Four years have passed since 9/11 and one thing is clear: We're still not ready.
Four years have passed since America's rude awakening to the threat of terrorism. Since that time, billions have been spent on recovery and then protection. We have seen a massive expansion of the federal government with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. The USA PATRIOT Act, which gives law enforcement agencies unparalleled access into our personal lives, has been passed and renewed. Armed U.S. Marshals guard our planes, and no sneaker, however foul, goes unchecked by airport security. But one salient fact remains: We are not prepared.…
Article comments
26 - Pete Blackwell
To Douglas Anthony Cooper (comment 4): I think you're letting your smugness get ahead of you, or else you're far more cynical than is strictly necessary.
My choice of Britten's Peace in Our Time as the Amazon link for this article has, as you say, a "peculiar lack of irony" because it is not actually an attempt to be ironic, per se.
You point out that the opera "is an *earnest* celebration of peace." If you had actually read my article, you would have noticed that I have a fairly *earnest* attitude toward peace as well. Please allow myself to quote myself:
Peace with insecurity cannot last. Either the insecurity goes, or else the peace. It's up to us.
Now, which one do you think I'm pulling for, peace or insecurity? Go on, take a guess. So I guess you thought you comment, you know, sounded smart. Sorry to burst that bubble.
That being said, I wouldn't put so much faith in my irony-detector if I were you. Benjamin Britten is a British composer who chose as his title for an earnest work about peace, the very words uttered by Neville Chamberlain upon returning from his appeasement negotiations with Adolf Hitler. Remember how that turned out? It seems like Britten is using, *gasp*, irony.
27 - Anthony Grande
"Right wing extremists don't care whether we are any better than Stalin's Russia or Robespierre's France,"
All liberals would like a social system in which Stalin and Robespierre wanted.
28 - Victor Plenty
Of course you know that's a lie, Anthony.
29 - gonzo marx
Ant G sez..
*All liberals would like a social system in which Stalin and Robespierre wanted.*
and this is yet another nail in the coffin that holds the Proof of your delusional perceptions
i am beginning to think that AG, Mark of the SS and a few other names we have seen as of late, are all the same person...
thoughts?
Excelsior!
30 - Anthony Grande
Victor, Gonzo Marxist here:
The strategy of the Democrat party is to give the poor minorities enough to make them able to eat (welfare) but not to give them enough to rise out of poverty. This is because as long as they are in poverty they will need the Democratic Party and continue to vote for them.
This is also the same strategy that Mao, Lenin, Castro and Chavez have used to gain complete control over their governments. They got support of the poor majority and got the power which led to burning the constitution and all of the people's rights. The poor stayed poor, but the rich also became poor and the government became amazingly rich.
Now the only thing that seperates the dems and the commies are that in commie countries the poor were the majority. Now all that we need here is a few million people to become poor and the democrats can take the entire Senate, Supreme Court, Presidency, Governorships and Mayorships which would eventually lead to a single party state (Communism) and eventually lead to no more elections.
To know history is to know the future
The are three types of democRats: Cattle (poor) Herders ( rich liberals who are holding poor back) and third, the idiotos who actually believe the democRats are actually helping the poor.
31 - Anthony Grande
Gonzo, I have been commenting here off and on for four years. And my actual name is Anthony Camillo Michael Grande, that is my REAL name, no one is posting under it exept me!!!
32 - gonzo marx
so, you expect us to believe that you first started yoru diatribes when you were 12? since your claimed age is 16 now..
i have also noted large swings in writing style, syntax, as well as composition at various times...
curious from a self professed 16 year old
as for your fallacious screed in commment #30...put the kool-aid down, and step away slowly
you really either do not have any clue as to the Reality , or you enjoy bullshitting and pulling folks legs
either way...your time...
Excelsior!
33 - Anthony Grande
Yeah that is right Gonzo Marxist, don't got no educated comeback so you attack my age.
I am actually closer to 17 than 16 and for the first 2 years I was arguing on Music site. Then from two years to present I have been here off and on talking politics.
Gonzo slowly drop the viagra and walk away.
34 - troll
*To know history is to know the future *
an article of faith stated frequently by your old bud Karl - the problem comes when you try to decide which history actually is an effective predictor...there are so many after all
take your stark naivety off my bridge
troll