Are terrorists really wanting to destroy this country? I have my doubts. You should also.

[Logical]

9/11 worked. It was a great plan that could only work once. Passengers would revolt to quick now. I think the TSA has prevented almost nothing from happening.

I am sure there are millions in other countries who want to destroy us. But they would not be willing to travel here and lose their freedom to risk an attack. They hate us, but not enough to come here and actually do anything. They hate us like we hate the republicans. But we would not break the law to stop them.

But are there dozens or hundreds or thousands of terrorists in this country right now? Wanting to destroy us? Willing to risk their life for a terror attack? I almost guarantee there is not.

If there are, where are the attacks?

You do not need a grand plan to make a huge impact on this country. Look at what two brothers did with $200 worth of equipment in Boston. They cost Boston at least $300 million dollars. TWO BROTHERS. Unconnected to any international plan. And they shut down the city for one day.

If there are 100s of terrorists out there in this country, they could do a Boston bombing a week. 50 a year. The country would be living in fear. They could do a Boston type bombing at any crowded event. Weekly. In a TSA waiting line at JFK or O'Hara or Atlanta There is no security before the TSA checkpoint. It would shut down the airport. Do one weekly and it would shut down the country. The terrorists have not thought of this? It has never crossed their mind?

They could do a mass shooting a week. Hell, we know how easy anyone can buy a gun with a private sale with no back ground check. And buy all the ammo they want.

50 terrorists could wreak havoc on this country, once a week for a year. But for some reason they do not. I just do not think there are 100 terrorists in this country willing to risk their freedom to attempt it.

I am not sure this whole NSA, CIA, FBI scam is not just a way to scare us into letting them spy on us. Keep us worried and we will not resist. Keep us worried and we will be too scared to complain. Keep us worried and we will think we need to spend billions on intelligence and not schools and unemployment and food stamps. Keep us worried and keep handing money to defense contractors to protect us from the evil terrorists.

Maybe I am gullible, but I just do not see where these terrorists are actually doing anything except hating us from afar.

We need a national defense for sure. I would suggest we spend 10% more than our closest enemy. Not what we spend now which is almost as much as all the other countries defense spending combined.

[zappaman]

1. I don't think they want to destroy the US

They want to give us flowers and candy!

[Xipe Totec]

2. I first read: Are territories really wanting to destroy this country?

I thought this was going to be about the secessionist movement.

Which I really do think it trying to destroy this country.

[JaneyVee]

3. The 9/11 hijackers lived here.

[Logical]

4. And so do other people from those countries. Where are the attacks? n-t

[justiceischeap]

5. I think what Osama Bin Laden was attempting to do kinda worked

he wanted to financially cripple the United States and he almost did. How many billions have we spent to fight this war on terror? How harmful has it been to not only our economy but our rights as citizens? He accomplished what he set out to do.

[Logical]

6. So true, he completely changed our way of life. And the money spent is unbelievable. n-t

[Little Star]

7. Pretty much!

[Journeyman]

8. It wouldn't have to be a high profile arena, either. An obscure hit might be more damaging. . .

Imagine the terror were someone to bomb one of the malls in Minot, North Dakota, or firebomb a community theater in Texarkana, Arkansas? Were an organization to do this, then claim responsibility and promise an ongoing campaign of selective, low profile attacks, it could conceivably paralyze the nation.

Recall, if your memory goes back this far, the sheer panic and economic devastation wrought by the Tylenol poisonings in the 1980s. It kept people out of the stores for for a considerable length of time and impacted the way we package all our food.

Yes, I've often wondered why anyone would go after the "hard targets" such as an embassy or highly visible building, when true terror could come from the commonplace and mundane.

That said, I agree with your assessment, Logical. We're wasting far too much money and time defending ourselves against shadows and our own fevered imaginations.

[Link Speed]

9. Hang a LiteBrite kit from an overpass

Strategically place a bunch of 'suspicious-looking' packages around malls across the US on the day after Thanksgiving and pull the same sort of stunt on Xmas Eve. Maybe do some shrapnel-less explosions in some of the parking lots.

Phone in a bomb threat during every NFL playoff game and raise hell with the Super Bowl.

A few people could bring this country to its collective knees without physically harming anyone.

I will never lose any sleep over AQ.

[Posteritatis]

10. I don't doubt the intent, I doubt the capability. (nt)

[msongs]

11. how many kiiled by gun owners since Jan 1st in USA vs deaths on 9/11? nt

[Logical]

12. Great point. n-t

[LWolf]

13. No.

I've never thought they were.

I have thought, though, that they are a convenient tool for some. Look how "everything changed after 9/11." Look at those changes, and whom they've benefited, and whom they've hurt.

[raccoon]

14. I think there are some, such as the Boston bombers. But I also think terrorists can spare

themselves the trouble and effort. The USA is being destroyed from within, by the 1% and the numerous whackjobs
such as Teabaggers.

[PowerToThePeople]

15. Why do you hate America?

And why are you aiding the terrorists?

[JoePhilly]

16. Don't confuse a tactic (terrorism) with their ultimate strategic goal ...

What they want long term, their strategic goal, is one world Religion ... their Religion. That would be "best case" ... entire world adopts their religion. Their mid-term goal is to have their religion control the Middle East. Their immediate goal is to get us to leave each of the Middle Eastern countries.

Let's look more broadly.

Think about how angry America's right wing gets when you or I won't believe and adopt their Religion and have its laws be THE laws for all citizens. They also want one world religion, theirs.

They see your (and my) unwillingness to adopt their particular Religious world view as a direct attack on their Religion. Think about how they describe the legalization of Gay marriage. They claim it is THEY who are losing their rights. THEY are being forced to allow gays to marry. In their mind, the very existence of gay people is an attack on them. Their kids start to accept gay marriage. And if their kids start to accept gays marrying, those kids are basically giving up that religion. Their religion shrinks. So they try to pass laws to prevent this attack from happening.

The terrorists are operating from a similar mental model. They hate having Americans and Westerners in the middle east because we, by our existence, present an alternative. And the fact that our diplomats run around talking about things like women's rights, and other human rights which their religion would reject, makes it worse. That's an attack on them. They want us to go away so that their people see no alternatives.

By coincidence, my kids and I watched the movie "Witness" last night on Netflix. To maintain the Amish way of life, and their religion, they retreat from the rest of the world. Their interactions with the modern world are generally very limited. They protect their religion and way of life by limiting the alternatives.

The Christian right in America tries to pass laws based on the bible, that will protect their religion by limiting alternatives.

The Amish retreat from the modern world to protect their religion by limiting alternatives.

The Muslim extremists are trying to get the West to leave "their world", by using terrorist attacks, so they can protect their religion and limit the alternatives for "their people". Much like the Christian right, they'll force their religion on the people they consider "their people", passing laws to do so where possible.

Each of these groups is using a different tactic to protect their religion by limiting the alternatives available.

Given this, attacks of the sort you mention won't advance towards the goal. Sending more of their people here is a risk because they can be tempted by the alternatives. The people they send could change sides. Even worse, turn them in.

Which is why their approach for attack here and in the West in general has changed. Getting some one local to switch sides and join them is far better. That person or group acts on their own. No direct trail back to them. Which makes the Boston Bombers a great example of what they'd love to see more of. But there aren't that many nuts available and willing to make that change. Thus, not so many local attacks.

The right wing does the same thing. They shake the crazy tree and hope some nuts fall out. Bill O'Reilly, talks endlessly about "Tiller the baby killer" ... and then, Dr. Tiller is murdered by a RW nut. O'Reilly has talked about the potential end of the "White Christian power structure" in this country. He didn't have to kill an abortion doctor on his own. He just needed to shake the crazy tree.