'C'mon, America! Israel does it!!'

[americanstranger]

CNN has had the annoying Kelli Arena in Israel all week, travelling with a group of law enforcement from Louisiana that is studying how Israel handles the threat of terrorism (I wrote about this briefly the other day). I'm not sure what their point is supposed to be, but the subtext is clear - that Israel is better prepared for terrorism, and we could be too if we put armed guards and surveillance cammeras everywhere, built a concrete wall around the country and subjected ourselves to random searches by 'civil patrol officers.'

I'll respond to this foolishness by paraphrasing my mother - 'If Israel jumped off a bridge, would we do it, too?'

As tempting as it might be to people like Lou Dobbs and his little 'Broken Borders' cult, a wall around this country would signal the death of the United States as a 'free country.' And I don't think my neighbors here in New York would take too kindly to having machine gun-toting security guards patrolling Macy's or the East Village.

But there is a subtle form of conditioning going on here. Arena's reports refer repeatedly to 'the next terror attack in America,' as if it's a foregone conclusion that another 9/11 is right around the corner, and we'd better deploy those cameras and set up those checkpoints now if we want to have the slightest hope of living through it.

More at Blah3: http://tinyurl.com/c47yb

-as

[babylonsister]

1. Terra Terra Terra-be very afraid! Actually, Israel

is very practiced at security and has been for decades. But compare the size of the US vs. Israel; no contest and I don't know if it'd be doable.

[PDJane]

2. would it be a good idea

if it were doable? Israel is good at security, yes, but look at the kinds of things they do to their neighbours to get there......

[babylonsister]

4. I'm talking about security at airports, not the politics of the country. n

[madeline_con]

3. Which group do we single out to slaughter at checkpoints....

prevent their ambulances getting through and flatten their neighborhoods with helicopter gunships every time one of them steps out of line? :think:

[neuvocat]

5. We don't have the same problems that the Isrealis do.

It isn't necessary to resort to violent tactics to combat terrorism. What the weak-minded fundies and right-wingers also do not understand is that 911 happened due to Bush's ineptitude. That doesn't mean the Isreali's have not shot an innocent person (like kids for example) but that doesn't mean it will prevent those attacks from happening.

Otherwise by that logic, all the police brutality that's taken place would have prevented 911 (and Oklahoma City) from happening. That of course hasn't happened and of course all the Iraqis that have been shot by U.S. troops hasn't stopped the use of roadside bombs or car bombs.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Well, the iron fist has worked really well in Israel...oh, wait.

Saying that we should do like Israel does to handle "terrorists" is like saying the military should do like Custer did in handling Indians.

[mom cat]

7. Or like Stalin or Hitler in handling resistance.

[No Exit]

8. "Law enforcement from Louisiana"???!?

What the HELL do "law enforcement from Louisiana" need to be running around Israel for, learning how to "fight terrorism"??!?

They should be at home, learning how to act during fucking hurricanes!!!
:grr: