# The system worked **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 29, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908 "2009-12-29T15:02:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/241 "2010-01-06T09:51:37Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > How so? Did Rhode Island almost split off and become a monarchy or something? I hadn’t heard about that. > Admittedly the level of crazy in the country went through the roof, and we ended up neglecting our economy and conquering a shithole nation that had nothing to do with the attack, but those lapses were _our_ fault, not any logically necessary consequence of a few airplanes hitting a few buildings. Fucking hell, air travel and the stock market got shut down and the economy took a shit. There’s much more to the term ‘national security’ than territorial integrity. You’re absolutely right that Smashy’s a goddamned overreacting fool, but writing off the 9/11 attacks is just as dumb, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/242 "2010-01-06T13:51:19Z")
> [@Michael\_Ellis](#): > > You’re absolutely right that Smashy’s a goddamned overreacting fool, but writing off the 9/11 attacks is just as dumb, honestly. Not writing them off. They _might_ have signified a threat to national security, but it turns out bin Laden was a bit of a one hit wonder with respect to attacks of that size. Heck it’s obvious from the half assed nature of our attempt to capture him at Tora Bora, that the administration realized that within months of the attack. Much of the economic damage we took was due to our overreaction to what amounted to a single attack by a mass murderer. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/243 "2010-01-06T14:04:00Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Much of the economic damage we took was due to our overreaction to what amounted to a single attack by a mass murderer. But this was -still- a direct result of the 9/11 attacks. Without the 9/11 attacks, there’s no economic impact and (maybe) no war in Iraq and Afghanistan. So while the scope of the actual damage of the 9/11 attacks was small in terms of direct damage to national security, the fallout was much larger. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/244 "2010-01-06T14:47:25Z")
> [@tacoloco](#): > > But this was -still- a direct result of the 9/11 attacks. Wouldn’t have been near as big if the Republicans hadn’t latched onto the ‘national security threat’ angle and milked it for all it was worth. It’s _our_ fault we treated it as a bigger threat than it actually was, even after we had time to assess the magnitude of the threat. Of course, with the help of frightened idiots like **Mr Smashy** , we’re still letting the right abuse the term ‘national security’ to the point where it loses almost all meaning. When headlines start looking like this, even in jest: [Joan Rivers deemed a danger to national security, bumped off Costa Rica flight back to U.S.](http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/05/joan-rivers-airport/) it is long past time to reign in the fearmongers, and insist that ‘national security’ involves larger issues than whether I personally have a one in a billion chances of getting blowed up by terrists when I fly into San Luis Obispo next weekend. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/245 "2010-01-06T15:43:26Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Wouldn’t have been near as big if the Republicans hadn’t latched onto the ‘national security threat’ angle and milked it for all it was worth. It’s _our_ fault we treated it as a bigger threat than it actually was, even after we had time to assess the magnitude of the threat. > Of course, with the help of frightened idiots like **Mr Smashy** , we’re still letting the right abuse the term ‘national security’ to the point where it loses almost all meaning. > When headlines start looking like this, even in jest: > [Joan Rivers deemed a danger to national security, bumped off Costa Rica flight back to U.S.](http://thinkprogress.org/2010/01/05/joan-rivers-airport/) > it is long past time to reign in the fearmongers, and insist that ‘national security’ involves larger issues than whether I personally have a one in a billion chances of getting blowed up by terrists when I fly into San Luis Obispo next weekend. He must have seen her act. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/246 "2010-01-06T18:53:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, she is certainly wrong when she says this - No, he actually set off an explosive device on a plane. So “before” here must mean “after”. > > And based on this, I am supposed to feel safe. If I feel threatened, a bit of double-think, and the problem is solved. > > Regards, > Shodan Help Me! Help Me Daddy Pwesident. I’m scared and I need you to make me safe! EEEKS! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/247 "2010-01-06T19:33:18Z")
The English tested the scanners and found they were not effective. They were weak against liquids and plastics, which is what todays bombs use. Then why the push for full body scanners? Mike Chertoff is representing a company that makes them. He is all over TV saying they will save us. You can not trust anybody anymore. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/248 "2010-01-06T19:39:25Z")
[The Airport Scanner Scam – Mother Jones](http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/01/airport-scanner-scam) Here’s the story from Huffpo. ---
**Author:** ![Wincerind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@Wincerind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wincerind)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908/249 "2010-01-07T14:05:03Z")
Slight hijack: does anybody know if the extent of his injuries qualify him for a Darwin award? Nominees who remove themselves from the gene pool without actually dying should be cherished… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-system-worked/522908.md?page=12)