At one time, I thought that every year 9-11 should be commemorated by grounding all air traffic. Those days after 9-11-01 were made even more surreal by the absolute quiet. (Why do we put up with so much noise everyday?)

My feelings have changed since then. I would still support a freeze on air travel for the tenth anniversary, but in between now and then, I think we need to move on — and most of us are. 9-11 was a monstrous act by a tiny handful of sick madmen who represent a tiny tribe of medievalists. We have let that tiny band of fanatics change every day since 9-11. Worse, we’ve increased their numbers a thousandfold through our actions since that day. We’ve spent a trillion dollars in 5 years to wage war on a few thousand loonies with donkey carts and box cutters. Oh, sure, they also have video cameras and websites. Behind it they have an idea, however mad, and you can’t kill an idea, though an idea can kill you.

Here at home, you’re more likely to be physically attacked for appeasement (hey, you, where’s your flag lapel pin?! Communist! Feminazi! Islamo-fascist!) than to be arrested by the piety police. We’re coerced to face Washington, not Mecca, 5 times a day in obeisance. We never speak of the irony of our band of religious fanatics dragging us into war with their band of religious fanatics. (God Bless America!) At least our fanatics haven’t beheaded anybody yet (just killed a few doctors, homosexuals and foreigners). We do have the higher ground morally.

Although we did the right thing in Afghanistan 5 years ago, we’re now loosing ground there. The Soviets took a decade to give up fighting the rebels we armed. The Taliban is still alive and kicking, shooting us with our own guns (perhaps we should fund the war through taxes on gun manufacturers). The official Afghan government is looking into restoring a morality police.

As for bin Laden, a few years ago Duhbya said he never thinks about bin Laden (only Hussein). That is until 2 months before an election, when he mentioned bin Laden 17 times in one speech. The War on Terror, the War Without End, is all that matters and justifies that terrible war of choice in Iraq, where we deposed an enemy of bin Laden’s and Iran’s. All part of the birthing of democracy or the End of Days. Those democracies seem likely to elect ayatollahs and willingly adopt sharia even as we elect our own conservatives.

Had enough? Are we going to continue to give power to the incompetent, corrupt and fearful? The same people who promise trillions of dollars and a shredded Constitution will destroy the enemy in another generation or so? mjh

mjh’s blog — ‘I have no idea, and I really don’t care.’

Promise: In 2001, Bush trumpeted that finding Osama bin Laden was his administration’s “number one priority. We will not rest until we’ve found him.”

How Bush backed it up: In 2002, when asked about the whereabouts of Osama, he replied, “I don’t know where he is. I have no idea, and I really don’t care. It’s not that important.”

mjh’s blog — Third Debate Comments
SCHIEFFER: Mr. President?

BUSH: Gosh, I just don’t think I ever said I’m not worried about Osama bin Laden. It’s kind of one of those exaggerations.