reaction"?
Go down to your local post office and talk to the clerks. I did that very thing yesterday. It will bring you back into focus with a very harsh reality.
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The brain that was stolen from my laboratory was a criminal brain. Only evil will come from it. |
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2001 : 15:56:20 [Permalink]
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The funny thing is that this guy in charge og homeland defense tells everyone everything is fine and to go back to work. Nevermind that if one spore of anthrax is found in the Senate or Supreme Court they close down. Everything is AOK for you normal peons.....errr citizens.
This same president that created this office is playing games with airport security now and that really has me steamed. He wants it to be taken care of privately just like it was before. We already saw how well that turned out.
Personally, I don't see how the smoking crater and dead bodies require a new cabinet position. Let's have the agencies we've had get their shit together. The CIA is having trouble translating documents for chrissakes. Does that say anything about where their priorities haven't been that they have no one to translate? Maybe if we concede that the "drug war" is over we can move those resources to where they might do some good and are obviously needed.
I hope we see something significant from this Homeland Defense agency besides press conferences. Besides all that, but throw in the "Patriot" act and the whole idea gives me the willies. This agency could end up being our very own KGB that we learn to fear.
@tomic
Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law! |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 10/30/2001 : 17:30:58 [Permalink]
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I don't think I need to focus on any harsh reality, I'm living it. My husband is in Qatar building bombs. Said bombs are being used. That's pretty real, in my book. The futile attempts to get ahold of our friends and loved ones in the NYC area in the hours after the attack is very very real. And still gives us nightmares.
Right now its a little past 0500 in Qatar. Ed (Shadowman) is getting ready to go to work. Shipments of munitions will be arriving. He will sort, store, and arrange all the components until they're something called "bombs". That's real.
While he's traveling to work, he's probably hoping he doesn't get shot. He told me its about a 40 minute drive, so I hope he's keeping his head down.
My whole gripe is the Homeland Defense thing. It sounds like we're putting a band-aid on a sucking chest wound. And I have questions about the program. What are its powers? More importantly, what are its limits?
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. |
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Garrette
SFN Regular
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2001 : 03:57:10 [Permalink]
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I'm with Lisa on this one. The position frightens me; more precisely I'm frightened because we don't know the limits of its authority. I still hold that this is the first step on a bad road.
That being said, it does seem that the primary function, at least so far, as been to do what Lisa hopes which is to break down agency barriers and get the myriad bureaucracies cooperating.
The second function is to keep talking to the public. In this aspect, I do not envy Mr. Ridge. As a security guy, I know exactly what he's trying to say but I don't know how to help him say it better. The real point, though, is that the way he's trying to get people to act now is the way that security professionals think they should ALWAYS act, even before 9/11. Live how you want; do what you want; go where you want; associate freely; be happy; just be aware.
It gets to the Halloween thread elsewhere. I'm going out and about with my kids exactly as I have before, but even last year I kept my eyes open for other people around and I checked the candy. Last night in Louisville there was a big to-do at one of the malls where the vendors put on an alternative Halloween celebration for kids to come dressed up to. It even seemed to be non-promotional in that they weren't pushing stores or brand names. But it was wrong-headed. Do what you did last year and the year before; don't change. Don't change because it's a psychological victory, and don't change because it's tactically stupid. If you wanted to hurt kids would you find it easier to hurt a series of small groups walking around well-traveled neighborhoods, or would you find it easier to plant one destructive device at a site where you know large numbers will congregate? I'll take my kids around, thank you.
My kids still love me. |
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Mespo_man
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2001 : 05:34:07 [Permalink]
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quote:
It gets to the Halloween thread elsewhere. I'm going out and about with my kids exactly as I have before, but even last year I kept my eyes open for other people around and I checked the candy...[Garrette]
Weather forecast for Northeastern Ohio is clear and mild; 66 degrees. The rustle of autumn leaves under your feet. THE FIRST FULL MOON IN 46 YEARS ON HALLOWEEN. You BET I'll be out with my family.
(:raig |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2001 : 00:36:11 [Permalink]
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http://www.miami.com/herald/content/news/national/digdocs/061095.htm
I didn't post the article, its kind of long. Basically, Ashcroft has decided that the feds can evesdrop on attorney/client conversations. This will help stop terrorism.
While yes, he might have a point, and he's said there will be certain safeguards, I still have to wonder, who will watch the watchers?
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 11/09/2001 : 23:53:54 [Permalink]
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quote:
????To do what???
Is it just me, or does this sound like a knee-jerk reaction? We already have a whole alphabet-soup of agencies who are supposed to protect the country. What will a "Directer of Homeland Defense" do? The only way he'd do any good is if he can resolve the different agencies' territorial pissing contests. Pardon me while I don't hold my breath.
Lisa
I'm just getting to read this folder. Wow, this is the 1st time anywhere I'm hearing someone say what I thought from the time I heard about that stupid committee or office or whatever the hell Bush made up.
My question is, what happened to the FBI and the CIA. Do we no longer have them, does this replace them? Weren't they doing the job good? What the hell is going on? Guess they weren't doing the job! Too bad all that missery had to happen for us to find out. Whatever Bush is doing, is a cover up and or just something to make Americans think something constructive is happening. I think he's still an idiot, and the congress is no better.
Lisa, I forget, have you mentioned if you are a Libertarian? If not you'd better register for the party soon, you are talking like.
Rap Crap is to music what Paint by Numbers is to art. |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2001 : 00:06:19 [Permalink]
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quote:
The funny thing is that this guy in charge og homeland defense tells everyone everything is fine and to go back to work. Nevermind that if one spore of anthrax is found in the Senate or Supreme Court they close down. Everything is AOK for you normal peons.....errr citizens.
This same president that created this office is playing games with airport security now and that really has me steamed. He wants it to be taken care of privately just like it was before. We already saw how well that turned out.
Well, @, we almost agree. Execpt for the privitation. Government employees could have made the same mistakes, but they wouldn't have been fired! As you must have seen in the news today, the company who messed up with the guy carrying a bunch of no no's on the plane recently, fired the people involved. The government doesn't do such a good cost effective job with employies now, why should it be different with airport personal?
quote:
Personally, I don't see how the smoking crater and dead bodies require a new cabinet position. Let's have the agencies we've had get their shit together. The CIA is having trouble translating documents for chrissakes. Does that say anything about where their priorities haven't been that they have no one to translate? Maybe if we concede that the "drug war" is over we can move those resources to where they might do some good and are obviously needed.
@, do we have some Libertarian ideas creeping in there?  Good for you.
quote:
I hope we see something significant from this Homeland Defense agency besides press conferences. Besides all that, but throw in the "Patriot" act and the whole idea gives me the willies. This agency could end up being our very own KGB that we learn to fear.
@tomic
I'll say!!! Time for everyone to write their congressman again.
Rap Crap is to music what Paint by Numbers is to art. |
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comradebillyboy
Skeptic Friend
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2001 : 11:00:24 [Permalink]
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what do they call some one with no budget, no staff and no statuatory authority in washington?
a) impotent;
b) a propaganda ploy;
c) a bad joke;
d) window dressing;
e) all of the above.
tom ridge was brought to washington to give him some visibility and to groom him for the vp spot when the curren vp finally croaks. unfortunatly every time he and the saintly asscroft contradict each other on terrorist alerts his credibility and the administration's credibility suffer.
maybe bush thought ridge was not as scary as the atty gen, asscroft, but asscroft wont stay under his rock.
comrade billyboy |
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