Under the regime of Homeland Security, right wing claims about the threat of terrorism from Al Quaeda have reached absurd proportions. Consider the statement below by Michael McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence. As the Director of National Intelligence, McConnell is one of only two people who have the power to supervise gigantic electronic spying programs being used against the American people.
How can McConnell justify spying against the private communications and financial transactions of the American people en masse? McConnell claims that it’s all to protect us from one of the greatest threats ever known: Al Quaeda. McConnell says, “Today, we face some of the greatest threats that any generation will ever know, and we must not be slow in confronting them.”
Is it true? Is Al Quaeda really one of “the greatest threats that any generation will ever know”?
Of course it isn’t true. Consider the hordes of Genghis Khan, which laid waste to entire cities and conquered territories measuring in thousands of miles. Consider American slavery, which consumed millions of lives. Consider the Southern secession, which led to a war that killed at least 600,000 Americans in just four years. Consider Nazi Germany. Consider the Soviet Union, which aimed tens of thousands of nuclear missiles at the United States.
All Al Queda has been able to do is kill a few thousand people, and get a lot of attention, thanks to hyperventilating in the right wing media. Al Quaeda is not one of the greatest threats that any generation will ever know. It isn’t even close.
In the historical perspective, Al Quaeda is a pipsqueak. Michael McConnell and his right wing enthusiasts for big government power to spy against Americans have forgotten that.
Massive government spy networks have not been necessary to defeat much larger foes than Al Quaeda. Massive government spy networks are not necessary now.
(Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence)
True that. The only middle easterner I’m afraid of right now is the dude at the gas station.
1. Genghis Khan-uh, greatest threat? He invaded and moved on. Sure, people died, but it was virtually impossible for him to wipe out any significant group of people.
2. American Slavery-slavery existed through most of human history. Yes, it’s horrible and repugnant, but it wasn’t genocide and it existed for a VERY long time and wasn’t a “great threat”. It was part of a social system that’s now been eradicated.
3. Civil War-yeah, wars happen. Worst result of that one would have been America would now be two countries.
So yeah, bad examples, not very big threats. But what about these:
1. Nazi Germany-yeah, that was a pretty big threat.
2. Soviet Union was obviously a greater threat than Germany, due to the threat of wiping out life on the planet due to Nuclear Weapons.
I’d say we have TWO of the “greatest” right there. But is Al-quaeda a third?
First, you point out:
“All Al Queda has been able to do is kill a few thousand people, and get a lot of attention, thanks to hyperventilating in the right wing media. Al Quaeda is not one of the greatest threats that any generation will ever know. It isn’t even close.”
By your standard, the Soviet Union and its nuclear weapons were NOT a threat then. They managed to kill NO people, they just sat there threatening us. Obviously, the standard needs exceptions, such as when a entity has the ability to kill millions via weapons. That standard would include both Germany and the Soviet Union. Seeing as how Germany is no longer a threat, and the Soviets are not on the brink of war with the evil west. I’d probably say Al-quaeda would rank in the top three. After all, they are (apparently) trying to get a Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical weapon. Chemical may not be too bad, but the Nuclear or Biological one…yeah, that could kill millions. While the Soviet Union didn’t WANT to murder millions, Al-quaeda has a bit of a different standard. They believe that it’d be GOOD for them to do it, and they dont care if they die. I’d say that once you trade off the desire, drive, and fanaticism with the actual ability the Societ Union had, I would still put the Soviets on top, but I’d put Al-quaeda as #3, far above any of the other examples.
1. Genghis Khan did not invade and move on. Read up on history to see how long his conquests continued to shape the territories he conquered. And, I’d love to hear you prove that Genghis Khan did not wipe out any significant number of people.
2. American slavery certainly was a great threat.
3. The Soviet Union managed to kill NO people? Really? Stalin killed no one? Oh, how very interesting right wing history can be. Now it’s pro-Soviet!
Saying that a few people really WANT to do really bad things doesn’t make them a serious threat in the historical context, Joseph.
Your extremist revisionism of clear historical events doesn’t help your argument, Joseph.