Are We Safer?

[nacktman]

Here is just three examples of how much "safer" we are today with the neo-cons:

1. This past July undercover investigators for the Government Accounting Office reported that they were able to purchase, ON THE OPEN MARKET from Pentagon contractors, surplus body armor, mounts for shoulder-fired missiles and missile radar test devices.
(Nearly 2,700 "sensitive" military items had been bought by 79 other buyers.)

How many such items were purchased by similar means in the 5th July under Clinton? ZERO!

2. An FBI computer consultant, who said he was frustrated by the bureaucratic delays due to neo-con meddling, in obtaining legitimate access to certain bureau files, was able to hack into the files surreptitiously via the FBI director's secret password, which the consultant figured out using software found on the internet this past July.

3. Indiana state homeland security officials told Vermillion County officials in July to stop using the special emergency-only highway message boards to advertise there charity fish fries and spagehetti dinners.

********* Gee, with the neo-cons in charge of things I do feel safer already ... Do you?!********

[Naturist Mark]

When is the Spaghetti dinner?

[Jason Heh]

Are we safer? We where never in danger. It's all scare tatics.

[Rabid_Clam]

The old saying that 'Everything changes' most certainy applies. Even if no such things were sold under Clinton's reign doesn't mean that things unreported were not sold and that also the availability for these to BE sold was certainly in place, just not taken advantage of.

This is not the world I grew up in. As a kid we never locked our doors. Now we do even if we are inside. We freely passes our Social Security Number around without danger, now that is a very stopid act that can cost you dearly.

We used to park a 6-pack beside us as we drove and being stopped by the police like that would not raise an eyebrow. Now that will cost you your license if not allot of money in court.

All things change. We struggle to make freedom safe for everyone, just there are those in numbers that take advantage of the openess we live and use that against us.

Sorry, some of that openess has to be taken away. As much as I hate to see that, I fully agree with it for the over all betterment it brings.

[LamontCranston]

Yes, 1 is a problem. I'm suspicious though of the 5th July during Clinton's era. Is that the only month the activity was zero? But yes, this is a problem.

quote:

2. An FBI computer consultant, who said he was frustrated by the bureaucratic delays due to neo-con meddling, in obtaining legitimate access to certain bureau files, was able to hack into the files surreptitiously via the FBI director's secret password, which the consultant figured out using software found on the internet this past July.

Methinks this is an urban legend. All passwords are secret, right? ANd using crack software on a secure network is a crime with jail time. Volunteering that he did it is grounds for immediate dismissal. That's a condition of employment. Not to mention, if he's clever enough to hack an account like that, he'd have used any of the dozens of lower profile users... not the director.

[Rabid_Clam]

In anything that is organized there are faults and the larger the organization the greater the faults are in numbers and gravity.

Even you own computer has faults you unintentionally built in it. Bt one by one you weed them out as you unintentionally install new ones. And in time you weed them out and on and on it goes in like style in any organizations.

All things come to change. And so shall the enemy we now fight, they will change and if we are good we will force the change to better fit our own needs and not theirs.

[S.M.A.]

I believe our government's efforts to protect us have been a mixed blessing. As much as they've cleaned up their act after the single greatest security breach in US history, they also enforced the Patriot Act, the single most fascist piece of legislation in US history. Jason is right, it's all scare tactics.

Stuart

[fred950]

Safer from what? We are all more likely (and always were more likely) on our way to and from work than some 'terrorist' plot. How likely are we to get shot by drive-by shootings, random acts of violence or stray bullets? Compared to having a person blow himself and all those around him to bits?

Freedom is never free. To be truely free we must accept curtain risks. So W. wants to track 'certain' people's phone calls and track their movements. But isn't that what Joe Stalin used to do? And how free were the Soviet workers back then.

Now there seems to be a boogieman under every bed. From sex offenders to terrorists to gay weddings to...gasp! liberals! What ever happened to "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"? Oh, I'm sorry. That was a liberals thought.

Remember the line by a German shortly after WWII? "When they came for the Jews, I didn't mind because I am not Jewish. When they came for the gays, I didn't mind because I'm not gay. When they came for the Slavs, I didn't mind for I'm not Slavic. When they came for me, there was no-one else left."

Remember, Hitler was also big 'security'.

[NudeAl]

Never mind big brother I am more concerned about big mother!

We are constantly being coddled we are told what to do, say, and even think. Simply because something is controversial or not good for us or too dangerous or politically incorrect. If I want to nude bungee jump off a bridge I should be able to. I don't need a government warning on a pack of cigarettes I know they will kill you but if I want to smoke I'll still do it. I know seat belts save lives but if someone wants to die young trying to prove me wrong go ahead!It's supposed to be a FREE country, at least that's what they used to say. I know that the contents of my coffee cup are hot that's the way it's supposed to be stupid. Thank your local litigants for all the stupid unnecessary laws that have been eroding our personal freedoms for decades. When will we as a nation stand up and say enough of this silly retarded crap!

And another thing what the hell is up with all this politically correct bullsh*t? You know what you do not have the right to not be offended by anything and everything. It may not be polite but you know what if you don't like it don't look change the ******* channel moron!

Bottom line, freedom isn't free. If you value yours you need to stand up when you see this kind of crap. I may be an old dinosaur but I still believe if I want to tell you you stink I should be able to conversely you can do the same to me. Get over it and get on with it.

[nacktman]

Al when we oust the neo-cons and their ilk we can get back to what this country was and you didn't need a warning label on a matchbox car to say "this car may be harmful or fatal if swallowed". Only the stupid kids swallowed their matchbox cars anyway!
It was nature's way of saying "I've just added more chlorine to the Gene Pool to clear it up".
Now they grown up and ...

[NudeAl]

I'm not sure I agree Nacktman. I don't think either side has a clean record on this one. We all need to share the responsiblity for this one.

[nacktman]

Al, the erosion of freedom has always been greatest under cons and neo-cons.
The vast bulkwork of trivial lawsuits and inane laws enacted during during the last half of the 20th century occured in the the 1980's ... and who was "in charge" then ... hummm,let me think!

Laws enacted and lawsuits during other times (under not con or neo-con regimes) by and large were not errosive of individual freedom as are those under neo-con juntas ... well, ok, only corporations attempting to bilk and monopolize had their freedom to bilk and monopolize curtailed, but they don't count in the real scheme of things ... only to neo-cons.

But, I do feel a whole lot safer with the neo-cons running things ... NOT!

[NudeAl]

Here in Washington state one of the problems has been the erosion of the rights of property owners. The government of the peoples republic of King county needs a lesson on the use of eminent domain. They are also telling farmers that 65% of their land must be native vegetation! Hello! They're farmers they plant crops and stuff to make a living to feed us. Also if they degrade the value of your property through developing and adjacent property, which they do all the time, they feel no need to compensate the land owners.For most Americans their home is their major investment so in other words they are taking money out of your pocket and not giving a damn about it. Imminent domain is being used in other areas to take land away from it's lawful owners to be sold to business concerns to develop it as a commercial venture that is called stealing. Just a few of the reasons I say both liberal and conservative alike need to learn to leave well enough alone.

[usmc1]

Well of course we're safer. Look at what they're doing about the ultra-secret terror cells in our schools...Al-gebra.


NEW YORK - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement.
He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a problem for us", Gonzalez said.
"They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of
absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.
As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'."

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better Weapons of Math Instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the president.