Ready yourself for the shrieks, the cries of "patriotic to be unpatriotic," the dittohead fury…the wingnut run on Depends.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told Congress today that instability in countries around the world caused by the current global economic crisis rather than terrorism is the primary near-term security threat to the United States….
…Blair also raised the specter of the "high levels of violent extremism" in the turmoil of the 1920s and 1930s along with "regime-threatening instability" if the economic crisis persists over a one- to two-year period.
Oh, the horror. The horror.
With thousands of fraud investigations under way, the FBI is considering shifting agents away from counterterrorism work to help sort through the wreckage of the financial meltdown.
FBI Deputy Director John Pistole told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the bureau may reassign some of the positions that were reallocated to anti-terrorism work after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Let’s be honest here for a moment: counterterrorism and national security are important. Absolutely. Without question. And constant work and vigilance on these issues is essential.
But it is not the sole thing on the nation’s law enforcement plate. Nor should it be.
And the causes of terrorism? Beyond people just being violent, hate-filled and batshit crazy on occasion? Desperation, economic imbalance, and any number of other factors that are stoked — especially recruitment success for these destabilizing asshats — by poverty, starvation and lack of hope for any future beyond violence and bloodshed.
Using counter-terrorism as an excuse to look the other way on financial, fraud and other crimes because all of our law enforcement agencies are tied up in knots from false Pizza Hut leads? Unacceptable. And wasteful to boot.
To the extent we may be looking at the whole picture instead of just the cherry-picked information that makes Dick Cheney’s goon squad want to pee their pants, I’m thankful. Let’s try decision-making when we aren’t panicking for a change.
We could also start by not losing track of our weapons in combat zones. That would be awesome.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m sick of feeling like we are stuck in W.H. Auden’s September 1, 1939.
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Damn, just when I made my mea culpa on the last thread. Glad for a Christy post though!
I have a greater chance to win the lottery than to be a victim of terrorism….. AND that is 1 in a kazillion chance as it is…..
i took baby girl to fred meyer today – she called it walmart on steroids
False Pizza Hut leads? They aren’t false; my last delivery took 31 minutes.
christy! Love your new page, beautiful layout/color/theme.
Bankstas determined to strike in US? Wait, they already have?
Not to worry, the FBI Minneapolis field office is on it! Except for that one pushy dame, not a team player, just ignore her ..
No way….. Freddies is a union store……. And Freddies has lumber, building supplies and way better clothes and shoes….
she had never been – her eyes got very big when we pulled into the lot and then we spent 2 hours in just the food section.
hehehehe — thanks for letting me know about that store – i believe i impressed her with it
Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you !
Have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious weekend !
happy vd to you too petro
Show off.
the problem is that the rethug agenda is now being dictated purely by their desire to vandalize the Dems and the president. They don’t really think we should focus exclusively on counterterror and war. They just want to undermine our desire for the president to focus (successfully) on the economy, domestic issues and peace.
Just came home from a wonderful old world Italian dinner Valentine dinner with Elmore…… I could taste everything…… seafood ….. yum
Christy, love your new digs: gorgeous.
Love the pic, too. And the chosen poem.
Redd, you’re a fine anarchist. Welcome to the club! *g*
Hope the happy vd was joyously acquired….
The term “subterfuge” comes to mind.
Love your new digs, Christy!
and dugg
errrr the vd was short for valentines day
hey kirk
dugg
Wow!
Christy at night.
And a classic, superbly excellent post.
All joined to one of the finest collections of anarchists that one could hope to meet.
My cup runeth over.
No need to get all crabby. ;)
i swear, i did not mention crabs
The blue dogs just might not want to be identified with that.
“a low dishonest decade.”
Could hardly describe the last 8 yrs better (give or take a couple years).
Yeah, they took everybody off white-collar crime, organized crime, financial crime, etc., etc. to support the “be afraid” agenda.
And how was the one fairly serious terrorist plot stopped, where the would-be perp actually had taken steps and acquired equipment to further his plan?
A lowly, ordinary (female)customs/border agent at the Canada-US border, using good old-fashioned police-type training and instinct.
late late nite upstairs
Crabs, you say?
Ta hell with philosophy, let’s eat!
‘Tis much better to argue on a full stomach, cuts down on the grumpiness, I find.
;~D
I’m heading off to bed……. btw today I climbed ladders…. yesterday I went for a walk for more than a mile and the nurse practitioner thinks the chemo is working (so do I) because Wednesday I coughed up a chunk of something which looked like tissue….. AND my breathing is so much better…….
So I think I coughed up one of those fuckers…… yahoo…
Please just don’t use your police skills and schlep-and-tied-us, eh?
(sleeeeeeppp….thud)
great news!
nite katymine
Wow. Good goin! Yer gonna kick that shit’s ass! We got yer back.
G’nite, katymine;
Wonderful news.
Climbing ladders, eh, well you can help me with some high gutter work, then, very soon.
I’m really skilled at directing.
Down here.
From the ground.
;~D
Wonderful. Sleep well and happy V Day.
Is that the sign that hangs outside of John Pistole’s office?
On my way to bed, but isn’t it interesting that the real threats to the country come from these groups with strange sounding names like Goldman, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Citigroup, BoA, and Wells Fargo. Folks, meet the new terrorists on the block. These guys have done more damage to our country than hundreds of bin Ladens.
It’s possible that we are witnessing the slow, tortured death of the Republican Party. Phase 1 appears to be its reduction to a minority party based in the Deep South. They are well on their way to that end.
If they succeed in becoming a minority party based in the South, it’s entirely possible that the Blue Dogs and their allies will emerge as the Opposition. Frankly, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t rather have the Blue Dogs gone.
So much for Kevin Phillips’ Southern Strategy. It worked in the short run, but in the long run it may be the death of the GOoP.
Good luck to you.
If you don’t mind a bit of advice from a stranger, an RN/RD who has had chemo suggests that in the days immediately after that you try eating foods that are unfamiliar to your palate. She says that you’re more likely to detect taste that way.
Until last month, we had been governed by a bunch of panicked, cowards who let a small gang of medieval bandits hunkered down in caves on the Afghan-Pakistan border set the nation’s national and international agenda. They were too stupid and venal to understand they had allowed the terrorists to win by their actions ignoring U.S. and international law, and violating the nation’s basic constitutional precepts.
I have hope that with Obama at the helm, the days of fear and hysteria as the main drivers of official U.S. governmental policy are, if not over, at least on the wane. The definition of bravery is keeping one’s head while others lose theirs. I fervently hope we’re finally on our way back to really being the home of the brave instead of the (literally) terror-stricken.
Good news is that big name law firms have been laying off lawyers left and right. So the FBI will have a big pool of attorneys to hire to work on the investigations.
Thanks so much for this post.
I was able to see bits of DNI Blair’s testimony and was surprised at my sense of relief — I felt that I was watching an adult in charge. What a relief.
That he has the same thoughtful tone as Andrew Bacevitch was just more lovely icing on the cake.
Imagine being able to connect dots between fraud, terror, failed states, and security! That it should be so refreshing says much about how appalling the previous years have been.
Good to see those dots connected here again.
What a breath of fresh air!
Makes me almost feel optimistic ;-))
National security is more dependent on a robust economy, than any activity in the Military Industrial Complex.
And the MIC is just a huge consumer. Not a good return on investment, as they leave behind nothing but desolation for future generations.