What Did We Get For A 10-Year Homeland Security Spending Spree That Cost Billions?
Police and military types have an overwhelming lust for the latest, greatest and most expensive technology -- and a talent for rationalizing the budget expenditures. Since 9/11, it's been one long Christmas list of weapons of war and anti-terror, and Santa Congress denies very little. In the meantime, anything that directly benefits We The People gets slashed. It's time, as this LA Times article suggests, that we take a much closer look at what we get for all that money. I'd also like to suggest a name change - "Homeland Security" reminds me very much of Nazis:
A decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, federal and state governments are spending about $75 billion a year on domestic security, setting up sophisticated radio networks, upgrading emergency medical response equipment, installing surveillance cameras and bomb-proof walls, and outfitting airport screeners to detect an ever-evolving list of mobile explosives.
But how effective has that 10-year spending spree been?
"The number of people worldwide who are killed by Muslim-type terrorists, Al Qaeda wannabes, is maybe a few hundred outside of war zones. It's basically the same number of people who die drowning in the bathtub each year," said John Mueller, an Ohio State University professor who has written extensively about the balance between threat and expenditures in fighting terrorism.
"So if your chance of being killed by a terrorist in the United States is 1 in 3.5 million, the question is, how much do you want to spend to get that down to 1 in 4.5 million?" he said.
One effect is certain: Homeland Security spending has been a primer-pump for local governments starved by the recession, and has dramatically improved emergency response networks across the country.
An entire industry has sprung up to sell an array of products, including high-tech motion sensors and fully outfitted emergency operations trailers. The market is expected to grow to $31 billion by 2014.
Like the military-industrial complex that became a permanent and powerful part of the American landscape during the Cold War, the vast network of Homeland Security spyware, concrete barricades and high-tech identity screening is here to stay. The Department of Homeland Security, a collection of agencies ranging from border control to airport security sewn quickly together after Sept. 11, is the third-largest Cabinet department and — with almost no lawmaker willing to render the U.S. less prepared for a terrorist attack — one of those least to fall victim to budget cuts.
The expensive and time-consuming screening now routine for passengers at airport boarding gates has detected plenty of knives, loaded guns and other contraband, but it has never identified a terrorist who was about to board a plane. Only 14 Americans have died in about three dozen instances of Islamic extremist terrorist plots targeted at the U.S. outside war zones since 2001 — most of them involving one or two home-grown plotters.
[...] State and local emergency responders have undergone a dramatic transformation with the aid of $32 billion that has been dispensed in Homeland Security grants since 2002, much of it in the early years spent on Hollywood-style tactical gear, often with little connection between risk and outlay.
"After 9/11, it was literally like my mother running out the door with the charge card," said Al Berndt, assistant director of the Emergency Management Agency in Nebraska, which has received $163.7 million in federal anti-terrorism and emergency aid grants. "What we really needed to be doing is saying, 'Let's identify the threat, identify the capability and capacity you already have, and say, OK, what's the shortfall now, and how do we meet it?'"
The spending has been rife with dubious expenditures, including the $557,400 in rescue and communications gear that went to the 1,500 residents of North Pole, Alaska, and a $750,000 anti-terrorism fence — fashioned with 8-foot-high ram-proof wrought iron reinforced with concrete footers — built around a Veterans Affairs hospital in the pastoral hills outside Asheville, N.C.
Much of the equipment has been adapted to use for more common occurrences, but what's the return on the money? You'll notice most of the same clowns who are so outraged by FEMA spending think nothing of rubberstamping these pork barrel requests.
Okay, the amount of spending is ridiculous, but Nazis? Seriously?
Kingdom Tower
.
Mickey: "It was an epiphany. Do you know what an epipany is?"
Keoni: "NOT NOW MICKEY!"
They're overfunded, essentially useless, have far too much authority, and misuse that authority regularly, but 'Nazis' is not only a poor comparison, it's probably going to scare a lot of people away from what is otherwise a well-written piece.
When they start killing people, then you can call them Nazis.
What those billions of dollars are buying is the militarism of the police forces across the country, and the attitude that Joe Blow Citizen is the enemy (or at best a not-so-innocent bystander).
Speak up and it's "Do you want some of this, too?" as the man next to you is tazed or beat down. Or shot while laying on the ground with cuffs on.
No, it's not Nazis yet, but authoritarians have been demonizing liberals, gays, and many other groups of people-and that is how the Nazis started. Pick a enemy and build them up as demonic scum, then the pogroms start. Check out Rwanda, too.
But people have grown tired of the 'Nazi' comparison over the years due to people using it for things it wasn't really appropriate for, so as a result making that comparison now just makes what is otherwise a completely legitimate point look ridiculous. It should be avoided until things genuinely are bad enough to justify the comparison, which they simply aren't yet.
Genocide wasn't their only bag.
during the past decade, are not people?
Maybe the nazi tag was appropriate after all, given the attitude of some good Americans.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
Susie was referring to the name "Homeland Security". You have to admit it does have a decidedly totalitarian ring to it, doesn't it?
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
of ysb.
He might note that in linguistic terms, German national reference was dickish. Russian vaginal. Americans simply have their heads up their ass.
.
U.S.A....USA....USA
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
.
nazi's?
I would have went with Soviet or Stasi 1st.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg1yo8cJE21...
Or is that entirely too French?
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
A Soviet is communist, but you knew that.
far left loon >.<
It's the name "Homeland Security" itself that's got the Nazi air to it. I thought that the first time I heard it: it reminded me too much of "fatherland" or "motherland" -- WTF were they thinking? I guess everyone got used to it, but it still bugs me, like "iPad."
So a name change might be a good idea, but a total elimination of the department would be better.
If you object to Nazi, let's go with the more generic fascist.
(The Nazis were fascists)
far left loon >.<
is that the one time your number comes up can be number 1 or number 3,497,332, about like winning a cool million in the lottery, but people sure keep buying those tickets, yours truly included.
now if multi-national corporations were paying for more of the bill to safeguard the movement of all the business types and freight, that would be a horse of a different color. there is a great need to move goods in and out of our country seeing as how labor has been outsourced to low-wage countries, likewise there is a great need to train the native bureaucrats, apparatchiks, and intelligentsia, who function as the quislings of empire around the globe.
one could propose that the good old USA withdraw from the over 700 military bases we have across the world, but then, we might just not piss so many people off, can't have that now can we? on the other hand, we could start having an honest discussion about the various faiths and creeds that human beings seem so fond of fighting over.
besides, think of all the cool surveillance devices these labs are dreaming up, all the new weapon systems, so much productive activity, don't you know.
Destruction of rights and liberties and unprecedented success at futher advancing and consolidating the establishment of Police State Amerika. Ubiquitous law enforcement. A long walk down the path of converting Americans from citizens into subjects.
Would rather take my chances with terrorists any day of the week than accept the outcome that we've received.
And thanks to the use of the impersonal "video courts", that walk to see a judge can be shortened to just a walk within the jailhouse. 'Merkin efficiency of justice at its finest. :(
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Ah, yes, the sprawling heap of bureaucracy that the current bunch of 'conservative, deficit hawk, GOP' crapheads left us with. The nazi comparison for everything may be getting old and tired, not to mention used out of any relevant context and something jewish folks like myself aren't crazy about and don't typically throw around, but this department operates very questionably and is definitely a massive, misguided waste of money. in my state and others money was used to pay third party firms to report 'suspicious activities' which later we found out included jewish holidays, gay rallies, etc. My biggest complaint is that if this department were really about 'Homeland Security' than their budget would include stuff like our crumbling infrastructure that hasn't been touched in decades as utilities charge more to keep their top 2% fat and rich. It makes more sense that we should be able to recover from some sort of attack quicker if money was spent like this which would make me feel more secure than how they've been wasting this money thus far.
At least the trains run on time.
Wait...no they don't.
Our Mussolini won't come to power by making the trains run on time, but if that person, whoever he/she is, gets gas prices down to anywhere near a sub 2.00 a gallon level well, Americans will tolerate any atrocity committed by that leader.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
http://www.f150forum.com/attachments/f15/3553...
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
That's funny!
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Esso is the wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon and derives from their corporate antecedents Standard Oil.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
you haven't even gone through the ENCO phase yet?
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
in larval form.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
car, a pony or dinosaur to ride.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
$2 a gallon will be great for the environment too. Oh, wait...
far left loon >.<
We got a giant transfer of monies to security and arms companies- new and old:
government out of shop contracting to private "lawless" organizations run by arrogant millionaires like Eric Prince;
the deterioration of the American military and acceptance of corporate mercenary warfare;
Tazer weapons and its false advertising condoning "tazering" aged women and the disabled;
anti-social public "petting" with rubber gloves;
etc.
An unhealthy national paranoia that diminished the national intelligence and empathy quotient immeasurably.
Little tinpot dictators run the scanners at the airport, getting their jollies feeling up 90 year-old women and little babies, while causing long lines and delays. They're petrified of allowing a terrorist on an airplane, but, because of their paranoia and their tiny bit of authority, they're creating a potential target of a much greater magnitude. Their theory that people will be afraid to fly if a plane gets blown up totally overlooks the panic that will result if an entire airport gets it. Keep in mind that there are no "screeners" at the airport entrances, just at the gates. Imagine several thousand people milling around, waiting for planes to either arrive or depart, and nobody checking them out for hidden explosives. Think Middle Eastern markets, a favorite target of suicide bombers. Our so-called terrorist experts haven't given much thought to that, it seems.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a company ( I forget the name) that, for something like $150.00 was issuing passes so you can bypass airport screenings? It wouldn't surprise me one bit that there would be a two-tiered system in place. No delays or hassles for the people with the money but for the peons, all sorts of humiliation and degradation. Now I know what the wingnuts meant when they said "freedom isn't free".
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
Ah, here it is. It's called "FlyClear". Here's their website:
http://clearme.com/homepage
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Let's not forget the legion of "security consultants" who make their fortunes off the government teat while appearing on TeeVee to tell us how afraid we have to be because, you know, the islamofascists are always planning to kill us in our sleep. You know guys like Rudy "9/11" Giuliani.
If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're gonna get selfish, ignorant leaders.
George Carlin
You got lots of jobs.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Haven't had any felony convictions. Yet.
;)
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
it's for sexual assault. They seem to want screeners who take an active interest in their work.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
on my body, you'd think I'd be able to parlay that into a career. Those folks have no sense of humor...
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Feed and Feeding.*
In today's modern world pehaps University of Phoenix, can offer "Feel and Feeling."**
* Perry made a D.
** Those with delinquent student loans need not apply to TSA.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
One effect is certain: Homeland Security spending has been a primer-pump for local governments starved by the recession, and has dramatically improved emergency response networks across the country.
Just another example of the success and validity of Keynesian economics.When government directs money at specific purposes, it creates jobs and fills a need. Money directed at manned space filght led to the the first man on the moon. Money directed at reducing child poverty did just that. Money directed at improving civil rights did just that.
Supply side bullshit is just that. BULLSHIT.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Tang.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
before 9/11...namely, the DrugWar. Remember that one? That's where all this lust for high tech equipment (to be used on those who paid for it) was first begun. Mayberry Barney Fife's getting Armored Personnel Carriers...to be used in issuing warrants? SWAT teams dressed like Darth Vader and armed like Imperial Stormtroopers...to issue warrants?
And where was all the sturm und drang from 'progressives' then? They were noticeably silent while the authoritarian police state grew up, Fabius-like, right around the country, penning us in with ever more Draconian laws, more layers and walls and gates and watchtowers...all under the rubric of doing so to (superhero echo chamber voice) "Saaaaaave the children from druuuuuuuugs!" While drug law reformers were warning about this very same process.
To no avail, because 'progressives' didn't want to touch the issue with a ten-foot pole, because they were afraid debate about drug laws and their effect on society (and particularly when those laws were creating the above-mentioned framework of tyranny in this country) would torpedo their chances of getting 'their' candidates into power...and those candidates, when assuming office, maintain their cowardly silence on about this elephant in civil society's living room.
That coffee has been brewing for 30 effin' years, people. Can you smell it now? Especially since it's been mixed with gun oil?
Progressives have been against the drug war for quite some time. It clutters our prisons with nonviolent offenders and is a huge waste of money. That's just on this side of the border. On the other side it's massive regime change and public fear/anger.
I repeat, while the machinery of repression was being built, step-by-step, IN PLAIN VIEW, with each brick in the wall stamped with "DrugWar', the 'progressives' still would not grab the bull by the horns, and raise the stink necessary to make this a matter of a national referendum regarding the (racially bigoted) origins and necessity for the DrugWar. To do so would be to invite the greatly feared attack from the RWNM for being 'soft on crime'. When a variation of that theme would have happened anyway, no matter what. The RW is as predictable as an eastern sunrise.
And thus the timidity of so-called 'progressives' have aided and abetted the construction of the very fascist machinery they bemoan now as being a product of something recentt, when in fact the construction site's been in operation and excavating and carting away our civil rights for decades. All under the rubric of 'public safety'.
If you wonder why your societal guard dogs feel safe in snarling at you, it's because you taught them they could by not yanking their chain when they tried to slip the leash with extra-legal behavior in conducting their Holy Drug War. Anything goes, so long as it's only the 'bad people', the 'druggies', who get whacked. All for the kiddies, don't you know? Who could be against that? And now you wonder why those same guard dogs keep biting you? The answer for why this came about stares back at 'progressives' from the bathroom mirror every morning...
In the words of Sinclai Lewis (1935) - "When facism comes to America, it will be wearing a flag and carrying a cross." Nazi may be overstated, but the concept is not. Facism has come to America. And homeland Security is one of it's tools to support the corporate oligarchy and surpress "We the People."
Tang.
Velcro!! Don't forget velcro. And pens that write upside down! They come in very handy when you're making out your dominatrix's shopping list.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Porta Potty Capsule launched by bungee cords from Cape Cavity Search.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
IMHO, DHS was also quickly formed to give cover to the failed system(s) in place at the time. Especially Condoleezza Rice as National Security Director. She was warned by Richard Clark of the threats to our country in no uncertain terms. Clinton was focused on OBL.
However the GW Botch administration was so busy hating Clinton that they ignored the report(s). (Remember the false reports that the Clintons had trashed the White House on the way out? That's what we got with GW Botch, lie after lie after lie.)
So the Botch administration scrambled to pull the wool over the eyes of the public. They changed the subject from their own personal failures to a need for a new monolithic dept. called Homeland Security.
So, whenever you hear anyone use the words Homeland Security let it remind you of the failures of Condoleezza Rice and GW Botch, the worst president in the nation's history.
Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
the rail heading towards the port through San Bernadino this morning. Of course they could be diverted towards the border - either that or something's being ramped up overseas. Hmm, maybe we sold them to somebody.
Fort Irwin out in the desert, AKA the sandbox, is where the military trains for desert warfare, right? I'd bet even money it's nothing more than routine training.
Men are basically smart or dumb and lazy or ambitious. The dumb and ambitious ones are dangerous and I get rid of them. The dumb and lazy ones I give mundane duties. The smart ambitious ones I put on my staff. The smart and lazy ones I make my commanders.
of thousands of containers I've seen head towards port, this is the first time I've seen anything like that. So it was a bit unusual.
And after the training is over they'll sell them to China for scrap iron?
far left loon >.<
all we got from a 10-year uncalled for war is an evisceration of civil rights and liberties, and the current economic recession.
What Did We Get For A 10-Year Homeland Security Spending Spree That Cost Billions?
$750 billion more in debt, a much stronger police state, and another new agency to spy on you. (That was easy. Next... )
far left loon >.<
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