On 27 Oct 2003 19:11:51 GMT, (Teacherjh)
wrote in Message-Id: :



I blame Osama only for opening the eyes [...] to the vulnerability...


It is the fundamental nature of an open society that it is vulnerable....

And your point is?


My point is that "opening our eyes" to the vulnerability is not much of an
accomplishment, any more than throwing somebody out a forty ninth story window
"opens our eyes" to the vulnerability of high apartments with glass windows.

So you're saying the vulnerability of an open society is obvious to
ALL the people of the world? Doubtful. I believe we were perceived
by the people of the world as mighty and all powerful.

Now it has become apparent that a band of bedouin thugs can kill
thousands and inflict hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in
the US through will and planning alone.

If the vulnerability had been obvious, one would think that those
government agencies charged with the nation's safety would have taken
steps to prevent the type of terrorist attacks we witnessed on
September 11, 2001. You know, little things like having a plan of
action when an airliner deviates from its flight plan after disabling
transponder squawking, air martials, armed airline staff, ... Now
that our vulnerability can no longer be denied, (inappropriate?) steps
are being taken to attempt to close the gaps in our security. But as
you assert, it is virtually impossible in an open society.

You have failed to convince me that the US did not lose a lot of
stature in the eyes of the world as a result of the attacks.


[Nowhere did I use the words "opening our eyes" as you have. What I
said in Message-ID: was,
"Osama's strike at the icons of our "invincible" nation have forever
done their damage in the eyes of the people of the world."]