Why do they "hate" us? Why haven't we had a national debate on it?

[howaboutme]

I submit that Americans are analogous to frogs that can be boiled to death in a pot of water by gradually raising the temperature to the boiling point. However if the frog is thrown into a pot of boiling water they immediately repel it and jump out. If Americans would have suddenly faced 10 years ago what our War on Terror has brought us, we would have immediately rebelled, but instead we die slowly as "they" (you define they) gradually steal everything we have.

This so-called "War on Terror" is not only breaking our Treasury, it is destroying our liberties, and destroying the future of Americans, and is costing us many US lives. The airport strip scanners, and "guilty until proven innocent" concept being the latest examples. Terrorists are undoubtedly winning.

It is critical that we have a thoughtful intelligent and candid public debate on what is behind this terrorism and no subject or discussion should be off limits. Logically the debate should be directed at least partially to what the terrorists themselves have stated. According to published news sources Osama Bin Laden said that 9-11 was due to Israel's actions, as well as US support for Israel and to other USA oppressive stances. Without a political solution, we have no solution. We have no alternative. Nothing must be off the table.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-message-surfaces-wake-911-anniversary/story?id=8564631&nwltr=blotter_featureMore

[Toucano]

1. They hate us for our freedoms!

That's already been resolved. Didn't you get the memo?

[zeemike]

2. Because they dropped one of the W's in Journalism.

It used to be the 5 W's in Journalism....who, what, when, where and WHY...but that why was causing so much trouble that they dropped it.

[howaboutme]

6. Well stated.

Yes the consolidated press is at the root of the problem.

Corporate consolidation has played a big part in changing our press/media from the fourth estate, to a mouthpiece that favors (via exposure or by muzzle) cronies both inside and outside of government? Instead of fighting against and exposing government, they have become partisan partners with government and others. Their objectivity in reporting has been replaced by selectivity where they pick their targets while being mum on their cronies.

[Ezlivin]

3. Read Gore Vidal's "Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated"

It is an excellent (short) work.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-War-Peace-How-Hated/dp/156025405X

[n4f]

4. Bruce Schneier has the right idea.

Bruce Schneier, an expert in computer security, also has very strong viewpoints on our current situation with security and the "War on Terror." I went to one of his lectures that he gave at Wayne State University in Detroit a number of years ago, and the main point of the talk was how much "bang for our buck" we were getting in terms of security.

Paraphrasing from the lecture, getting rid of Saddam Hussein on some level probably made the United States a little bit safer (although this point can be debated), but at what cost in terms of money and lives? He argued that spending a fraction of that money that we spent, and continue to spend, on wars in the middle east could be used here in this country to promote safety. He also argued that many of the hassles with go through at the airport in the name of safety don't actually make us safer, and I think this has been proven time and again. Even with the amount of security, pat downs, scanners, etc, people still manage to get on the plane with bombs.

Here's a list of his airline security related essays. Each one of them is an excellent and eye-opening read:
http://www.schneier.com/essays-airline.html

[Bragi]

5. The terrorists have created conditions for a dark age

The terrorists haven't won, but they did create the conditions needed for authoritarian fascism to take hold in the West, particularly the U.S.

Cast you mind back 10 years, to the year 2000. Would you have agreed with this statement:

"In 10 years time, people will accept being ID'd, groped and scanned just to board an airplane, and the President will have the legal authority to secretly assassinate any American citizen he chooses to, with no oversight."

Not me, but now these kind of things are treated as though they are logical and unremarkable aspects of modern society.

Alternately, how plausible would you have thought this statement would have been in the year 2000:

"In 10 years time, your employer will have shipped your job overseas, your pension money and savings will have been looted by Wall Street, and your bank will have foreclosed on your home."

Just add to this a final assault on the tattered remains of the American social security net, and Americans are indeed frogs sitting in very hot water that is nearing the boiling point.