Real Airline Security, Compliments of Dr. No
The Onion - Hijackers Surprised to Find Selves In Hell: 'We Expected Eternal Paradise For This,' Say Suicide Bombers - The Onion does it again. Hahahahaha. Contains graphic descriptions of their torture by the minions of the underworld. If you are bothered by such things, don't read.
The Onion - U.S. Vows to Defeat Whoever It Is We're At War With - worth looking at just for the map that segregates via shading and color the "Possible locations of terrorists" and "Confirmed locations of terrorists". Hehe.
Ron Paul - Foriegn Interventionism - A speech Dr. Paul gave on the house floor on Tuesday in support of H.R.2896, the 'Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001'. Additionally, he recommends that Congress grant letters of marquee and reprisal. He comes out against reinstating the draft, and against any kind of national ID. Instead, he says to leave it to the marketplace. If the airlines want to create their own ID card system, let them do it. He then advises a return to the foreign policy of George Washington, avoiding all entangling alliances with foreign nations.
It is obviously no easy task to destroy an almost invisible, ubiquitous enemy spread throughout the world, without expanding the war or infringing on our liberties here at home. But above all else, that is our mandate and our key constitutional responsibility- protecting liberty and providing for national security. My strong belief is that in the past, efforts in the US Congress to do much more than this, have diverted our attention and hence led to our neglect of these responsibilities.
Following the September 11th disasters a militant Islamic group in Pakistan held up a sign for all the world to see. It said: AMERICANS, THINK! WHY YOU ARE HATED ALL OVER THE WORLD. We abhor the messenger, but we should not ignore the message.
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The radicals react as some Americans might react if China dominated the Gulf of Mexico and had air bases in Texas and Florida. Dominating the Persian Gulf is not a benign activity. It has consequences. The attack on the USS Cole was a warning we ignored.
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Today, we have a new type of deadly piracy, in the high sky over our country. The solution the founders came up with under these circumstances was for Congress to grant letters of marque and reprisal. This puts the responsibility in the hands of Congress to direct the President to perform a task with permission to use and reward private sources to carry out the task, such as the elimination of Osama bin Laden and his key supporters. This allows narrow targeting of the enemy. This effort would not preclude the president's other efforts to resolve the crisis, but if successful would preclude a foolish invasion of a remote country with a forbidding terrain like Afghanistan- a country that no foreign power has ever conquered throughout all of history.
Lives could be saved, billions of dollars could be saved, and escalation due to needless and senseless killing could be prevented. Mr. Speaker, we must seriously consider this option. This answer is a world apart from the potential disaster of launching nuclear weapons or endless bombing of an unseen target. "Marque and reprisal" demands the enemy be seen and precisely targeted with minimal danger to others. It should be considered and, for various reasons, is far superior to any effort that could be carried out by the CIA.
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The efforts of a small minority in Congress to avoid this confrontation by voting for the foreign policy of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and all the 19th century presidents went unheeded. The unwise policy of supporting so many militants who later became our armed enemies makes little sense whether it's bin Laden or Saddam Hussein. A policy designed to protect America is wise and frugal and hopefully it will once again be considered. George Washington, as we all know, advised strongly, as he departed his presidency, that we should avoid all entangling alliances with foreign nations.
The call for a non-interventionist foreign policy over past years has fallen on deaf ears. My suggestions made here today may meet the same fate. Yet, if truth is spoken, ignoring it will not negate it. In that case something will be lost. But, if something is said to be true and it is not and is ignored, nothing is lost. My goal is to contribute to the truth and to the security of this nation.
What I have said today is different from what is said and accepted in Washington as conventional wisdom, but it is not in conflict with our history or our constitution. It's a policy that has, whenever tried, generated more peace and prosperity than any other policy for dealing with foreign affairs. The authors of the Constitution clearly understood this. Since the light of truth shines brightest in the darkness of evil and ignorance, we should all strive to shine that light.
I used the House Write Your Representative page to send the following to John E. Sweeney, the representative for New York's 22nd congressional district:
I urge you to cosponsor, or at least support, Ron Paul's H.R. 2896, the 'Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001'. After its findings section, the entirety of this bill reads:
"SEC. 2. AVIATION SAFETY AND SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no department or agency of the Federal Government shall prohibit any pilot, copilot, or navigator of an aircraft, or any law enforcement personnel specifically detailed for the protection of that aircraft, from carrying a firearm."
This would provide real airplane security, not the namby-pamby uselessness being promoted by the FAA.
I personally believe that airplanes would be safer if everyone qualified to carry concealed were encouraged to carry on the airplane, using frangible bullets. This will be much harder to push through Congress, however, so I support Dr. Paul's H.R. 2896 as a compromise.
