Patience
By Mitch Berg
It’s something Americans don’t have much of.
Years ago, I read The Tunnels of Cu Chi, which told the story of the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese who built the immense labyrinth of tunnels in South Vietnam during their 35 years of war. The line that’s stuck with me was from one of the officers who fought against the Americans in the tunnels; “to Americans, a year is ancient history; to us, 25 years is like yesterday”.
America’s enemies can count on the fact that America’s attention span is short, and getting worse.
And that’s got Michael Chertoff worried:
Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff‘s eyes narrow and his voice develops a stern, urgent tone as he reveals America’s biggest vulnerability to terrorism.
“The great weapon they have is persistence and patience, and the one weakness that we have is the tendency to lose patience and become complacent,” Chertoff tells WTOP.
“It strikes me as hard to accept that anybody would believe the threat is over. There is nothing these terrorists are doing or saying that could lead a reasonable person to believe that they have somehow lost interest. Our biggest challenge is making sure we do not drop our guard because time passes.”
Chertoff recognizes it has been more than six years since al Qaida launched the Sept. 11 attacks, but some experts say that’s how long it took to plan them, suggesting the U.S. may close in on another spectacular attempt by Osama bin Laden to topple the U.S. economy.
It’s like needing the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor every couple of years to keep people on track.
I’ve been convinced – chagrinned, but convinced – for years that the only thing that’s going to cause Americans to take this seriously is another 9/11. And then another, five years after that. Lather, rinse and repeat.
We’ll see.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Sheesh, and you accuse the Left of Chicken Little “The Sky is Falling’ tactics. Must be an election year.
I don’t disagree that our society has become shortsighted and our youth in more need of instant gratification, but I am not sure if scare tactics will change that. Considering that’s about all you have left, though, makes sense to trot it out already!
If the GOP wins the White house and redeploys American Troops, it will be a staged withdrawal based on the advice of commanders on the ground. If the exact same thing happens under a Democratic White House you’ll call it cut and run. I have you figured out already!
Flsh
February 12th, 2008 at 8:38 am
you accuse the Left of Chicken Little “The Sky is Falling’ tactics.
On this issue?
No. never. I accuse them of being unicorn-in-every-garage pollyannas.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Well, if we’re going to look for pollyannas, let’s not forget Don “weeks, not months” Rumsfeld.
Yes, the war we are engaged in will be long and will have many fronts.
I wish that we did not do silly stuff like detain grandmas at the airport for having knitting needles or refuse to let toddlers board who happen to be on the no-fly list.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:10 am
PeterH, and just why are strip searching granny at the airport? Is the Right that’s saying we can’t do profiling and behavioral targeting? Or is it another segment of the political spectrum?
Bruce Schneier is right: we’re engaged in security theater, not in actual security.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:23 am
This week….the Democrats are trying to block a bill the prevents a group like the ACLU from suing a telecommunications company for cooperating with our government. Meaning many of those companies may resist assisting in the WOT.
So the gov’t believes an operative has been contacting known terrorsts in Saudi Arabia. They want to check and see who he has been in contact with, foriegn and domestic. Maybe he has been talking to terrorist suspects elsewhere. Qwest is uncooperative because they may get sued, thanks to the Democrats.
Hey, did you see Michelle Malking? Obama office in Houston is displaying Cuban flags and Che “I kill gays” Guera photos. Repeblicans may be idiots at times, but can anyone take the Democratic party seriously?
February 12th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
“If the GOP wins the White house and redeploys American Troops, it will be a staged withdrawal based on the advice of commanders on the ground. If the exact same thing happens under a Democratic White House you’ll call it cut and run.”
Except under a democrat pres the “advice of commanders on the ground” would be replaced “advice of Code Pink in Berkeley”.
Leaving the field of battle because you’ve won & leaving the field of battle because you’ve lost are two very different things.
February 12th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Hillary! has already said that she will start the withdrawal of troops within 60 days of taking office, but she didn’t mention anything about listening to advice of commanders on the ground. In fact, didn’t she call the commander on the ground a liar?
February 12th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
“”This week….the Democrats are trying to block a bill the prevents a group like the ACLU from suing a telecommunications company for cooperating with our government.””
So the rule of law means nothing. Your kidding, right! You can sign over your privacy rights, I am not quite willing to do that.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Flash, if I am contacting terrorists in Pakistan, you would think our gov’t would want to know.
That is how the Bristish prevented a major terrorist attack last year.
Surely you’re not one of those paranoid types who think the gov’t is going to the library to see what books you check out?
February 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I just find it funny that the party that talks about Constructionist judges and rule of law have no problem turning their back on one of the keystones of the bill of rights. Their is a law that allows for the very surveillance you ask for. At what point is the line crossed in your mind. In mine, it has been crossed already.
For the record, I don’t think Immunity should be a part of the FISA fix. It should be a stand alone piece of legislation that will protect the government and their surveillance operation. But if our government is asking telcoms to break the law that should make everyone nervous.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
“I don’t think Immunity should be a part of the FISA fix.”
This is such an important issue that Hillary! has missed the vote. 18 Democratic Senators voted with Republicans for immunity.
February 12th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Can you sign over an emanation of a penumbra? 😉
February 12th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
“Hillary! has missed the vote.”
Some are saying no big deal since the votes had been counted and they didn’t have enough anyway. I say this may be the last straw for many. This vote was symbolic and she needed to go on record. It may cost her in the long run.
February 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Or the short run. Word is that Obama has a substantial lead in the pre-primary polls for DC, MD and VA. If he gets those, she’s pretty much finished.
February 12th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
And oh, will I take sweet joy in watching the (formerly) inevitable candidate having the doorknob land squarely between her Clintonian cheeks.
February 12th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
She’s been too busy pimping out her daughter and firing the Hispanic help.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
You lament the shortsightedness on terrorism, but applaud it on profiteering.. find a position.
Your complaint is reminscent of the complaints of virtually EVERY stable democracy, they never see ‘the wolves at the gates’ in the eyes of the alarmists. Mitch, please describe for me which nation the Wahabists have taken over, or are in imminent danger of taking over, and about which you think, contemptuously, that the American people have fallen asleep at the switch about, while this administration fights the good fight?
Pakistan? – possible, but then again, it’s not as if BushCo did anything to stave that off.
Saudi Arabia – maybe even already has happened, but BushCo does nothing there either.
Iran – not Wahabis – and since Iran has not, in 50 years, attacked a neighbor, I guess I’m not buying they are the next Japan/Nazi Germany in your hyperventilated fear fest.
If you hate America so much that you have to criticize it’s people for being normal – for looking at a movement that has scant military resources outside of a ready supply of people willing to blow themselves up as NOT EVEN CLOSE to the kind of threat Nazi Germany representeed – well, go ahead, have your contempt and your hate on display. I think AQ hasn’t attacked us because the Saudi families were aghast at 9/11, and basically gave Bin Laden a message to scale it down a bit – I certainly don’t think the ‘serious’ work of BushCo prevented a damned thing. I think AQ could have attacked us several times had they desired to, but they’ve focused themselves on securing Afghanistan and Pakistan first – and the money trail leads straight back to Saudi Arabia.
In the end, the witless fools who should be pilloried for not taking the threat seriously, is you neo-cons, who never quite seem to grasp that shooting people to convince them not to hate you, really really is dumb as hell, and more than that, that the source of the trouble, is your ally, Saudi Arabai. This tired out old meme’ that you have that only YOU are serious is condescending as hell. If anything, YOU don’t get it – YOU haven’t grasped the scope of the problem, and needlessly have overblown the military threat and under-estimated the political one. So, pardon us all if we choose not to be lectured by those who so obviously are out of step with the problem.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Heehee! The wingnuts are pretending they weren’t praying for Hillary to win. OK, so it’s Obama vs. that old guy. You know, the maverick who seems very reasonable to Angryclown.
Angryclown loves the smell of napalm in the morning. Smells like…change.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Um, whatever angryclown. Either will be a challenge considering the number of Democrats in our country. Some of which seem quite willing to play the race card:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08043/856727-153.stm
I’m sure angryclown would call this man a racist, if only he were a Republican.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Yeah, what Rendell said was based on racism. And using racism to try to win advantage seems racist to me. And if that’s all it takes to be a racist, then Ed Rendell is a racist.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Either way it’s a libral vs. a very wobbly conservative. Whom Angryclown could vote for. That’s gotta be a kick in the head for you extreme wingnut kooks.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Angryclown vows he will not vote for Ed Rendell for president. Howzat?
February 13th, 2008 at 10:33 am
“And if that’s all it takes to be a racist”
I think, at least for Republicans, angryclown is willing to set the bar pretty low. 🙂
February 13th, 2008 at 10:47 am
find a position.
OK, here’s my position; answer this question before you leave any more comments.
You claim, over and over, that you want a “discussion”; then, hiding behind your anonymous identity, you make scabrous and irresponsible claims about me that are not born out in fact.
Pony up! Where did I call for violence?
February 13th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Where did Peev say you called for violence?
February 13th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Right here…: “perhaps you can explain your vigilanteism to the courts, and join Posse Comitatus”, “So while you are strutting around in your bravado, trying to get to yell/beat/harass legitimate protestors”, “your self-aggrandized threat”.
So where did I say anything about harassing and beating people?
What did I EVER suggest that’d be remotely comparable to the Posse Comitatus (who brought us this event, which I see happened 25 years ago today. Hmmmm).
Which is kinda slimy, inasmuch as the guy actually does know me.