Posted 7/09/2005 04:56:00 PM by Douglas

Great link to some NYT articles about the end of terrorism.

it's clear that no one can stop terrorists from killing. Spending billions on airport security has simply diverted them to transit systems, and spending billions on transit systems could at best divert them somewhere else: stores, restaurants, sidewalks. Terrorists don't even need bombs. They could simply adopt the [October 2002 Virginia] snipers' technique for spreading fear.

President Bush briefly admitted last summer to Matt Lauer that the war on terror couldn't ever be won, but he got so much criticism that he promptly backtracked. It was a textbook Washington gaffe: perfectly true but terribly inconvenient.

It was inconvenient because politicians like to promise a cure for any problem in the news, especially if the cure means dispensing money to constituents and campaign contributors.

Promises to halt terror have turned homeland security spending into the biggest porkfest in Washington, and the London attacks have inspired calls for still more spending.

Washington obviously has a role in hunting terrorists and protecting the borders, but it can't stop small-scale attacks like the ones in London, no matter how much money it gives to each Congressional district.

It's quite sad that this aspect isn't explored more today. Guerilla warfare isn't new, and it's the only choice any kind of insurgency would have against a vastly superior force. And it's not going to just go away if we keep throwing money at it.

It's good to keep in mind that the war on terror is being brought to you buy the same guys brining you the war on drugs. And we know how successful that's been.