If it smells interesting my dog might take it...:cool:

Sure it is. Crystal balls are a bit unreliable, and therefore of little use to the TSA. The TSA tries to be proactive, but no one can think of everything. We do what we can, based on good sound security principals. Its not enough, and never will be, but its far better than nothing.

You have a good point, and may very well be 100% correct. But they didn’t dance the government as much as they did the citizens. 9/11 scared the entire nation. 300 million people reacted to it, live and in color. I remember watching the 2nd plane hit the towers live, and I don’t live anywhere near New York. It made an impact on my life that I will never forget, just as it did every other person in this country.

That’s the way terrorism works though. A few can have a major impact on many.

And which do you suspect I am? Liberal or conservative?

Actually, I haven't bothered to think about it. :rolleyes: Would you like to share your political outlook with me?

True to a point. While I agree that everything can't and won't be thought of, there is a lot that could be done proactively that isn't being done, such as screener and employee screening. I accept that not everything can be secured due to finite resources, but I largely think that TSA is focusing its resources in the wrong areas.

I think they did dance the government. We all remember where we were when it happened and we all watched it happen, just like everyone from my parents' and grandparents' generation can remember where they were when JFK got shot. However, that type of environment isn't the time or place to be making long lasting decisions with little debate and analysis. Government isn't set up to do things quickly and when it does a kneejerk reaction like that, the outcome is almost never good.

Politicians are quick to look like they're doing something to fix the situation, but they don't stop to examine if that something is the right thing. Following on that, another major problem is IF it's not the right thing, Washington won't admit that it was wrong but will continue down the same path.

People were screaming, but cooler heads should have prevailed. Washington should have told the people "we're looking at it, here are some interim things we'll do for the time being while we determine what allowed X to happen and how we can prevent it from happening again. However, we can't rush this either lest it become a political football and not find the correct solution." We were all there. Politicians were falling all over themselves to look like they were doing something quick and decisive. People were afraid and the government made bad decisions. However, instead of correcting them, we've created a monster because politicians and bureaucrats can't admit to being wrong.

The worst time to make quick decisions like that are when people are afraid.

^^ This is exactly what happened in DC following 9/11. Mistakes were made, and there is no way politicians and senior government officials will ever admit making a mistake.

IMO "liberal or conservative" is a phony divide designed to keep people from seeing the divide of authoritarian versus libertarian. I know which side I am on that one and I believe you are on the other.

It makes me wonder how differently the current administration would have approached the same issues if 9/11 had happened under their watch.

Based on what I've seen so far, not much differently. Fear motivates people fairly equally. I believe this administration would have rushed just as fast to create a flawed DHS, because most of the people who work in this town are career employees, and I know that many of my colleagues saw 9/11 as an opportunity to advance their careers with the inevitable growth of government that the attacks spurred.

I have more of a problem with people who show symptoms of personality or character disorders. I brought up the MRI study because it might be of interest that political viewpoints are to a degree hardwired in the brain. Perhaps there is a Limbaugh Node which lights up when certain subjects are mentioned.:rolleyes:

Interesting.:-:

The UK has placed Savage on it's "unwelcome" list. Just like a terrorist....

deleted

Let's keep this out of OMNI territory.

Agreed.

Must...supress...urge...to...call...Savage...scum

There we go.