Last week was a busy one in Washington. The Democrat-controlled Senate spent hundreds of millions in bribes, to buy the votes it needed for cloture on the massively unpopular health-care bill it plans to inject into the beating heart of American democracy and capitalism. Complex parliamentary maneuvers were made. The special concessions needed to win cloture added more complexity to a bill that was already thousands of pages long, including nonsense like declaring Nebraska to be the only state that would receive full Medicaid funding.
All of this effort was undertaken in the service of a bill whose uncertain fate has been delayed by a President suddenly very nervous about the polls. There is a better than even chance that Obamacare will die during its trek through the wasteland that separates the House and Senate, leaving its authors with nothing to show for their efforts but a bloated corpse. If it survives, it will tear our politics and economics apart, producing countless unexpected consequences, and possibly sparking something approaching a revolution among a public increasingly determined to resist an out-of-control Democrat Party.
While all of this was going on, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab was slipping on a set of explosive-laced underwear, apparently provided by al-Qaeda bomb makers, and preparing to board Northwest Flight 253. He walked right past a titanic federal government that views its $3.6 trillion budget as merely the larval stage to something really exciting. We got lucky – his bomb did not detonate, and brave passengers aboard Flight 253 took it from there. This led to the marvelous spectacle of manifestly incompetent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assuring us this was an example of how “the system works.”
No aspect of this system works. A lot of good people have done outstanding work in Homeland Security and law enforcement, to keep us safe. The system around them is decomposing rapidly.
If Abdul Farouk had been a little better at detonating his underwear, this Christmas weekend would have become a time of horror and heartrending loss, and Janet Napolitano would be sitting at home and sobbing as she watched the search for debris and body parts on CNN, and waited for the first subpoenas to arrive. Ask yourself what would happen to the chief of a private security firm who claimed the survival of hundreds of civilians, through sheer luck, constituted a validation of her “system.” Her company would already be as dead as ValuJet, and her future career as a security officer would involve Segways and food courts.
A few months ago, the Obama Administration tried blaming its endless failures on “distractions.” Legitimate criticism and political opposition is not a distraction. This is what a dangerously distracted government looks like. It should be spending less time trying to wrap itself in a cocoon of tax dollars, to emerge as the collective butterfly of Hugo Chavez’ dreams, and more time fulfilling its vital functions. Too bad some of that $867 billion “stimulus” bill didn’t go for putting more 3D imaging equipment in airports, or hiring more air marshals. I guess none of the Democrats’ big contributors have interests in those areas.
A distracted government does not consist of a President trying to ignore a ringing telephone to personally guide Predator drones into terrorist strongholds. It’s not about a few individuals trying to cram too much into their daily schedules. It’s about massive shifts in personnel, political capital, and funding. Prior to this weekend, the Obama Administration was devoting far more energy to its greedy anticipation of the health-care takeover than to homeland security. The glacial realignment of lifetime career personnel, throughout the complex maze of interconnected Washington bureaus, was already underway in response.
An aggressive, activist government will always be more interested in what it wants to do, than fundamental duties it must perform. Contrary to the paranoid liberal fantasies of the Bush era, there is very little useful power to be gained from exaggerating the importance of domestic security. Health-care reform will give statists direct control over your medicine, body, diet… and, with the kind of audacity that turned the interstate commerce clause into a mandate for limitless federal power, it will eventually give them control of nearly every aspect of your economic existence. Homeland security gives them the power to make you remain seated during the last hour of a flight, and keep your hand lotion in your checked baggage. No contest.
You can measure Obama’s understanding of the terrorist threat by his willingness to name 9/11 conspiracy nut Van Jones as “green jobs czar.” If Glenn Beck hadn’t forced Obama to toss Jones out with the evening trash, they’d probably be having some fascinating conversations about the events aboard Northwest Flight 253 right about now. Jones would doubtless be standing in front of a massive flowchart, made from newspaper clippings and colored string, trying to connect Abdul Farouk to the Bush family. A government serious about protecting its citizens from terrorism has absolutely no room for people like Van Jones. Period.
The continuing threat of terrorism is something Obama’s brand of corrupt deal-making and influence peddling is wholly unprepared to deal with. Unlike Nebraska senator Ben Nelson, jihadists don’t view their “deeply-held principles” as price tags. They are unimpressed by symbolic awards from the Nobel committee, climate-change fraud operations, or gaseous speeches. They see weakness in months of dithering over Afghanistan strategy. They smell opportunity when ideology trumps security, and 9/11 masterminds receive the benefits of American civilian courts. They can read Screening Management Standard Operating Procedures published online. They understand that both ideology and desire make Obama eager to turn away from security issues to focus on his domestic ambitions. Assassins love it when you turn your back on them.
The government wasn’t paying enough attention to Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab to take his visa away, after his father reported him as a terrorist. They let him board an airplane, even though he was on a terrorist watch list. They weren’t listening when he repeatedly defended 9/11 and the Taliban in school. Don’t worry – I’m sure the government will do a better job of managing your health care. After all, it’s what they really care about. Exploding underwear is an annoying distraction.
Hi Doc.
Huzzah for the new blog! In general I greatly enjoy your writing, and subject matter.
However, please try to refrain in the future from hyperbolic or hypothetical imagery as “Jones would doubtless be standing in front of a massive flowchart…”
This is the sort of thing They call an argument. I understand the appeal in letting go and having at it, really I do. But. We’re better than that, and one of the things that makes us Right is that we do not crawl at their level. Just tell the Truth, the way you know how. That is sufficient.
Nice job, Doc!
Doctor -
I love, love, LOVE all of your essays. I’m thinking of printing your columns one by one and just mailing them with a brief note to my Senators ( Klobuchar and Franken ) and U.S. Representative. Who knows? Maybe if enough people did this with their elected representatives, the politicians may see the light and start putting country first, above personal political aspirations.
You really are the berries Doc – I have visited doczero.org several times today waiting for your next post.
How do you think the distracted government of Obama will handle Israel bringing home all of their ambassadors and counsels for meetings this week?
How can they be too distracted to offer support to the Iranian protestors when even Canada has denounced the brutal Iranian regime?
Obama has no coherent foreign policy whatsoever. Feckless, distracted, oh I could keep going for hours.
I want The United States of America back. I miss my country.
I wonder if I could move to Mars?
“Assassins love it when you turn your back on them.”
It does feel like there is something big going down. I hope I’m wrong.
Zing! Right on Doc.
You are called Doctor Zero because you have the uncanny ability to ZERO in and hit the mark every time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I just watched Peter Johnson and Brian Kilmeade interview Sec. of Sate on Fox News. What a complete disaster she is!!If the whole obama gang could just quit blaming everybody else for their failures, we might be able to make some progress in this country.I have listened to the talking heads wonder out loud why BHO does thedestructive things he does in the country. The mistake they make isjust assuming that he wants the best for this country–all other presidents have. I truly believe that he sees himself as ruler of theworld and that in his mind the U.S. is just another country.So very sad and scary!!
A couple of years ago I had to acknowledge the fact that the US Department of State (no matter who is in charge) does not work on behalf of America.
Second, America has a weak horse in the White House who will lead America to the slaughter house; as a result I am making arrangements to move out of NYC though I am now having to move up my plans since this administration is purposefully accelerating the drive to the slaughter house.
Say what you will about President George W Bush, the fact is he was a strong horse who led America to safely; we can no longer dwell in the luxury of the security he provided.
Silly people…tricks are for fools who believe GWB is the cause for all the world’s problems.
Those who voted for Obama out of hatred for Bush will find themselves suffering in miserable hell becuse of their obvious blind spot.
I am taking matters into my own hands protecting myself and family, I am not sticking around the losers who voted for Obama just because they hated Bush. If they were this ignorant before Obama then they will be unable to survive the next big attack.
Life is about living and learning, not about Bush-hate.
Fools too busy hating Bush won’t have a clue as to what just hit them.
Excellent writing, it flows gently like liquid honey falling from a wooden spoon into a golden reservoir. I shall stay tuned.
+1.
Doc Zero–It’s taken only two or three of your columns for me to put you into a very small group of daily go-to writers: Jonah Goldberg, VDH, Andy McCarthy, Glenn Reynolds, Jenn Rubin.
Clear analysis, strong premises, good arguments…thanks for making it look easy.
“Exploding underwear is an annoying distraction.”
Yup. And blaming Bush for it all, however thin and vacuous the tie-in.
Just really galls me that, as of late, the Dems in control keep pointing to the supposed federal surplus that Clinton miraculously left as a legacy, when all the while he was gutting our military and tying the hands of intelligence agencies. The direct result was money saved, and lives put in jeopardy due to inadequate funding of all branches of the military on top of restrictive intelligence policies.
That Bush had to run up the national debt (to play catch-up in order to equip our military and intelligence communities for 21st Century battles) is a canard that the Libs/Dems/Progs/MSM toss out regularly ….. precisely to do what they complain of frequently: Create a Distraction.
If the nation’s eyes are directed to the Bush Canard, perhaps we won’t notice Obama and the Dems playing Keystone Cops with national security issues.
What I think is being missed is the concept that we can point out Obama & Napolitano’s errors in hopes that they will correct them in the future.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
This is exactly how Obama envisions his administration’s response to ‘man made disasters’.
The assertion that the ‘system worked’ to them is accurate and truthful. They arrested the perpetrator and were bringing him to Federal court for arraignment weren’t they? A law enforcement problem. They told us that he got his visa in 2008, right? It’s Bush’s fault. Tired old meme already.
They pat themselves on the back for their good intentions, their excellent manuals, bloated budgets. That a man was able to come within seconds of killing 250 +/- people with his underwear is beside the point.
To be yelling and screaming at Napolitano and demanding her head on a platter is meaningless. She is in intellectual lockstep with her boss.
This is exactly how the president perceives this problem and his personal silence is deafening.
It is the president that should be fired.
Reminds me a bit of a lyric from My Hallucination:
Going insane with the fun you’ve had
Who’s to blame when it all goes bad
You never know, whoo
Where you gonna go, whoo
Government doing what it wants to do, instead of what it is obligated to do is when it all goes bad.
Great post as always!!!!!
Keep up the awesome work. You are spot on!!
Common Cents
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
Doc Zero- Closed registration over at HA prevented me from saying how much I enjoy your columns. So I’m saying it now.
Doc Zero – what can be said?
Your article is simply a Masterstroke of analysis of the puzzle pieces that were fit together to create this Terrorist Tapestry over Christmas!
I have posted it in full – with appropriate attribution – on The Laura Board!
God Bless you!
– Mark
We are looking for bombs, we are not looking for terrorists.
Until we change our methods, we are doomed to the inevitable.
The terrorist did succeeded, even though the bomb didn’t off. They succeeded, and that’s the scariest of all thoughts.
Happy New Year Doc to you and yours.
Hi John
I’ve enjoyed your writing since it started appearing at HA. Thank you for your efforts, you are saying things which need to be said, and saying them eloquently.
Thanks
Dana
Good Doctor,
Thanks for your expert analysis and writing. As mentioned in an earlier post, HA is closed for registration so I’m unable to reply using that format. Keep shining lights into dark places. The truth will set us all free.
Sue: “Say what you will about President George W Bush, the fact is he was a strong horse who led America to safely; we can no longer dwell in the luxury of the security he provided.”
——–
This is, as any trained orator would say, specious reasoning. Please provide us with any evidence that W. had anything to do with our safety. Here’s some similar logic: The one day this month that I didn’t have breakfast, I got a flat tire … guess this teaches me to have my Corn Flakes in the morning.
@ DOne:
DOne wrote:
—–
Evidence, evidence…hmm, Global War on Terror, Patriot Act, National Counterterrorism Center, Guantanamo Bay, numerous plots stopped in their tracks (remember the 3-1-1 rule!)…how many terror attacks occurred in this country while President Bush held office? One. How many years after that did he hold office? Seven. My math is bad…how many days without terror does that make? No attacks, strong counter-terror policies, aggressive policing. I’d call that pretty strong convincing evidence myself.
Now – onto the current president – how many *new* counterterror policies so far? None. How many attacks? I’m counting Flight 253 as one, plus Fort Hood, plus the recruiting station attacks, plus the guy in Dallas and two in Chicago. I know I’m forgetting a couple. I’d call that a notable difference. Don’t ask for links – do your own homework.
Have the corn flakes, DOne, hold the Kool-Aide.
Ooops, or did I just feed a troll? Already? Man, they don’t waste much time!
Right wrote:
————-
First of all, anytime any disagreement is raised, it automatically makes one a “troll;” this closed-minded approach is exactly what is killing our political climate (and, yes, I would agree that the left adheres to this same sort of closed-mindedness, especially in the elected officials in Washington.)
Secondly, terrorism is not a constant barrage of attacks … it is not wave after wave of threats on our soil. You are still thinking in terms of traditional war, which this is not. William Jefferson Clinton, by your logic, was a great anti-terrorism president, simply because, after the first attack on the Trade Center, there were no other attacks on our soil. And, he did this without Guantanamo, the Patriot Act, etc. The Administration of George W. ran a PR campaign to make us believe that attack was always imminent, while the truth was probably closer to the Clinton years.
Lastly, you may be correct about Ft. Hood and Detroit, but these appear (for all intents and purposes) like the shoe bomber Richard Reid… an isolated nut-job. If Reid doesn’t count, as you say, then neither do these guys.
KendraWilder wrote:
——
Kendra,
I agree with the fallacy of the Clinton vs. Bush comparison, although “gutting” the military is a simplistic analysis of why he had the surplus. Clinton was the beneficiary of a very strong economy, one that was artificially inflated due to the tech boom, and had the benefit of an oppositional Congress, one who was dedicated to reign in spending. Despite my slight liberal leanings, I’m voting Republican in the mid-terms; the country and government needs these oppositional forces in order to impose some sanity.
LOL. The above post’s reign should read rein; Freudian slip.
That was awesomely awesome Doctor Zero, which is your standard fare, and best of luck with your new website.
You hit the nail on the head regarding these asshats currently in power. For them, it’s not about the collective good they can do, but about the expansion and perpetuation of THEIR power in perpetuity.
I only hope that the year 2010 will see us Patriots fighting to take back our country that was lost for a time based on the massive pre-election deceit of the Maoist now in power.
We need to REVERSE THE CURSE on 11/2/2010.
@ DOne:
DOne wrote:
No, inane comments meant to draw an emotional response make one a troll. There’s a difference. WTC ’93, Khobar Towers, USS COLE, U.S. Embassy bombings, and Somalia do not a ‘great anti-terrorism’ president make – and Clinton’s limp response to each of those episodes were the *direct* cause of 9/11. Operation Bojinka was broken up in 1995. We were just lucky. How many times did we have OBL in sights and *not* get the greenlight because we’d offend someone? If President Bush were more like the current guy, he’d still be talking about the terror mess he inherited from Clinton.
Strong responses to national threats do, however, keep a country safe. This is traditional warfare, whether you like it or not – the only non-traditional aspect to it is the lack of a recognized enemy state. There is no lack of plots, plotters, or attackers, and yet until 2009, they were unable to mount an effective attack here because 1) they were too busy running for cover, or 2) they were dissuaded by the thought they’d be held until the end of the conflict (like in traditional wars), or 3) were forced to act locally because our military and intelligence agencies were able to operate as needed, without looking over their shoulders for the knife in the back.
Wait, wait, wait … earlier, you were examining attacks on U.S. soil; should we look at other world-wide attacks during the Bush years, then? Peruvian embassy? Train bomb in India? Civilian housing in Saudi Arabia? Casablanca bombing? Mumbai bombings? Sri Lanka? London trains? Every IED in Iraq? As for a *direct* cause, what about Bush the Elder’s stationing troops in Saudi Arabia? I think the “infidel” in Holy Land was, at the very least, Al Qaida’s official reason for the ’93 WTC bombing, although I’m certain that’s just the PR response.
The reason that you had an emotional response to my post is simply because you disagreed with it. It was presented as a logical argument … I think you’re the one that made this argument personal, Right. And, incidentally, the Bush Administration *did* blame Clinton for the terrorism mess, as you so eloquently reiterated.
As for your last paragraph, I completely agree. Clinton should have done more to show strength against these terrorists. I believe that a country should respond strongly and decisively against any acts of terror; however, these should be reasoned, informed, and unemotional responses. Obama does need to react to this latest attempt when we are out of the knee-jerk phase of information gathering.
Greetings – many thanks for this well-done piece. Please forgive this, my English is not the best. Hindi is my native tongue but I am trying to learn getting down English. Regards!