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It is a well known fact that terror attacks cause far fewer deaths than many, many other causes such as traffic accidents and obesity. Yet every time such an attack happens, we devote so much attention and resources to preventive measures that I feel other fatal issues get inadequately treated. With the hundreds of billions of dollars put into waging wars, increasing security at airports making it uncomfortable to travel, overhearing citizens' private conversations, etc. we could have started a nutrition program that may eliminate obesity or funded a research program that may prevent or cure cancer.
Do you think terror attacks are receiving undue attention and their prevention undue resources?
Maybe, but 911 showed that terrorism can indeed invoke mass death and economic impact...those are strategic issues. There is a choice of preventive or reactive strategies. I much prefer a preventive strategy. The degree of this strategy can be argued however (i.e. silly TSA screening and intrusive electronic monitoring). There are also programs in place to eliminate obesity and cure cancer. It's not like we can't do both, and programs to eliminate obesity can be just as intrusive and wasteful.
The US has every reason to continue to combat terrorism. Imagine what a disruption to the electrical grid would do to the US?
As for a nutrition program....Americans are too fat because they eat too much. Unless we pay people not to eat, I see little hope for fixing the fat problem. If Americans felt the consequences of their fatness in health insurance costs - perhaps they would be motivated to get more fit.
The US has every reason to continue to combat terrorism. Imagine what a disruption to the electrical grid would do to the US?
As for a nutrition program....Americans are too fat because they eat too much. Unless we pay people not to eat, I see little hope for fixing the fat problem. If Americans felt the consequences of their fatness in health insurance costs - perhaps they would be motivated to get more fit.
The economic impact, according to that website, is 123 billion dollars, and physical damage was 55 billion; the rest of the cost went to war and security. Trillions of dollars went to war and security. Wow.
The economic impact, according to that website, is 123 billion dollars, and physical damage was 55 billion; the rest of the cost went to war and security. Trillions of dollars went to war and security. Wow.
Remember that website list societal costs, not only national government war costs, so you should include what private companies spend on private security, secure facilities, training, compliance, electronics, screening, etc. CTPAT, do you know what that is? That alone brings billions in compliance costs to corporations involved in supply chain activities.
But you are simply bringing up again the age-old "guns vs. butter" argument. I think everyone agrees that national defense and security is important. But it's a case of how much and where to prioritize these limited funds. One thing to consider however is the cost to the country if we had not spent this extra money on security, or the cost in lives if we used a group of E3 pay-scale grunts to take out a terrorists vs. an expensive predator drone missle? Maybe we are spending too much? Maybe we aren't spending enough? Maybe we aren't focused that expenditure in the right area?
Goering stated "Guns will make us powerful, butter will only make us fat"...but of course consider the source. In a free society, it's always an open debate.
For a question like this I answer that we should pull back from the world, circle the wagons and protect America at all costs. We should secure the borders and deny access to anyone with questionable motives and country of origins. Yes it is hardly PC but we need to keep Americans safe. Once we are all safe then we can funnel the extra money that we pour into those countries that actually dislike us towards doing good here at home.
Because we cause traffic accidents and obesity to ourselves. Terrorism is an outside threat that potentially affects our freedom.
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