Podcast: Richard Clarke on Terrorism
I just finished listening to an 11/8/05 “interview” with counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke [bio], and he seems more interested in pleasing the audience with one-liners and Bush-bashing (thereby selling books) than he is with giving an honest analysis of what we know and don’t know about terrorism. That he completely subscribes to Robert Pape’s simplistic, mono-causal notion of suicide terrorism as the product of colonization proves that this man is not a serious thinker, regardless of his resume.
He may be well spoken and speak authoritatively, but then again so is America’s biggest fool: Noam Chomsky. God help us if we listen to these people just because they tell us what we want to hear.
God help us if we listen to these people just because they tell us what we want to hear.
Why, people listen to members of the Bush administration just because they tell them what they want to hear. What’s the difference?
Rick demonstrates case in point. Game over. We’re all going to hell in a hand basket…
Right. God help us all when people who want to hear the truth, get what they want.
Richard Clarke adds as much value as Admiral Kimmel.
Correction: He adds less than Kimmel.
With 60 years of perspective we know that Kimmel and LTG Short working with bad assumptions about Japanense capabilities and intentions.
Statements by anyone with any significant position pre 9/11 should be taken with large doses of salt. Butt covering should be an Olympic sport in Washington. And that applies across the board to both parties and both administrations.
The national security structure and our leadership failed miserably at THE fundamental charge of governance.
Kimmel and Short were publically humiliated and pilloried. Today’s Kimmels and Shorts get book deals, lecture fees and guest shots on TV. I can’t think of any person who risked their position or power to make the hard choice.
I will not have any truck with someone whose explanation is, “I was trying but nobody would listen.” Ineffective bureaucrats are a dime a dozen.