pirate/terrorist

[Aescleah]

hi everyone
i have noticed lately there is alot of talk about the safety of ports and cargo from these tankers not being inspected and there will be some changes in the law.
i also was watching a documentory and they were talking about pirates attacking tankers liners though they did not mention anything about private cruisers. anyway they also made a connection that terrorists like al quieda ( sorry i am not spelling it right) might very well use tankers to blow up things in ports and make a general pain of themselves. almost making the connection that pirates are terrorists and terrorists are pirates but not completly

though i can see this happening and steps really ought taken i can not help think this is a scare tactic to work up to something we are not going to like very much supposedly for our own good taking advantage of the fact that most people in the united states scare easily cause they dont take the time to learn about there world and only listen to what the goverment says.

what do you all think

Ashley

oops i definatly think i put this in the wrong catagory mods please move this to where it ought to be

[Pblais]

what do you all think

The whole concept of terrorism is to create terror with no military objective. It has no other goal than to excite people. When you look at it that way anything can be used in an act of terrorism and it only requires one person to do it repeated several times. The target can be anything so what can not be used in an act of terrorism is the bigger question. It does not have to be a jumbo jet or a super tanker.

The idea that we can step by step eliminate all possible scenarios of terrorism is hopeless. If a single person with an improvised bomb can create a serious act of terrorism then there is no solution to defend against it.

The new issue of cargo inspection is probably a potential problem that has no solution. Inspecting luggage at the airport is quite simple compared to all the cargo containers. That it might happen on a global basis is not anything that will actually happen soon enough to matter.

As far as recreational boaters go I expect that any changes will make it much more difficult for all of us with little if any additional security for any one. Many hassled recreational boaters while full cargo container ships come and go on schedule is what I expect to see. Some times the political solution is to do that which can be done easily. Making sure terrorists don't sneak around in slow moving sail boats is easy enough that they might actually be able to do it.

[ssullivan]

Good to see you are thinking clearly about things like this, Ashley. I would say there is nothing in your post that is inaccurate. If anything, I'd say you are 100% correct about this theory.

[hellosailor]

" i can not help think this is a scare tactic" It is, and unfortunately that is why I have expressly accused one of my own senators of being a terrorist of the worst kind. His goal is to terrify the voters, and then sell himself as Our Savior if we'll only vote for him. He has no interest in addressing the real problems and making our world safer, he just appreciates the effectiveness of terrorism as a means of getting votes.

Just as AlQueda appreciates that terror can do more to harm us western satans [sic] than any amount of bombs they can throw.

And there's the rub. There are terrorists who are out to get us, and more terrorists who are willing to ignore the real problems and solutions--because they can stay in office very profitably by terrorizing us again.

If "we" in the West were willing to "gird out loins" and take some nasty stands, we could end terrorism very quickly. But that would mean taking actions, spending money, and making committments. It's much easier to complain and vote for people who promise painless solutions.

Welcome to the dog and pony show, where, as one of the founding fathers said, the people will get the government they deserve.