40 000 Americans die every year for lack of health insurance. Thousands more die from respiratory diseases directly related to auto emissions, from toys and chemicals which the government refuses to inspect before market, and of course in a drug interdiction and prohibition effort which has not reduced drug use in nearly a hundred years.
The easiest way to foil 9-11 would have been to have competent professionals screening the passengers at the gate. But in America saving the Airlines a few bucks was worth the risk of having minimally trained, minimally compensated, employees who were so poorly compensated that they rarely stayed long enough on the job to learn anything from work experience.
Yet let one person die in defense of democracy and people lose their minds. Israeli citizens may be under the perpetual illusion that they can be an occupying power to large geographically integrated population and have the security enjoyed by Europeans, but Americans would never dream of such security. Every year for over a decade I lived in New Orleans an average of 400 people were murdered. My life has been in more danger from violence every single year of my life than it would have been if I had lived the same 38 years in Israel and served my compulsorily military duty.
The reality of the matter is that it is not civil rights concerns that limits the screening of passengers but cost. If there was one idiotic move by a Democratic President it was Clinton's decision to give permanent most favored nation status to China.
Since then America's position in Asia has declined dramatically. Unthinkable just 10 years ago, both Japan and Australia have moved further from America's orbit than anytime in history and closer to China than anytime in history for Australia and closer for Japan since before Japans isolation during colonial times.
China is extending its power in to Africa. America can't afford to buy the relations and access to raw materials China can. Even in Bolivia, China has a much greater access to the South American nations crucial Lithium resources.
America simply can't afford to further alienate nations like Nigeria that have substantial resources. With lost decade in climate control India, and China will consume more and more of oil resources from the Middle East.
Even if America stays loyal to Israel, China which has generally good relations with Israel, but no deep cultural bond will act in its self interest. Which means Israel might be looking at Arab governments armed with the latest military technology.
Those who claim to be tough minded in their willingness to sacrifice civil rights and strategic interest in the name of avoiding terrorism deaths are actually sacrificing much more.
If Israel does not find a peace with the Arab world it may be saving some deaths from suicide bombs but looking at nuclear armed Iran whose nuclear missiles are protected by sophisticated Chinese anti-missile technology.
Terrorism exists people will die. But to make a fetish of these lives is cowardly and stupid.
Why News Aggregators Can Never Replace the News
14 years ago
