The American Spectator

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Defenses Down

6.19.08 @ 12:01AM

TOO SOON?
Re: Philip Klein's The Post-Post 9/11 Candidate:

Barack Obama's take on terror epitomizes the essence of liberalism: people will not be who they are, but who we wish them to be, if we say and do all the "right" things. If that doesn't happen, it's our fault, not theirs.

If terrorists ever nuke an American city, imagine one of these fools standing before the public telling us why such monsters deserve the "benefit of the doubt" and a "fair trial."
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

I strongly disagree with Philip Klein's conclusion that Barack Obama doesn't think terrorism is a big deal -- he does; which is why he has a comprehensive approach to combating it that includes using all of our resources including rebuilding our diplomatic allegiances.

Barack Obama diverges from the Bush-McCain approach in two important ways.

First, he is unwilling to go outside the structure of our Constitution. The principles laid down by our founding fathers make us stronger, not weaker. We need to abide by them for our own good and the future of our country. The Bush-McCain approach of anything goes has done more to hurt our country than we realize.

Second, Barack Obama is unwilling to use fear as a way to gain political advantage. Just look at the correlation between when the Bush administration suffered political damage and when they chose to raise the terrorism threat levels over the past 7 years and you'll see what I mean.

John McCain is picking up where Karl Rove left off by trying to scare the good citizens of the USA into voting for him. It isn't going to work. Terrorism is a threat that a rational president such as Obama will be able to handle appropriately and successfully.

It isn't the only problem our country is facing, however, and perhaps that is where Mr. Klein gets confused.
-- Matt Ahrens

I want to disagree with Klein's article about Obama representing the old way of thinking in the so-called war on terror. I simply don't hear it as a move away from moving vigorously against terrorists. Rather it is a move away from the politics of fear which has freed George Bush to assault the Bill of Rights in the name of the "war on terror." I propose the following:

* There is no "war on terror." When John Edwards declared that, he was right. Wars are waged between governments, not ad hoc groups and criminals, no matter how well organized. Edwards was simply daring to point out that "the emperor has no clothes."

* The average American has more chance of being killed in an automobile accident or even a lightning strike than by a terrorist. To use the "war on terror" as an excuse for expanding the power of the executive branch of the government at the expense of the legislative or even the courts to say nothing of violating basic constitutional rights as the Bush Administration has done is something that has to stop.

* Criminal behavior on the part of terrorists should be dealt with by the courts where the accused are able to confront their accusers and see the evidence against them. I don't buy the notion that this compromises national security. There are ways of dealing with that issue without compromising people's legal rights.

* This in no way suggests that we should lessen the resources devoted to what I will call the struggle to stop terrorism. All military, political, intelligence and any other resources needed for preventing terrorist attacks and apprehending the criminals should be used. Beef it up from where it is, even. My concern is for due process once these people are in our hands.

To conclude, I have a far greater fear of compromising fundamental liberties as those are spelled out in the Constitution than anything else. I will take my chances with the terrorists rather than continue sliding down the slippery slope where such things as habeas corpus, freedom of speech and so on become provisional at the convenience of whoever happens to be in charge of making the accusations. I think it was Benjamin Franklin who made the comment, "He who sacrifices liberty in the name of security eventually loses both.
-- "Pastor" Don

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