Preparing for the Next Attack

“America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser, this is why America has never, and will never, lose a war.” General George S. Patton. We are at war, and I am distressed at our low alert level and the accompanying sense of pessimism in America.

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Are you weary of being on defense? Americans hate being on the defensive. I want to see America return to the proactive, post 9-11 anti-terrorist stance of the Bush Presidency. I want us to do even more. I want to win! During the President’s mea culpa yesterday, he made promises of accountability, and outlined a series of steps to improve the security situation. Nice words, but at this point they are just talk. It is a talk that he should have had with us before taking the oath of office. Now it is time for action. But where is the plan? Are we flying by the seat of our pants? Is it already too little too late? Will we prevent the next terrorist act? I hope so. I can all but assure you that the next one is planned and ready to execute. Even if such an attack is dulled or thwarted before it achieves it’s murderous objectives, it will still provide a propaganda victory and recruiting tool for Al Qaeda, and give the other haters of Americans comfort. This is not, I repeat, not just a law enforcement issue. Has our President has finally learned that lesson? Law Enforcement has a serious preventative and first responder role to play, but should be part of a fully integrated effort of Civil Defense [and I’m not talking about “ACORN Battalions” or “SEIU Brigades”]. Such an effort requires clearly delineated roles, information sharing and coordination by Local, State and Federal with National Guard and Federal Armed Forces that respects our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and precedents regarding Posse Comitatus. Whatever actions we are now declaring will take some time to implement fully. A bureaucracy does not simply "spring into action." Even our military units on readiness stand-by have an prescribed SOP that is difficult to compress, or change willy-nilly. We should all be sanguine and realistic about this. A war effort requires a National Mobilization not just of the military actions and full integration of intelligence agency analyses and information, but also mobilization of our entire population and our infrastructure to win this effort. Despite comforting speeches and rhetoric to reassure, the fact remains that we are being probed. The "enemy" [a useful descriptive word] wants to kill us. He will not stop. He is already one step further down the road toward that next attack. He is testing security at all levels. Our security is once again in a very obvious state of disarray and coordination. Those who were not shocked by yesterday’s announcement passed over the point that President Obama was essentially admitting to a “9-10” state of readiness These are not normal times. The current economic crisis creates even more vulnerabilities. I understand any anxiety some may have about unnecessarily starting a panic. But, responsible leaders throughout American history have been able to lead us through deeper crises than this without the country falling apart. On the contrary, such times have tended to unite us. True leadership begins by leveling with us, the American citizens. It also involves us being more alert to our surroundings. Have we gone so soft and flaccid that we cannot defend ourselves? Does it take a Dutch citizen [God Bless him] to protect American citizens now? Are we now so PC that we have thrown in the towel? Do only know how to hold hands and sing Kumbaya? Have we become a Nation of observers? Doesn’t anyone learn self-defense anymore? Come on folks. Let’s get with it. Let’s wake up to a new day. Let’s take the world as it is, and not as we wish it were, and fix what we can fix. If we do not, then I fear that we are headed for a greater disaster that will make airline hijackings and suicide bombers look like minor incidents. In 2002, I recall teaching college students a course on the Holocaust in California. I invited speakers from the Israeli Consulate to talk to my students about Israel’s view toward terrorism through the lens of the Holocaust. My students were shocked and amazed at the barbarism of the Nazis. They were informed about Hitler’s efforts to enlist the militants of the Arab world in achieving his Final Solution against the Jews. During the question and answer session, they were stunned and amazed to learn of the perpetual state of mobilization that exists in Israel. They learned about how Israelis, working as a unified people, stop an overwhelming number of terrorist attempts, yet bombs still go off in malls, cafes, homes and churches. For my part, I was shocked and amazed that my students were shocked and amazed! It opened my students’ eyes to the need for them to be involved in their own security here at home. It is not just some other guy's job. Like in Israel, our citizens must become the first line of defense. The media does us a disservice by sugar-coating bad news in order to protect Mr. Obama’s Presidency. They were certainly more vigilant toward Mr. Bush. Our leaders should be teaching us civil defense measures and we should be practicing them. We are ill-equipped, ill-trained and unready as a nation to fight this terrorist-fascist enemy. This war requires a mobilization beginning with “We the People.” I believe that Americans are up to the challenge if they quit waiting for Big Government to solve all of the problems. Take a break from the cell phone and the I-pod Become informed and watchful while in public. Become vigilant. Take measures to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood. Be alert as you use commercial transportation and resolve to act appropriately in a crisis. We are all in this together. Leaders who minimize National perils, or fail to prepare adequately for terrorist attacks, either for political ends or because of ideological blindness, act negligently, even criminally. It is at last, time to place the United States to be on alert and take this War on Terror seriously. This is a war that we must win. Western Civilization hangs in the balance.