M5Power said:
You do realise what you've said? You've said that simply because the administration doesn't want panic in Washington, it is going to put at risk the lives of every one of its citizens. No way. If there was going to be a terrorist attack in Washington in which a single person could die, it is the administration's job - if they know - to not let that happen. Who cares about panic, or people taking days off, when it can save even one life?
I understand better than you realize what I siad. There is a theory called "Acceptable losses" that I am familiar with on a personal basis. It is an assessment concerning the whole rather than individual. The Administration knows that it cannot protect everybody, but it can minimize the risk to a greater number. I care about panic. When you have large numbers of people in a panic driven state it makes any situation convoluted beyond the original condition.
M5Power said:
Heh, it's much easier to deploy an airplane to take it out of the sky from the some of the most heavily-armed air bases in the east than to shoot at an airplane by a jeep-mounted missle. Both are probably equally as destructive, though, to people on the ground.
Wrong. You already new this. remember back a fewyears, when a Cessna crashed into the white house? In recent months two planes have gotten lost and wandered into Washington DC air space. In both cases, the Air force admitted that they could not respond in sufficient time to take out the plane before it reached a vital part of the city.
It is equally easy to lock onto and take out a target with Air to Air or SAM missle. Both use a similar tracking and targeting system. Moot point there.
M5 power counter spoke:
This isn't my point - my point is that, except for a hijacked airplane for which the missles are largely un-necessary anyway due to fighter jets, the missles have no effect but to worry the citizens of our favourite (taxed, but not represented) city.
You've relied on the "Jet to take out a plane" thought again. See my above point.
If anything, the people in DC should realize that those missles are there as protection. In my opinion they'll never get used. If everybody knows that we've got a massive SAM defense set-up around DC, Attackers will look elsewhere for a target.
I'm likley to be called an Idealistic for this, but I am a large supporter for training every individual how to use, operate and effectively control a handgun. When a person has completed extensive training, they are given the right to carry concealed weapons. Why have we never used Nuclear weapons? Because each and everyone of us knows the destructive power that they are capable of. If you were carrying a handgun and had thoughts of robbing a bank, but knew that at least 50% of the people in the bank were packing heat, would you have second thoughts?
Why are there Security personnel in Eurpoean airports, armed with Automatic weapons? Not to use in an emergency, but to show people what they will have to contend with should they do something stupid. Did you also know that every clip of ammunition that is handed out, is sealed? If you turn in a clip the has that seal broken, you've got papaerwork and interviews to do that give a reason why you broke that seal.
M5Power, open your eyes, take a look at the world around you. Those nasty individuals are everywhere. Look out for yourself, and those you love. The more information you have the better off you are.
AO
