Wednesday, August 17, 2005

More Schisms in Views...

So it comes out that the State Department in 1996 was warning that bin Laden could become a major player in terrorism when he went to Afghanistan. I feel sure this will be headlined on talk radio, Fox News, and various political chat rooms as "proof" that Clinton was the ultimate cause of 9/11.

Of course, when the memos to Rice came out that listed "al Qida" as a major threat, that was of no importance whatsoever to all the people who will now be screaming - and the people who were screaming that it WAS important, by gum, will now say the State Department was just a straw in a haystack or something like that. The more things change, the more it's the other guy's fault somehow.

Here's the reality - neither party did anything to stop al-Qaeda before they had to. Okay?

Clinton was lackadaiscal for a while, and near the end did try a little harder, but was weighed down by several factors - not the least of which was his incredible stupidity in getting involved with Monica. It's his private life, yes, but when you're the President and you KNOW the other party is out to get you by any means necessary (how many investigations of Clinton were held, and how many came to anything?) you don't paint a target on your chest and dare them to take a shot. Clinton didn't do much.

Bush also didn't do much. As I recall, terrorism was a very distant priority on his list, coming in six out of seven or something like that. He was more worried about "Star Wars". (Not the picture)

They both had warnings that al-Qaeda was a bad group, they both could have done a lot more. They didn't. Neither party is "right" and neither party is "wrong" - they're both wrong.

Trying to say one party or the other is all at fault not only is immature and wrong, it's also dangerous. Since both parties messed up, neither party can claim that what they did was completely right - yet they will. We need to root out all the faults in play here, not just the ones that are associated with the other side.

The Moderate Voice feels the same way I do. Nice to know someone does in this world of fanatical political devotion taking the place of thinking.

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