I’ve been watching the news almost exclusively since Tuesday. I understand that people need to know what’s being done to find the organizations behind the perpetrators. I want to know too. The wall-to-wall coverage helps people work through the situation and help them to heal. But…
Another thread reminded me of security. I’d rather not hear what the government is finding out. In a free and open society it is expected that the authorities will keep us updated on who did what and how close we’re getting. This is exactly the same kind of information that could be useful to the terrorists. Suppose we get absolute, unequivocal, golden-nugget-dropped-by-god information that Osama Bin Laden, or whoever, and many of his top lieutenants are at coordinates hh:mm:ss.sss and “an unnamed source” tells the Media. The Media tells the public. Osama & Co. happen to be watching CNN and say, “Cheese it! The cops!” Our F-117s drop LASER-guided bombs on empty tents.
Okay, that’s an extreme example; but any information about how much we know about the terrorists can be useful to the terrorists. I think it would make them much more nervous if we clammed up. “I know something you don’t know!”
The news has been covering rescue efforts, which is good and will help people heal. They have also been covering pundits who drop hints (or more) about what we know, which is good insofar as it lets people know that The Fist of God will soon fall on the criminals; but is bad because the criminals hear it as well. As far as I’m concerned, the government can stay quiet and smile. Then show us the video from the smart bomb’s television camera as it falls directly into the terrorist’s left nostril.
Before anyone picks this particular nit, I know you need two sets of coordinates to find a target on a plane (flat surface; not an aircraft). “hh:mm:ss.sss” should have been “hh:mm:ss.sss LAT, hh:mm:ss.sss LON”. I’ll leave ALT out of it.
Arden Ranger: Have we had any serious disagreements? I hope not. I like to know when I’m in a fight!
Too true. At times I think a quieter stance from the news organizations would be helpful-in both the upcoming military operation and to some Americans.
I don’t mean that we shouldn’t find out what’s going on, but was it really necessary to tell us that Atlanta was a potential target on Tuesday? My heart started racing when I heard that, and I changed the channel, then I went and rented a movie. Not one of my favorites, because I don’t want to ruin it for me, but one that makes me laugh a little and cry a little.
We don’t need to know every new detail that comes out, and neither does the perpetrator of this horror. Because then they may know where we see the weak spots in our security. Because they are still there. And they’ll know when we are prepared to come after them and then they will hide.
Sorry, I’m still not making much sense. But I’ll get better, I promise.
You know, I think that all the channels are afraid that if they don’t keep up a constant stream of news, everyone will be watching CNN (which always has that).
I also have been watching, and am glad of the info, but there has been a point each evening when I could really use a mindless sitcom.
Ah, yes. Ratings. Let them show the rescue efforts. Let them show the crying relatives who are looking for missing loved ones – loveones who may be watching from a hospital bed. Let them assure us that it’s safe to fly. Let them show the patriotism that has swept the country. (Even my best fiend a “card-carrying member of the ACLU” who is always down on the government is now saying we should close the borders and “bomb the shit” – his words – out of the terrorists and the countries who harbour them.) Let them show all of these things. But don’t let them share vital intelligence that the terrorists should not know.
I vaguely remember you calling me on something, but I don’t remember what it was. So much has happened…
I think that even Dopers who “hate” each other (not referring to you and me, of course) are finding they have more in common than they thought last week.
