National Security Spat

The election guns are firing on all fronts today. A national security spat has erupted between the McCain and Obama camps- Obama blaming the failed GOP policies for leaving Bin Laden at large, seven years after the September 11th attacks and the GOP, of course, sensing blood and raining down accusations of Obama having a 'September 10th' mindset when it comes to terrorism.

So the question of the day is: Would Obama treat terrorists like the criminals they are? Apparently, the answer is essentially yes, which Republicans are jumping all over with great glee, spreading ponderous warnings about the titanic threat of Islamic Extremism.

Cutting aside all the partisan bullshit, this comes down to a very simple and yet very alarming problem in this country: we don't know how to handle terrorism, psychologically. We've seen flashes of it in the aftermath of 9-11 (and we see it in the aftermath of natural disasters.) People roll up their sleeves and help out, regardless of whom they're helping. The selflessness of Americans in times of crisis needs to be called on to fight terrorism as well.

The problem is that no one has convinced America that this is a crisis worth gearing up for. The Right says we have to fight them over in Iraq- the Left says the whole 'War on Terror' thing is basically a crock anyway- and people wonder why the anti-war movement isn't that active? There's no nationwide effort, no signs of mobilizing the entire country to fight a common enemy- no nothing. That, to me is the greatest failure of George W. Bush- he could have mobilized the world and this country to fight extremism everywhere and he dropped the ball.

So should terrorism be a matter of law enforcement? Hell yes it should. I've said this before and I'll say it again: don't give terrorists special status! Treat them like the ordinary, p.o.s. criminals, thugs and murderers that they are! That's the question that Obama should be asking McCain and the Republicans: why do they deserve special status? Why are you making more than what they are? Why are you giving them the platform they desire? Throw the bastards in jail and let 'em rot. Show the Muslim world that you can blow us up and we'll still move mountains to make sure you get a fair trial, because that's why America is better than the pseudo-medieval fundamentalist regimes that plunder and oppress ordinary Muslims across the Middle East. We have to be better. This isn't the Cold War- we can't sacrifice principles in the name of victory- we have to fight with our military strength, every resource we can muster and we have to fight with the principles and ideas that made this country great. Conservatives are dead right about one thing: this is a clash of ideologies- and in a clash of ideas, we have to maintain the moral high ground, we have to stick to what our country is founded on and we cannot afford to surrender an inch more of our freedoms than is necessary to ensure our own protection.