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Seriously? Invoking 9/11? As though Israeli airport security has anything at all to do with American intelligence failures? Don't cheapen people's deaths by usi

Seriously? Invoking 9/11? As though Israeli airport security has anything at all to do with American intelligence failures? Don't cheapen people's deaths by using them for your political points. I don't like that we live in a world where it saves lives to do something that involves judging people by the color of their skin or their religion. I can not like that, and also accept that it happens and works. The world is not black and white; no amount of paranoia or denigration of political correctness on your part will change that. It is okay to say "this is not something we're proud of" and also "this is something that is necessary." Not every action a nation takes need be 100% laudable, even if the goals are. But it doesn't seem like you can accept that, and you're contorting my words past any point of recognition, so I think we're done here.

blisterpeanuts 10y ago
All I'm saying is, if the U.S. employed a competent system such as Israel's, maybe just maybe the 9/11 attacks would not have succeed because those guys would have generated some suspicion. Al Qaeda was already active prior to 9/11 and had attacked several U.S. targets e.g. the U.S.S. Cole, the embassy in Africa, etc. Furthermore, the U.S. had even received warnings from Israeli intelligence and, as I recall, German as well, about a possible plane-based terror attack in the works. Mossad is said to have been tracking some of the 9/11 hijackers in the U.S. For a more recent example of ignoring the evidence, see the Boston Marathon bombing, in which the Russians actually phoned to warn us about the Chechnyan brothers. The intel was there, but our system was--and is--so broken as to be useless. Close your mind, or open it; it's your choice. The Israelis have survived this long by being pragmatic. The Americans, not so much; we muddle through despite ourselves, not because of any particularly brilliant management of our borders and transport systems.
- dang 10y ago
  Please edit personal swipes such as "Sucks to be you" and "Close your mind, or open it" in comments here. They add no information, degrade the quality of discussion, and provoke worse.

blisterpeanuts 10y ago

All I'm saying is, if the U.S. employed a competent system such as Israel's, maybe just maybe the 9/11 attacks would not have succeed because those guys would have generated some suspicion. Al Qaeda was already active prior to 9/11 and had attacked several U.S. targets e.g. the U.S.S. Cole, the embassy in Africa, etc. Furthermore, the U.S. had even received warnings from Israeli intelligence and, as I recall, German as well, about a possible plane-based terror attack in the works. Mossad is said to have been tracking some of the 9/11 hijackers in the U.S. For a more recent example of ignoring the evidence, see the Boston Marathon bombing, in which the Russians actually phoned to warn us about the Chechnyan brothers. The intel was there, but our system was--and is--so broken as to be useless. Close your mind, or open it; it's your choice. The Israelis have survived this long by being pragmatic. The Americans, not so much; we muddle through despite ourselves, not because of any particularly brilliant management of our borders and transport systems.

dang 10y ago
Please edit personal swipes such as "Sucks to be you" and "Close your mind, or open it" in comments here. They add no information, degrade the quality of discussion, and provoke worse.