Common Sense - Preventive Maintenance

[irwincur]

After 911 everyone was pissed at the CIA, FBI, president, etc... for being too lax with the information that they had. The idea was that it could have been prevented by taking proactive action.


After Iraq everyone was pissed at the CIA, FBI, president, etc... for taking proactive action against a future problem. The idea was that this is just plain wrong, and the wrong way to do it.



Which is correct here, you obviously cannot have it both ways. Do we sit back and wait for problems to happen, and then bitch, or do we actually look to solve them before they get out of hand?

I have yet to see a liberal come out with a better solution. Or to state the obvious that as a Republican Bush is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

 

[kylebisme]

ever heard the saying " the best offence is a strong defence"?

 

[Zephyr106]

So overstating and lying about an enemies capabilities are an integral part of proactive action?

Zephyr

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: irwincur
After 911 everyone was pissed at the CIA, FBI, president, etc... for being too lax with the information that they had. The idea was that it could have been prevented by taking proactive action.

That's because our nation's security was compromised. We were attacked on our own oil. Our defense was weak.

After Iraq everyone was pissed at the CIA, FBI, president, etc... for taking proactive action against a future problem. The idea was that this is just plain wrong, and the wrong way to do it.

How was invading Iraq defending the U.S.? Did Iraq ever attack us? NO.

Which is correct here, you obviously cannot have it both ways. Do we sit back and wait for problems to happen, and then bitch, or do we actually look to solve them before they get out of hand?

I have yet to see a liberal come out with a better solution. Or to state the obvious that as a Republican Bush is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

We most certainly can have it both ways.

It's best to have a good defense and to also not be a world bully.

 

[smashp]

Real Proactive Action would have been Strengthening our Border Security.

It is actually worse now than it Was then.

We could only commit 18000 troops to hunt for Bin Laden.

Just imagine if we would have commited half our Iraq force to the Tora Bora region.

Now OBL has lived and become a defiant Symbol. We should have PROACTIVLY prevented this when there were some arabs that didnt feel WE are the great satan.

 

[Todd33]

You can have action on intellegence without war. The fact that the (some) people that were responsible for 9/11 were on the FBI wanted list , using their real names, taking flight lessons, etc. means we were asleep at the wheel.

Invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 is not proactive, it's plain dumb. Yes we all like cheap oil, but lets admit the real reasons for war, not the crap we were fed.

How anyone can defend this administration is beyond me. Stop taking it for the team and stand up for the country. Can't you be republican without backing all the republicans, even the crappy ones? Grow a spine.

 

[irwincur]

OK, as I guessed most people would miss the entire idea here. After 911 the security forces of the US were told to find the problem before it was a problem. After Iraq now, they are being told the opposite. We are essentially going back to a pre 911 security stance because of this. Seriously, the left has been speaking outside of two different mouths this whole time. I am beginning to believe that there is nothing anyone can do that is right.

Please, comment on the original comment, not some stupid rambling attempt at turning the question.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: irwincur
OK, as I guessed most people would miss the entire idea here. After 911 the security forces of the US were told to find the problem before it was a problem. After Iraq now, they are being told the opposite. We are essentially going back to a pre 911 security stance because of this. Seriously, the left has been speaking outside of two different mouths this whole time. I am beginning to believe that there is nothing anyone can do that is right.

Please, comment on the original comment, not some stupid rambling attempt at turning the question.

Your logic is flawed.

It's pointless trying to point that out to you.

 

[AcidicFury]

The CIA is not prepared for a war like this or a war like Vietnam. Most agents still think in the "Cold War" days where there is a distinct enemy. However, that's not the way war works anymore, so thus, the CIA should be reformed and reorganized.

 

[daveshel]

Going into Iraq has increased our enmity throughout the world, and may well have increased the chances of another big attack.

 

[smashp]

Originally posted by: irwincur
OK, as I guessed most people would miss the entire idea here. After 911 the security forces of the US were told to find the problem before it was a problem. After Iraq now, they are being told the opposite. We are essentially going back to a pre 911 security stance because of this. Seriously, the left has been speaking outside of two different mouths this whole time. I am beginning to believe that there is nothing anyone can do that is right.

Please, comment on the original comment, not some stupid rambling attempt at turning the question.

you can Proactively replace the brakes on your car, but they might not need changed
you can Proactively replace the tires on your car, but they might not need changed
you can Proactively replace the sparkplugs on your car, but they might not need changed
you can Proactively replace the fluids on your car, but they might not need changed
you can Proactively replace the belts on your car, but they might not need changed

They might all have looked on the surface as Possibly causing you problems in the Future, But when you change them you never know.

But then your water pump fails with no prior notice.

You cant predict everything, You cant Protect against everything

Just make sure you dont spend all your money proactively replacing your tires, brakes, shocks, sparkplugs, fluids, and Belts on your car or you may not be able to pay for the Water pump when it actually causes a problem.


There is a balance and this Admin didnt Balance anything. They sunk everything into Iraq. So now we are left with alot of doubt if we have the resources to handle the next problem that arives.

 

[DeeKnow]

you're oversimplifying this too far... there is no 'correct' way of going about this. the world is a complicated place - the CIA, FBI, and whoever else have people who are paid to make those decisions - depending on circumstances. in this case, they failed both times by not acting appropriately... they ignored the red flags before 9/11 and then went hyperactive on Iraq by putting on pink glasses,