Buttieieg quote from his book......

[USALiberal]

He said exactly what I thought about 911 and the the vote on the patriot act.

IT WAS YEARS BEFORE I would get formal training in counterterrorism as a military officer, but it seemed clear even then as a history student that the new national approach on terrorism was likely to be self-defeating. The top priority of the terrorist—even more important than killing you—is to make himself your top priority. This is why protecting ourselves from terrorist violence is not enough to defeat terrorism, especially if we try to achieve safety in ways that elevate the importance of terrorists and wind up publicizing their causes. We all want to avoid being harmed—but if the cost of doing so is making the terrorist the thing you care about most, to the exclusion of the other things that matter in your society, then you have handed him exactly the kind of victory that makes terrorism such a frequent and successful tactic.

[Autumn]

1. This man has a grasp on reality that I have never seen in a politician.

Thanks for the quote.

[USALiberal]

2. His book is great, and only on chapter 2. Nt

[mobeau69]

7. Just ordered and on my way for in-store pick up at B&N!

From reviews on Amazon:

Just finished "Shortest Way Home," and I am now thinking Pete Buttigieg could indeed be our next President.

I immediately recognized South Bend, Indiana, when I arrived from Pittsburgh. Both cities have suffered from the loss of American manufacturing (Pittsburgh steel, and South Bend Studebaker automobiles). I had to move from Pittsburgh to South Bend about 6 years ago, and I have witnessed the renaissance here, inspired and helmed by this young, dynamic guy.

"Mayor Pete" came to the office of mayor with impressive credentials and a drive to reshape his hometown into a model of success for the twenty-first century. This book is the story of small city politics, and of the nuts and bolts of turning high expectations and soaring ideas into concrete success.

Along with the story of leading South Bend, much attention will no doubt be paid to the fact that Mayor Pete, along with being a veteran, is a married gay man. But that story, couched as it is amid the tale of drive, success, dedication, patriotism, optimism and vision, becomes not such a big deal. He benefits from the progress we have made in accepting our lgbtq fellow citizens, but his candor is refreshing and inspiring.

This book reveals a man of intellectual agility, optimism, bravery, and a cohesive vision that is refreshing and clearly conveyed. Whatever his future holds in politics, one should not dismiss this guy. My bet is that he will inspire surprising support from a diverse group of converts. It's rather fitting that Joe Kennedy III is a fan.

[USALiberal]

8. Nice review, loving it so far! Nt

[mobeau69]

13. Just finished the first chapter.

Damn, he can paint word pictures so vivid it's like you were there! Some paragraphs are pure poetry.

[murielm99]

10. I have to go with Mayor Pete for now.

I am impressed. But I could change my mind. It is so early.

[mobeau69]

3. This guy is the mayor of South Bend and Trump is in the White House

[USALiberal]

4. Jeopardy! Pete vs Trump! Nt

[mobeau69]

9. That would be so funny!

[LuvNewcastle]

14. That just about sums up the times we're living in.

This country is so decadent.

[Perrenial Voter]

5. There is only one proven way to stop terrorism (unless

you count killing everyone on the other side) and that is to bring those who support terrorism into the political process so that they can work for their goals without resorting to violence. This requires negotiations, a willingness to compromise, and relatively open system under which to mobilize support for alternatives.

Most terrorists and their supporters have valid grievances that have not been addressed. A military (or only military) response necessarily increases those grievances and therefore increases support for them.
A law enforcement response can be more nuanced.

But if we have a foreign policy that rests on getting what we want through force or threats of force--which we do--we send the message that violence and force are the only thing we listen to. And as much as we may try to make a moral distinction between killing people with bombs dropped from airplanes and doing so with suicide vests, I think the main difference is the military tools available to the bombers.

Terrorism is the weapon of the weak, who would no doubt, be happy to bomb their enemies from airplanes if they had the capacity to. The powerful have other options, and could greatly reduce bloodshed in the world if they chose to use them instead of utilizing violence to get what they want (but that which they are mostly not entitled to). Thus, I think it is out foreign policy--and those of the EU, Russia, China, and some other countries -- that create the conditions that lead to terrorism, and this will have to change if we want to free from terrorist threats.

[USALiberal]

6. Nice post! Nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. Very valid points! They point the way to the future.

I suspect our "eternal" wars rest on the idea that these generate a lot of money for their promoters, and that is the main reason we have them.

[Honeycombe8]

12. Yes, that was the argument against it at the time. nt