Huge terrorist plot broken up...thank god

[Omaha Red Sox]

If this had happened, it would have devestated the whole country.

I don't think its a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN. America is going to get hit hard again, its inevitable.

Well, I don't think we are necessarily going to get hit to this magnitude again. It's been almost 6 years since any major attack on us.

Unfortunately many Americans have forgotten 9-11 already. Not that it happened, but we've gone back our hum-drum, carefree lives as if we were invincible. 9-11 showed us that we are far from invincible and we need to act like it or it will happen again.

While I agree that this is true for the typical citizen, I think the government, airport security, etc. is doing a better job at keeping the country as a whole safe.

The government is nothing without its citizens.

[jayday]

Well, I don't think we are necessarily going to get hit to this magnitude again. It's been almost 6 years since any major attack on us.

So America is just going to be on top forever? When was your last history class?

[sportsaddict]

Yeah I posted this on the baseball side and I was appaled when I read it. Scary stuff really, just scary that there are people out there that hate Americans enough to want to do something like this. Thankfully our federal government was on top of it and stopped it because it could have been catastrophic

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

Well, I don't think we are necessarily going to get hit to this magnitude again. It's been almost 6 years since any major attack on us.

So America is just going to be on top forever? When was your last history class?

All I said was that I disagreed that an attack of that magnitude is inevitable...where do you get that America is going to be on top forever from what I said?

[VHawk15]

First, Omaha, could you please explain what you would like to see American citizens do to avoid these attacks? What could we have done to thwart this plot?

I think that Americans are still very much aware of 9/11, much thanks to the current administration's constant reminders, and we still operate (especially voting-wise) as if an attack is imminent. For instance, I cannot tell you the amount of times someone has told me that if we leave Iraq, then the terrorists will "come over here."

Yeah, this plan thankfully never got off the ground.

And yes, these are South American terrorists. We are hated virtually everywhere.

I dont see how you can make such a sweeping statement. South Americans have hated us since Teddy Roosevelt's presidency and his bully foreign policy tactics.

I believe that there are relatively few countries left on the globe whose respect and admiration for our country outweighs their antipathy for it. You are naive to think otherwise. In a survey conducted in 2006 by the Pew Research Center, the majority of citizens polled in the following countries held a favorable opinion towards the United States:

The United States
India
Poland
Canada
Britain
Russia

Countries such as Lebanon, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Germany, China, the Netherlands, and France all had unfavorable ratings nearing or exceeding 60%.

Europe's hatred of us is more intellectual, the Middle East's hatred is overwhelming, and the hatred in Asia and South America (see: Chavez) is on the rise. I mean, I suppose Australia and Antarctica weren't polled, but are you seriously trying to argue that hatred of America is either nonexistent or stagnant? That Iraq and the Bush Doctrine has not affected our global reputation?

It's like alcoholism, maddog. The only way we can hope to mitigate this problem is to admit that it exists.

[jayday]

Well, I don't think we are necessarily going to get hit to this magnitude again. It's been almost 6 years since any major attack on us.

So America is just going to be on top forever? When was your last history class?

All I said was that I disagreed that an attack of that magnitude is inevitable...where do you get that America is going to be on top forever from what I said?

I guess I read it as "It's been six years. We're in the clear now. 9/11 is as bad as it's gonna get." Is that not how you meant it?

I happen to think it's inevitable before another "incident" occurs....It probably won't be a plane because anybody that isn't black or white is randomly selected for a search before boarding...

But it's just a matter of time IMO before some nutjob gets their hands on a nuke or deadly virus of some kind and uses it....People are currently chemically engineering diseases like smallpox, influenza, bubonic plague, etc. to be extremely potent and in some cases resistant anti-biotics....I think they scare me more than the nukes....A small amount simply dropped in a public airspace with high traffic like a subway station or airport could infect millions within weeks...

I dread the day it happens but I won't be surprised like a lot of Americans will be....

[A Fleshner Fantasy]

Well, I don't think we are necessarily going to get hit to this magnitude again. It's been almost 6 years since any major attack on us.

So America is just going to be on top forever? When was your last history class?

All I said was that I disagreed that an attack of that magnitude is inevitable...where do you get that America is going to be on top forever from what I said?

I guess I read it as "It's been six years. We're in the clear now. 9/11 is as bad as it's gonna get." Is that not how you meant it?

I happen to think it's inevitable before another "incident" occurs....It probably won't be a plane because anybody that isn't black or white is randomly selected for a search before boarding...

But it's just a matter of time IMO before some nutjob gets their hands on a nuke or deadly virus of some kind and uses it....People are currently chemically engineering diseases like smallpox, influenza, bubonic plague, etc. to be extremely potent and in some cases resistant anti-biotics....I think they scare me more than the nukes....A small amount simply dropped in a public airspace with high traffic like a subway station or airport could infect millions within weeks...

I dread the day it happens but I won't be surprised like a lot of Americans will be....

No, I didn't mean that we're in the clear, because of course we aren't, and probably never will be as long as the country exists. All I meant is that since 9/11 the government has done a pretty good job of protecting us. Sure, something will happen at some point, and as for the magnitude of whatever it is, I have no clue. There is no way to stop everything, but for all the criticism Bush gets (and just to clarify I am NOT a supporter of Bush) there haven't been any more terrorist attacks since 9/11 for whatever reason.

[Mercer Boy]

And of course...that's where I'm flying into this Thursday.

[Omaha Red Sox]

First, Omaha, could you please explain what you would like to see American citizens do to avoid these attacks? What could we have done to thwart this plot?

I don't know what we could have done to stop 9-11. I am not pessimistic enough to think of things we could have done differently to change the outcome of that terrible day.

However. The awareness of the American people went up dramatically following this attack. Certain measures were expected of our officials and citizens took it upon themselves to protect and defend themselves and their country. This Patriotic spirit has subsided dramatically. We no longer seem to think of ourselves as wounded, but back at the top again and forever invincible. We are far from invincible and that is the point that I was trying to make. Do not misinterpret. Awareness goes a long way and our country has gone far away from awareness and has gone the way of complacentness.

We should not rest easy. We should remember that there are many enemies of our great nation and as soon as we fall asleep we will realize this. I just pray we realize this beforehand.