Screaming Fire in a Crowded Theather
The constitution protects free speech....how ever it has been said you cannot scream fire in a crowded theater and hide behind the first amendment. We almost had that in evidence this past week in New York City. This is how I view the most recent elevated terror alert in the New York City subway system and the continued flubs by the White House, especially Homeland Security. It should be called Homeland Insecurity. I have not felt any safer since this bureaucracy was created.
Lets start with the likely real story and not the ones put forth by the Mayor. The real story is somehow, WNBC channel 4 got a tip or some information regarding a "possible" terrorist plot whereby terrorists may bomb the subway system. Their preferred mode of delivery may have been a briefcase, pretty original, or a baby stroller. The televisions station contacted the mayor's office who decided triumphantly to advise the city o the threat before WNBC went with the story. Never mind checking the facts or how credible the threat is.....let's panic the public.
The mayor and police commisioner in a comical news conference advise the public to be careful on the subway and avoid carrying packages, especially baby strollers, backpacks and brief cases. Keep in mind, 4.7 million New Yorkers use the subway every day to get to work. I live in New Jeresy and visit "the city" once a month. Now, how do you tell a person going to their office, to leave home their briefcase. How do you expect these people to carry their lunch. Never mind those papers the may need at the office. The mayor advised his citizens to look for suspicious individuals.....everyone in New York looks suspicious...look for the normal people and see what is wrong with them. There has not been an incident.....but the mayor could only do what he can. He was advised the report they had an important degree of specificity.
The real Keystone Cops in this holy mess is that unholy trinity of Homeland Security, the White House and the media, in this case. They left Mayor Bloomberg out in the cold. Let's start with Scott McCullen who in a press conference, during the debacle, stated the source was not credible. President Bush in the middle of another embarassing episode for Homeland Security, stated they were getting better at sharing information with local officials...but perhaps not quite as efficient as they were at sharing it with the media. So, let's square the president's remarks with his spokesman. Indeed, both are credible, if not their sources of information. So, Homeland Security shares with local officials ( and the media ), specific information that may not be credible. I am going to blow up the Empire State Building at 10:15 a.m. Monday, with a bomb on the seventeenth floor..is that specific enough? As for credibility, not so much!! I guess this is better than two years ago when Homeland Security had news conferences regarding credible informationregarding an imminent attack but no specificity. They have come so far.
After the FEMA debacle in the Gulf......huh, we do not help directly, our role is to coordinate.... and now this, it is time to recognize Homeland Security for what it is, a bloated bureaucracy, totally inept at any kind of communication or coordination. Let' s get rid of the thing and replace it by a leader who is capable of keeping the disparate agencies in line and talkingto each other. Actually, that is what the President should do but he gave up on that, a long time ago....not enough good photo ops.
Lets start with the likely real story and not the ones put forth by the Mayor. The real story is somehow, WNBC channel 4 got a tip or some information regarding a "possible" terrorist plot whereby terrorists may bomb the subway system. Their preferred mode of delivery may have been a briefcase, pretty original, or a baby stroller. The televisions station contacted the mayor's office who decided triumphantly to advise the city o the threat before WNBC went with the story. Never mind checking the facts or how credible the threat is.....let's panic the public.
The mayor and police commisioner in a comical news conference advise the public to be careful on the subway and avoid carrying packages, especially baby strollers, backpacks and brief cases. Keep in mind, 4.7 million New Yorkers use the subway every day to get to work. I live in New Jeresy and visit "the city" once a month. Now, how do you tell a person going to their office, to leave home their briefcase. How do you expect these people to carry their lunch. Never mind those papers the may need at the office. The mayor advised his citizens to look for suspicious individuals.....everyone in New York looks suspicious...look for the normal people and see what is wrong with them. There has not been an incident.....but the mayor could only do what he can. He was advised the report they had an important degree of specificity.
The real Keystone Cops in this holy mess is that unholy trinity of Homeland Security, the White House and the media, in this case. They left Mayor Bloomberg out in the cold. Let's start with Scott McCullen who in a press conference, during the debacle, stated the source was not credible. President Bush in the middle of another embarassing episode for Homeland Security, stated they were getting better at sharing information with local officials...but perhaps not quite as efficient as they were at sharing it with the media. So, let's square the president's remarks with his spokesman. Indeed, both are credible, if not their sources of information. So, Homeland Security shares with local officials ( and the media ), specific information that may not be credible. I am going to blow up the Empire State Building at 10:15 a.m. Monday, with a bomb on the seventeenth floor..is that specific enough? As for credibility, not so much!! I guess this is better than two years ago when Homeland Security had news conferences regarding credible informationregarding an imminent attack but no specificity. They have come so far.
After the FEMA debacle in the Gulf......huh, we do not help directly, our role is to coordinate.... and now this, it is time to recognize Homeland Security for what it is, a bloated bureaucracy, totally inept at any kind of communication or coordination. Let' s get rid of the thing and replace it by a leader who is capable of keeping the disparate agencies in line and talkingto each other. Actually, that is what the President should do but he gave up on that, a long time ago....not enough good photo ops.
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