Post 9/11
September 12th, 2007 |Were the 9/11 hijackers just lucky?
Lucky that immigration control was poor? Lucky that airport security was lax? Lucky that the U.S. really did not take al Qaeda seriously?
Is Islamic extremism and terrorism really the defining battle of our generation? Or has the United States over reacted to what may have essentially been a lucky strike?
8 Responses to “Post 9/11”
I go with mostly overreacted to a lucky strike.
Pre 9/11 some airports, like the one the planes took off from in Boston iirc, needed better security.
Also… pre 9/11 it was assumed that airplanes were hijacked as a means for hostages and/or to get some gain, not as a weapon. So crew and passengers were caught off guard. Well can’t repeat that one now…
So lucky and somewhat unique. Once done, in theory you’re not going to be able to really do it again.
So yes the U.S. overreacted to a tragic situaion with things like the Patriot act, Homeland Security, etc. But… some security did need an overhaul… I just don’t think it was worth the price we have paid since then in abuse of rights, fighting a two front war, etc.
If only the airports would have had this sign up before the islamics got on that day:
http://www.nickelnuts.com/2007/08/21/had-to-lose-m y-bomb-before-security-check/
They would have had to read the fine print to see that box cutters were not allowed.
Not lucky. The well planned diabolical murder of 2900 people and a reminder that we’re just not as smart as we think we are.
“In theory…” people ought not blow themselves up just to kill others. In reality, some people do.
Planes (like cars, trucks or vests packed with explosives) were used as an unconventional weapon. What — other than theory — precludes their use as such a weapon again?
As for better airport security, I’m not convinced that would have done much to stop what happened. From reports I’ve heard, we aren’t in a much better state than we were when these events took place.
And Ray - I think more oblivious rather than lacking intelligence.
The question is, as is read it, why hasn’t it happened again?
We had foreign terrorism before 9/11, sorta. Maybe once, that I can recall. Certainly more domestic terrorism than foreign, for sure.
Now, nothing. Why?
Well, maybe we are safer (assuming you’re not a soldier, obv). It certainly seems likely to me that all this overreaction really has made us safer. In a world where Lite-Brites are a reason so call in the SWAT team, there’s no doubt in my mind that makes us a little safer.
The problem is that it’s probably not worth all the hassle, and there’s a lot of waste, inefficiency, hysteria, and war that goes along with that overreaction.
In a world where Lite-Brites are a reason so call in the SWAT team, there’s no doubt in my mind that makes us a little safer.
Cut “safer”; paste “cynical”.
for me the scariest thing about the 9/11 terrorists is how watchful, patient and methodical they were, which does not bode well for the future