4 ms·
> There is no conceivable way that terrorists threaten our national existence/security. This statement surprises me. Especially your talk of casualties. I thin
by wsgeorge 10y ago
> There is no conceivable way that terrorists threaten our national existence/security.
This statement surprises me. Especially your talk of casualties. I think you miss something important about "terrorism". It is far more than raw casualty numbers. It is about the "fear and uncertainty" they generate in a populace. And that, to me, is a threat to any modern nation's existence, in a world whose economy depends a lot on things like "confidence" and "optimism".
Perhaps I misunderstand developed nations, but from my point of view, your statement seems alarmingly absurd.
- morgante 10y agoWhat's the conceivable scenario where even heightened levels of "fear and uncertainty" lead to the collapse of the USA? Also keep in mind that people are already extraordinarily pessimistic and unconfident about the country.
- grzm 10y agoHow do you define "collapse of the USA"? Dissolution? Fall of the government? Effective dictatorship? Widespread police state? Something else?
- morgante 10y agoI'd say the end to constitutional governance would be a good definition. That'd be included in all your scenarios except the police state. As much as I'd hate to live in a police state, I don't think you can call that the "collapse of the USA." China is very much alive.
- grzm 10y agoI think many Americans would no longer consider the USA the same country if it were a police state. It would be the US in name only.
- morgante 10y agoEh, we're a country that also allowed slavery for decades and only allowed a minority of citizens to vote for most of its history. I'm willing to embrace an expansive definition of the "US."
- grzm 10y agoallowed slavery for decades And doesn't anymore. only allowed a minority of citizens to vote for most of its history And now does. These are both examples of how the US has improved over time. I would be very surprised to see a reversal on either of these. If there were, people would similarly question whether it was still the US in anything but name, even if this had been the situation in the past.