The PCTC Blog

Toward Smarter Airport Security

When I worked in Washington, DC, every once in a while I would have to go to New York on business. I was encouraged by my firm to fly “because it was easier,” but I always drove, especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks. I can’t tell you how many times I had to explain why to bosses and co-workers, but it actually made perfect sense.

It was quicker to drive.

I kid you not. I lived in the Baltimore suburbs at the time – actually, about five minutes from the airport, strangely enough, and since we the country went batshit after 9/11, it actually takes less time to drive as to fly. From my front door to Manhattan took about 3 hours, usually, and that included the inevitable traffic jams in the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel.

If I flew, I would have to get to the airport at least an hour and a half before my flight in order to make sure I got through security, then the flight would take about 45 minutes from gate to gate. It would take 5-10 minutes to get to the cab stand, and then I’d have to endure a 30-45 minute cab ride into Manhattan from either airport.  It’s not like I could just jump on a plane and be there, right?

Eight is Enough: There is no Winning in Afghanistan

This past Sunday morning, I woke up and immediately started reading the news. It's been a habit for years. It’s a habit I’ve had since I was in my teens. In the old days, I would wake up and immediately head to the front door to get the paper. Now, I just reach over and grab the laptop from the nightstand and start perusing many different papers. Of course, the first story that smacked me in the face was one that eight US soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.

 

Immediately, tears welled in my eyes, and feelings of dread came over me, as I haven't heard from my son, who is stationed not far from there, for almost a week. As the parent of a soldier, you try to hope for the best, but you can't help but dread the worst.  I've talked to many other parents of soldiers deployed in various places, and I've learned that you simply can't train yourself to look away, no matter how hard you try. He's been deployed for 2 months so far; I have no idea how I’ll make it through 13 more.

 

I've never understood why we sent babies over there. I know; he's 19, not technically a baby. But if you have ever been a parent, then you know, no matter how old they get, you just keep flashing back to those trips to Chuck E. Cheese and Discovery Zone, the first time he rode a roller coaster, and the first time he dressed up to go to a dance. Besides, I just sent him a care package replete with sour gummy worms, Skittles, and downloaded copies of his favorite anime (screw you, RIAA!) videos. I've pre-ordered a couple of new video games, one of which features Mickey Mouse and Goofy (don’t worry; the other one features plenty of gore; he’s normal).  We're talking about someone who hasn't really started his life at all.

Today is September 11. Now Bring Our Kids Home!

Today is September 11. And if one more person reminds me to remember the goddamn date, I think I'll go nuts. And not because we should forget what happened, and forget the innocent people who were lost to us on September 11, 2001, but because we seem to forget about everything every other day of the year.

 

This column is going to be a bit more personal than most, for reasons that will be clear as I continue this. For that, I ask that you bear with me and forgive me.

 

This was my son, back in September 2001. He was in sixth grade, and he was 11 years old. I am the only parent he ever had, who was of any consequence in his life.

 

That same month, a group of religious nuts hijacked planes and flew them into the two tallest buildings on New York City, which caused them to collapse (and I'm warning the conspiracy nuts out there; I will block you if you even attempt to bring that bullshit into this discussion!), killing thousands of people who were just working for a living, and didn't deserve to die.

 

The people who died in that tragedy should be remembered, and their families deserve our condolences. But what about the aftermath? When do we remember who and what we represent as a nation, and start moving forward? And if you don't understand what I mean, then you're part of the problem.

Stop Jerking That Knee and Become a Skeptic!

I can't tell you how many times in the last few weeks I've heard from another liberal about something Barack Obama supposedly said that was apparently outrageous or scary or somehow out of character. Liberals are often absolutely hysterical over many of their perceptions of Obama's positions on issues, and their screeching can be heard all over the blogosphere.

But then a funny thing happens. I actually look up what Obama actually said, and I think to myself, "Is that all?" Basically, what I'm finding is that a lot of people are hysterical about information that isn't actually true. For example:

• Barack Obama isn't in favor of expanding faith-based initiatives because he just loves combining government and religion. He's not planning to send tax money to churches for their basic operations. In other words, he's saying it's possible to assist churches in helping the poor and the sick, without violating the separation between church and state.
• Barack Obama hasn't reneged on his promise to extract us from the Iraq occupation, just because he says he will continually re-evaluate, based on what military experts tell him. Keep in mind, Bush SAYS he's listening to generals on the ground, but he's not; he only listens to those generals whose opinions he agrees with. He's fired every military expert that said anything he didn't like, remember? Basically, Obama's talking about responsibility. We broke the country of Iraq, and we owe it to the people there to pull out, but to pull out in a responsible way, that results in the least loss of life possible.
• Barack Obama has not abandoned his desire for campaign finance reform. The problem is, there's a large contingent of people who think the only way to reform the campaign finance system is by public financing, and the fact that he decided not to finance his campaign using tax money is seen by many as tantamount to treason. It completely disregards the reality that many of us feel that the public IS financing Obama's campaign, and he's actually demonstrating a campaign financing structure that works and is strangely not controlled by incumbent politicians, which would be the case in a public financing scheme.

See, here's the problem...

Padilla Found Guilty on All Counts in Terror Case - washingtonpost.com

I know the Bushies will never see things this way, but could we please get real here?

Several men were given counsel, tried in a court of law and convicted of being involved in terrorist plots, thus proving that the system created by our founding fathers, and embodied in the Constitution works, and the system the Bushies have created, which bypasses all of that, does not.

From: Padilla Found Guilty on All Counts in Terror Case - washingtonpost.com.

Jose Padilla, the Brooklyn-born former street gang member arrested five years ago as a suspected terrorist, was convicted today by a federal jury in Miami along with two co-defendants on charges of supporting al-Qaeda and other violent Muslim extremist groups.

After a day-and-a-half of deliberations following a three-month trial, the jury found that Padilla, 36, joined a cell to provide money and recruits to terrorist groups. Also convicted in the case were Adham Amin Hassoun, 45, a Lebanese-born Palestinian who worked in the United States as a computer programmer, and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, also 45, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Jordan who ran a purported relief organization that prosecutors said provided support to terrorist groups.

Now, doesn't that sound just a little bit more legitimate than simply declaring a bunch of people "enemy combatants" and keeping them in jail, just for the hell of it?

The answer, of course, is yes...

Our Friend Pakistan...

Apparently, in addition to everything else, the Bushies may be backing the wrong horse in the "War on Terrrrrr..."

From Raw Story:

Pakistan, one of President Bush's stalwart allies in the "War on Terror," gave substantial military support to the Taliban in the years leading up to 9/11, according to newly released documents.

Obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by George Washington University's National Security Archive, the documents provide a striking contrast to the Administration's portrayal of Pakistan. They show that Pakistan not only supplied arms and troops to train and fight alongside the extremist group.

Okay, sloppy editing aside, what we have here is that Pakistan armed and trained the Taliban. But this gets better.

When the Taliban seized Afghanistan in 1996, Bin Laden forged an alliance between the new rulers and al-Qaeda. His fighters trained alongside -- and integrated -- with the Taliban army. Bin Laden provided the Taliban with economic support, and his group was thought to have played a part in the assassination of the Taliban's strongest internal military opponent.

After the 1998 US embassy bombings in Africa, the Taliban refused extradition requests from the United States.

The National Security Archive calls the documents the "most complete and comprehensive collection of declassified documentation to date on Pakistan's aid programs to the Taliban, illustrating Islamabad's firm commitment to a Taliban victory in Afghanistan."

The documents largely predate Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf, who uses the title of President and took power in a 1999 military coup. On Sunday, Musharraf acknowledged diplomatic and economic links with the Taliban but denied direct military aid.

Okay, if you're a wingnut, and you have to support Bush, you're going to argue, "but, it all predates the current leadership of Pakistan. of course, as usual, you're not seeing the logic. Not surprising, of course...

Musharraf's claims are just not credible, but even if they were, diplomatic relations gives the Taliban credibility, and economic aid gives them the money to buy weapons. The Taliban currently controls most of Afghanistan, since Bush deemed it less important than reigniting a civil war in Iraq, and al Qaeda has demonstrated themselves to be more than willing to funnel arms to their buddies.

What this information shows us is that Pakistan, our supposed allies, are two timing us, and actually enabling terrorism. Think about it; they give the money to the Taliban, al Qaeda supports the Taliban and vice versa. Therefore, he is directly supporting the Taliban, and indirectly supporting al Qaeda.

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Wingnuts, that was a rhetorical question...