The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 7 of 13)

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Mr. Klein makes some very good points about the dangers of Obama's possible presidency and the treatment of terrorism as a simple law-enforcement problem, rather than as a national security issue. However, he does make one incorrect point. The threat of "terrorism" is way overblown. The mass-murder of 9/11 was tragic, horrible, and demonstrated both the inherent weaknesses and strengths of our ideological enemy. The victims of that day, and their families, deserve our sympathies and I do not want anything I'm about to say to be taken as a slight to them.

First, the murder of 3,000 people is insignificant to our society as a whole. If you want a good comparison, realize that in Los Angeles there are 4,000 gang-related murders every six months. The death-toll of American troops in Iraq has only, after 6 years, managed to reach that high. Perhaps it is due to the suddenness of the 9/11 attacks that they matter so much more. But this rings hollow. We were surprised then, there is no reason to be surprised again.

The threat of nuclear, radiological ("dirty"), or chemical terrorism is more significant, but not by much. Only with a mass distribution of these weapons all across the country, or a particularly lucky attack in a massive city such as New York, could the death toll even reach a single percentage of the American population. The major impact of these would be psychological, and I think Osama and his friends know well enough that after our morning period, this country would unite and become a nation of terrible vengeance. Biological terrorism is more of a threat due to its self-replicating nature and the fact that the victims of such an attack would carry it across the country. But we can handle a plague, even though it would be horrible.

But our response to 9/11 showed our own weaknesses and strengths. Our military in Afghanistan and Iraq were quick, deceive, and victorious in short order. A poor plan for post-invasion in Iraq created problems, but those were turned around so swiftly most haven't even realized it yet. This is due to our major strength, a well-equipped, honorable, and intelligent military force.

But even as bombs fell on the Taliban and American special forces were leading Afghans to their freedom, our leaders were going to mosques and calling the funders and ideological cousins of the "terrorists" for advice and to assure them that we believed Islam to be a religion of "peace." I am no position to state definitively if Islam is a peaceful religion or not, I can only exam data and decide what it suggests. Since the end of the Vietnam war, every major military action has involved Islam. Not every military action, Grenada, the FARC in Columbia, and others did not involve Islam. But the list of actions involving Islam dwarfs those that do not. What does this tell you? I know what it tells me, but I would not want to change your mind.

But the simple fact is that response to 9/11, to assure the "Muslim" world that we didn't blame them for the atrocities, demonstrates our major weakness: Multi-culturism, and the complete lack of foreign cultures that accompanies it. And the complete lack of will that we have to defend our own culture and all the wonderful things that it has brought the world. And I'm not talking about McDonalds and Hollywood and Rap Music here. I'm talking about equality, tolerance, independence, and liberty.

The real threat, the threat that only a few in the media and Washington want to talk about, is the fact that we, as a nation, have accepted the terrorist's main argument. They argue we are the aggressor, we are the imperial one, we are the unclean.

And how do we respond? Guards at Gitmo wear gloves to give the detainees their required Koran. Why? The guards are the infidels, they are unclean. We are imperials? Why do we not ask for more Federalist Republics, then? We are, after all, the only Federalist Republic in the world. If we're so "imperial" why aren't there more? Both Afghanistan and Iraq wrote their own constitutions, neither of which include strong defense for freedom of religion. If we are so "imperial," why didn't we insist? We are aggressors? Other than Iraq, can you name a single American war that was not in defense of ourselves or someone else? And even Iraq is debatable.

Terrorism is a threat, but it is a minor one. The loss of American values, American ideals, and most importantly, American will to defend these. That is the threat.

p>And my vote will go to any man who will do his best to stop that threat. br> -- Charles Campbell br> Austin, Texas /p>

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Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Mainstream Media, Business, Social Security, Satire, Religion, Islam, Hollywood, Constitution, Law, Military, Iraq, NATO, Africa, Oil, Unions