One of the most incredible things to come out of the investigations into the 9/11 attacks is the amount of planning and preparation Al Qaeda put into the hijacking of the four planes that day. In addition to living among us here in the US for months and years and securing basic flight training on commercial jets, the hijackers also took several "test flights" before their day of action. Yes, some of the terrorists actually flew the routes they would later hijack in order to learn what they might face on 9/11.
They checked out the passenger loads on those trans-continental flights--realizing that most were lightly-traveled--meaning fewer potential threats to their operations. They found out what potential weapons could be taken through security without raising concerns. They observed the movements of the cabin crews--when service carts would not be blocking the aisle to the cockpit and when fewer stewards would be at the front of the plane. They even noted the landmarks on the ground they would have to use to navigate the planes back to their intended targets--since they would not be able to reprogram the flight computers themselves. Of course, all of that planning and preparation paid off--as the terrorists went four-for-four in taking over the planes--and three-for-four in reaching their targets.
And that is why we should be deeply disturbed by what has happened to Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. Even if there is no direct connection with anyone on-board the missing flight, what happened to the plane is providing those who might want to take over another flight in the future with a pretty good playbook.
We (and those with bad intent) have learned that it's not that hard to board a flight with a stolen passport (as the two Iranian nationals did). We have learned that there are gaps in the air traffic control system (as flight 370 "disappeared" during the handoff from Malaysian controllers to Vietnamese controllers). We have learned that turning off a plane's "radar and satellite signatures" is not that hard--while everyone has found out that there are still some systems that continue to maintain contact (much to the surprise of even veteran pilots). However, we have learned that such data is not "instantaneous" and takes several days to decipher. We have learned that evading radar detection is still possible (if you know what you are doing)--and even if you are picked up as an "unidentified aircraft", some countries won't do anything about it (and they won't even report it unless they are "asked to" after the fact).
And the biggest lesson we have learned is that despite all of the "No Fly Lists", the body scans, the taking off your shoes, the ban on liquids in carry-ons and extra pat-downs of 80-year old women--all it takes is one pilot with his own agenda to turn a commercial airliner into a guided missile. Perhaps we should rethink those armored doors to the cockpit that were installed as the "last line of defense" after 9/11.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Just Giving the People What They Wanted
In case you missed it yesterday, the King of Informercials--Kevin Trudeau--was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison yesterday for criminal contempt of court. You may recall Mr Trudeau from his various half-hour TV "programs" as an "expert" on improving your memory, getting out of debt, getting free money from the government and banks, weight loss and curing every malady under the sun without having to see a doctor. A pretty heady list of "expertise" for someone who never attended medical school, worked in the finance industry or did a single bit of scientific research.
But what Kevin Trudeau knew how to do was to market Americans their favorite product in the whole world: The Easy Way. His "debt cure" was nothing more than challenging every account on your credit report--not setting up a system to pay off those debts. His "weight lost cure" was a much-discredited old idea of using hormone therapy and simply not eating to "shed pounds quickly"--rather than developing a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise. His way to "find money" was to apply for common college student grants or borrow money to buy forclosed homes and then flip them immediately--rather than actually developing marketable skills to make more money. And his "cure for everything" was nothing more than common products that hold no medicinal benefit--rather than proper treatment and healthier living. All of these things were "better explained" in his monthly newsletter--available for $75 a year.
Trudeau was also a master of the "conspiracy theory". If you look at all of his books--and informercial titles--they contain the "they don't want to you to know about" phrase. It played into people's fears that big companies are plotting to keep them poor, to keep them sick, and to keep them buying their government-regulated and tested-for-safety medicines. The "conspiracy" angle also gave Trudeau great cover when the Federal Trade Commission tried to crack down on his claims--"See, the Government is trying to shut me up about these 'secrets' they have been keeping from you!" And millions of Americans ate it up. Trudeau had several New York Times bestsellers--and despite his conviction and now sentence--his books are STILL available for sale on several booksellers websites.
We occasionally hear about "victimless" crimes--when defense attorneys try to get leniency for their convicted clients--"nobody was really hurt by this, Your Honor, so why the need to throw the book at my guy?" Personally, I think this is one of those cases. Every person who bought Kevin Trudeau's books, DVD's and audio tapes is just as guilty of trying to "cheat the system" as he was. And in the end, they all ended up with what they deserved--lighter wallets.
But what Kevin Trudeau knew how to do was to market Americans their favorite product in the whole world: The Easy Way. His "debt cure" was nothing more than challenging every account on your credit report--not setting up a system to pay off those debts. His "weight lost cure" was a much-discredited old idea of using hormone therapy and simply not eating to "shed pounds quickly"--rather than developing a healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and exercise. His way to "find money" was to apply for common college student grants or borrow money to buy forclosed homes and then flip them immediately--rather than actually developing marketable skills to make more money. And his "cure for everything" was nothing more than common products that hold no medicinal benefit--rather than proper treatment and healthier living. All of these things were "better explained" in his monthly newsletter--available for $75 a year.
Trudeau was also a master of the "conspiracy theory". If you look at all of his books--and informercial titles--they contain the "they don't want to you to know about" phrase. It played into people's fears that big companies are plotting to keep them poor, to keep them sick, and to keep them buying their government-regulated and tested-for-safety medicines. The "conspiracy" angle also gave Trudeau great cover when the Federal Trade Commission tried to crack down on his claims--"See, the Government is trying to shut me up about these 'secrets' they have been keeping from you!" And millions of Americans ate it up. Trudeau had several New York Times bestsellers--and despite his conviction and now sentence--his books are STILL available for sale on several booksellers websites.
We occasionally hear about "victimless" crimes--when defense attorneys try to get leniency for their convicted clients--"nobody was really hurt by this, Your Honor, so why the need to throw the book at my guy?" Personally, I think this is one of those cases. Every person who bought Kevin Trudeau's books, DVD's and audio tapes is just as guilty of trying to "cheat the system" as he was. And in the end, they all ended up with what they deserved--lighter wallets.
Friday, March 7, 2014
What A Difference A Day Will Make
At this time tomorrow, I'll be on a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Florida. I can already tell you that my mood is going to be 1000-times better than it has been for any of the past 120-days. That's because when we land, I know that I won't have to put on six layers of clothing just to step outside the terminal building. People won't mistake me for an arctic explorer about to hitch up to my dog-sled team to to take on an unforgiving Mother Nature in a life-or-death battle to avoid frostbite and hypothermia just to pick up some milk at the store.
I will be greeted by this thing in the sky that we like to cal "the Sun." We haven't seen it much around here lately. Yes it's been out, but to venture outside to try and enjoy it has been a miserable experience for what, the last three months at least. Down there, it will feel like a giant heat lamp, re-energizing me like the alligators that I'll see on the golf courses.
Did I mention golf? There will be actual greens and fairways and tee boxes visible--and USABLE--not buried under a foot and a half of snow--leading some of us to wonder if we will be able to play around here before April 15th. And I won't have to don my Under Armor Cold Gear to play a round comfortably. I will wear out my arms and my back swinging clubs and rolling putts--instead of lifting shovelfuls of snow over piles along the driveway that threatening to bury the kids walking past to and from school each day.
In a further signal of rebellion against Old Man Winter, I've gone so far as to rent a convertible Mustang. Give me more of that Sun--give me more of those Gulf breezes and the salty sea air as the wife and I cruise along the Oversees Highway and into the glowing sunset at Margaritaville. It will be nice to have my prescription lenses darken because of actual bright sunlight--instead of just being so cold that it triggers the chemical reaction inside the plastic.
My poor pasty legs and arms and chest will get to see some UV rays--soaking up the Vitamin D--and proving that Brian Wilson was 100% right with everything he wrote for his fellow Beach Boys in "Warmth of the Sun". It will almost be like a re-birth--a new shot at life, moving out of a dark, cold and dreary existence that has sapped away my "essence" for so long.
I'd send you a postcard--but that is so 20th century. Look for the sun-splashed photos on Twitter and Facebook. I'll be the guy with the biggest smile on the planet.
I will be greeted by this thing in the sky that we like to cal "the Sun." We haven't seen it much around here lately. Yes it's been out, but to venture outside to try and enjoy it has been a miserable experience for what, the last three months at least. Down there, it will feel like a giant heat lamp, re-energizing me like the alligators that I'll see on the golf courses.
Did I mention golf? There will be actual greens and fairways and tee boxes visible--and USABLE--not buried under a foot and a half of snow--leading some of us to wonder if we will be able to play around here before April 15th. And I won't have to don my Under Armor Cold Gear to play a round comfortably. I will wear out my arms and my back swinging clubs and rolling putts--instead of lifting shovelfuls of snow over piles along the driveway that threatening to bury the kids walking past to and from school each day.
In a further signal of rebellion against Old Man Winter, I've gone so far as to rent a convertible Mustang. Give me more of that Sun--give me more of those Gulf breezes and the salty sea air as the wife and I cruise along the Oversees Highway and into the glowing sunset at Margaritaville. It will be nice to have my prescription lenses darken because of actual bright sunlight--instead of just being so cold that it triggers the chemical reaction inside the plastic.
My poor pasty legs and arms and chest will get to see some UV rays--soaking up the Vitamin D--and proving that Brian Wilson was 100% right with everything he wrote for his fellow Beach Boys in "Warmth of the Sun". It will almost be like a re-birth--a new shot at life, moving out of a dark, cold and dreary existence that has sapped away my "essence" for so long.
I'd send you a postcard--but that is so 20th century. Look for the sun-splashed photos on Twitter and Facebook. I'll be the guy with the biggest smile on the planet.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
ObamaCare's Biggest Obstructionist
When will these efforts to obstruct the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act finally end? It was bad enough that 30-million people "desperate" to buy health insurance had to wait three years after the ACA was passed to finally have the "individual mandate" requiring coverage go into effect. Then, those who worked for companies with between 50 and 100-employees saw the "employer mandate" get pushed back another year from its original implementation date. To add insult to injury, no effort was made to guarantee that the national health insurance exchange website would work properly when it went online--even after three years of preparation. Then, those "trapped" in health insurance plans that don't even meet the minimum standards of coverage required by the ACA were made to keep them for another year. Then the deadline for the "individual mandate" was pushed back another three months. And now, those "trapped" in existing health insurance plans that don't even meet the minimum standards of coverage required by the ACA are made to keep them until 2016.
And who is leading this effort to block the will of Congress and the federal laws that it passed? Why it is none other than the Affordable Care Act's architect and biggest champion: President Barack Obama. On Wednesday, the President extended the effort to put off his "If you like your plan, you can keep it" Lie of the Year until 2016--even though Congress did not take a single vote to amend the law that it passed which required those plans to be cancelled by the start of this year. It also extends the President's order from late last year that insurance companies could re-instate those policies--again without Congressional amendment of its previously approved law--after many of those customers had already received their cancellation notices and insurance companies had not done actuarial studies on continuing those policies.
You may notice a pattern in the dates that are selected for the eventual (but likely to be delayed again) implementation deadlines--each time they push the most unpopular provisions of the ACA beyond another election cycle. The ACA individual mandate was conveniently placed well beyond President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. So were most of the new taxes and fees contained in the ACA to pay for the new law. The "employer mandate" was pushed back 2015 so as to prevent increased unemployment heading into the 2014 mid-term election cycle. And now the "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" CYA move will run until 2016, so Democrats don't have to worry about 1.5-million angry voters headling to the polls with cancellation notices in their pockets.
So the next time you hear an MSNBC talking head, or a Democratic candidate for office or a "community organizer" complain about Republican efforts to derail the Affordable Care Act remember, the GOP is doing nothing but talking--President Obama is the one taking all of the action.
And who is leading this effort to block the will of Congress and the federal laws that it passed? Why it is none other than the Affordable Care Act's architect and biggest champion: President Barack Obama. On Wednesday, the President extended the effort to put off his "If you like your plan, you can keep it" Lie of the Year until 2016--even though Congress did not take a single vote to amend the law that it passed which required those plans to be cancelled by the start of this year. It also extends the President's order from late last year that insurance companies could re-instate those policies--again without Congressional amendment of its previously approved law--after many of those customers had already received their cancellation notices and insurance companies had not done actuarial studies on continuing those policies.
You may notice a pattern in the dates that are selected for the eventual (but likely to be delayed again) implementation deadlines--each time they push the most unpopular provisions of the ACA beyond another election cycle. The ACA individual mandate was conveniently placed well beyond President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. So were most of the new taxes and fees contained in the ACA to pay for the new law. The "employer mandate" was pushed back 2015 so as to prevent increased unemployment heading into the 2014 mid-term election cycle. And now the "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" CYA move will run until 2016, so Democrats don't have to worry about 1.5-million angry voters headling to the polls with cancellation notices in their pockets.
So the next time you hear an MSNBC talking head, or a Democratic candidate for office or a "community organizer" complain about Republican efforts to derail the Affordable Care Act remember, the GOP is doing nothing but talking--President Obama is the one taking all of the action.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
In Celebration of "Hard"
Whatever happened to the word "hard"? It seems to have disappeared as a stand alone term in our lexicon. We used to have degrees of difficulty for things in life: "easy", "medium" and "hard". But nowadays things are only described as "really easy", "pretty easy" and "too hard". Nothing is just plain "hard" anymore.
In sports we hear that kids are gravitating to soccer because baseball is "too hard". Those of us involved in golf worry about the future of the game because beginners find it "too hard" to play. Whenever a situation calls for people to do long addition, division or multiplication everyone reaches for their smartphones and brings up the Calculator function because doing math in your head is "too hard".
"Hard" has disappeared from our expected actions as Americans too. It's now "too hard" to save anything for retirement. It's now "too hard" to wait until you have a sizeable down payment to buy a house--or the full amount to buy a car. It's "too hard" to teach more than 14 kids in a modern classroom. College students can't work while at school anymore because it's "too hard" to balance everything going on in their lives. And it's "too hard" to get proper state-issued ID to do things like vote or prove eligibility for entitlement programs. The only person that I want to hear the words "too hard" from are the competitors who physically break down during the marathon portion of the IronMan Triathalon in Hawaii--where it takes every bit of physical strength they have left just to take one more step toward the finish line--but they just cannot bring themselves to give up.
Even when people try to use the word "hard" nowadays, it's often in the wrong context. Take President Obama every time he introduces a new Government initiative to spend more money to "help" the "Hard working Middle-Class"--like me. My job is not "hard". Yes, it's time-consuming, pressure-packed and sometimes mind-numbingly boring--but it is not "hard". "Hard" work is done by the guys and gals I mentioned a couple of weeks ago who are out in -30 degree weather fixing broken water mains.
Once upon a time, we celebrated "hard" here in America. I seem to remember a President issuing a challenge to the nation to put a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth:
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade--and do the other things--not because they are easy...but because they are hard!"
So what do you say we drop the "too" part, and go back to actually trying to do "hard" things. It might amaze you what this country can accomplish again.
In sports we hear that kids are gravitating to soccer because baseball is "too hard". Those of us involved in golf worry about the future of the game because beginners find it "too hard" to play. Whenever a situation calls for people to do long addition, division or multiplication everyone reaches for their smartphones and brings up the Calculator function because doing math in your head is "too hard".
"Hard" has disappeared from our expected actions as Americans too. It's now "too hard" to save anything for retirement. It's now "too hard" to wait until you have a sizeable down payment to buy a house--or the full amount to buy a car. It's "too hard" to teach more than 14 kids in a modern classroom. College students can't work while at school anymore because it's "too hard" to balance everything going on in their lives. And it's "too hard" to get proper state-issued ID to do things like vote or prove eligibility for entitlement programs. The only person that I want to hear the words "too hard" from are the competitors who physically break down during the marathon portion of the IronMan Triathalon in Hawaii--where it takes every bit of physical strength they have left just to take one more step toward the finish line--but they just cannot bring themselves to give up.
Even when people try to use the word "hard" nowadays, it's often in the wrong context. Take President Obama every time he introduces a new Government initiative to spend more money to "help" the "Hard working Middle-Class"--like me. My job is not "hard". Yes, it's time-consuming, pressure-packed and sometimes mind-numbingly boring--but it is not "hard". "Hard" work is done by the guys and gals I mentioned a couple of weeks ago who are out in -30 degree weather fixing broken water mains.
Once upon a time, we celebrated "hard" here in America. I seem to remember a President issuing a challenge to the nation to put a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth:
"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade--and do the other things--not because they are easy...but because they are hard!"
So what do you say we drop the "too" part, and go back to actually trying to do "hard" things. It might amaze you what this country can accomplish again.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Odds and Ends
Quick takes on a myriad of topics this morning:
--Kudos to Oshkosh School Board President Matt Wiedenhoeft for putting the brakes on planning for the expansion of Lakeside Elementary School last week. The district was ready to plunge headfirst into a commitment it was not sure was actually supported by the parents involved and didn't yet have the money to undertake. As Wiedenhoeft wisely pointed out in his appearance on the WOSH Morning News Focus on Friday, it looks like the School District is already spending an expected increase in property tax revenues in a few years a number of different ways. Hopefully, some better explanations on financing will be available when the board revisits the topic at the end of April.
--I have to give it up for ESPN talking head Bomani Jones, who had the best reaction to John Travolta blowing the name of the Song of the Year performer at the Academy Awards Sunday night. Mr Saturday Night Fever mangled Idina Menzel's name into "Adelle Dazeem" in a moment that just about broke Twitter and launched a billion "My John Travolta Name is....." social media posts. Bomani says that Ms. Menzel should have just stood there on stage and not started her song because "I didn't hear my name called to be performing next. I'm not going on until I hear 'Idina Menzel'". How great would it have been to force Travota (who is considered to be of "higher intelligence" in the cult of Scientology) to come back out there--apologize for being a moron and properly introduce the next act. In a related note, the lack of reading ability displayed by nearly all of the presenters Sunday night shows why it requires hundreds of takes and sometimes years to film movies nowadays.
--Speaking of actors, much was made last week of Seth Rogan appearing before a Senate committee to testify about Alzheimers Disease and research. Members of the committee were taken to task because only two of them actually showed up for the hearing. It was made to sound like every other Senator "didn't care about Alzheimers research"--or else they would have been there. Maybe they just didn't care to hear about Alzheimer's research from a person who makes his living playing stoners and making fart jokes in movies. (Rogan did manage to drop a joke about pot use in his "testimony".)
--And while we are on the topic of "Arts and Entertainment", did you see that Cosmos is coming back? FOX Television is actually going to take a break from killing our brain cells and will try to grow a few instead. Neil DeGrasse Tyson (who has never met a TV camera he didn't love) will be hosting the latest version--promising a new look at the origins, mysteries and the future of our universe and our planet. Since the Science Channel, History and Nat Geo have abandoned actual science-based programming in exchange for Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars, Ghost Hunters, Cajun Ghost Hunters, Nazi Aliens, and Swamp People it will be nice to enjoy some "real" reality TV. Unfortunately, I'm sure the ratings will come in lower than The Batchelor After the Final Rose, and Cosmos will be cancelled after four episodes. Oh well, at least they tried.
--Kudos to Oshkosh School Board President Matt Wiedenhoeft for putting the brakes on planning for the expansion of Lakeside Elementary School last week. The district was ready to plunge headfirst into a commitment it was not sure was actually supported by the parents involved and didn't yet have the money to undertake. As Wiedenhoeft wisely pointed out in his appearance on the WOSH Morning News Focus on Friday, it looks like the School District is already spending an expected increase in property tax revenues in a few years a number of different ways. Hopefully, some better explanations on financing will be available when the board revisits the topic at the end of April.
--I have to give it up for ESPN talking head Bomani Jones, who had the best reaction to John Travolta blowing the name of the Song of the Year performer at the Academy Awards Sunday night. Mr Saturday Night Fever mangled Idina Menzel's name into "Adelle Dazeem" in a moment that just about broke Twitter and launched a billion "My John Travolta Name is....." social media posts. Bomani says that Ms. Menzel should have just stood there on stage and not started her song because "I didn't hear my name called to be performing next. I'm not going on until I hear 'Idina Menzel'". How great would it have been to force Travota (who is considered to be of "higher intelligence" in the cult of Scientology) to come back out there--apologize for being a moron and properly introduce the next act. In a related note, the lack of reading ability displayed by nearly all of the presenters Sunday night shows why it requires hundreds of takes and sometimes years to film movies nowadays.
--Speaking of actors, much was made last week of Seth Rogan appearing before a Senate committee to testify about Alzheimers Disease and research. Members of the committee were taken to task because only two of them actually showed up for the hearing. It was made to sound like every other Senator "didn't care about Alzheimers research"--or else they would have been there. Maybe they just didn't care to hear about Alzheimer's research from a person who makes his living playing stoners and making fart jokes in movies. (Rogan did manage to drop a joke about pot use in his "testimony".)
--And while we are on the topic of "Arts and Entertainment", did you see that Cosmos is coming back? FOX Television is actually going to take a break from killing our brain cells and will try to grow a few instead. Neil DeGrasse Tyson (who has never met a TV camera he didn't love) will be hosting the latest version--promising a new look at the origins, mysteries and the future of our universe and our planet. Since the Science Channel, History and Nat Geo have abandoned actual science-based programming in exchange for Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars, Ghost Hunters, Cajun Ghost Hunters, Nazi Aliens, and Swamp People it will be nice to enjoy some "real" reality TV. Unfortunately, I'm sure the ratings will come in lower than The Batchelor After the Final Rose, and Cosmos will be cancelled after four episodes. Oh well, at least they tried.
Monday, March 3, 2014
When Evil Fills the Vacuum
As Russia continues its unabated takeover of Ukraine today (with "secret soldiers" wearing no Russian army markers--but using all Russian military equipment) Conservatives are bashing President Obama for not standing up to Vladimir Putin. By all accounts, the 90-minute phone conversation over the weekend between the two heads of state consisted of Putin putting Obama in his place--stating that Russia will do whatever it so chooses in Ukraine to "protect its interests".
While the sight of an American President being treated like a lapdog dismays some of us, for the majority in the US, that is exactly what they are looking for. The latest CBS News/New York Times poll finds the vast majority of Americans--65%--believe the US should NOT take the lead when it comes to international affairs. That compares to 49% of people who held that world view after the 9/11 attacks.
Americans have long been isolationists. In his farewell speech, President George Washington warned of becoming entangled in European wars and affairs. The two oceans separating us from most of the other world powers gave us a certain sense of security--as any attempt to attack us from the outside would require vast resources and effort. But as technology has made the world smaller, our enemies only get closer.
Pearl Harbor and 9/11 have shown that oceans are no longer a real barrier to attack. The rise of Fascism and Communism in Europe and Asia--along with the proliferation of militant Islam in nearly every other part of the world shows how lack of American influence in a region can lead to the vacuum being filled by those who seek to do us--and millions of others--harm.
Those of us who like to study 20th century European history can find plenty of similarities between the current Ukrainian situation and that of the Sudetenland area of the Czech Republic and Austria of the 1930's. Back then, a German-speaking minority in those sovereign nations "demanded" an alliance with Nazi Germany--or so Hitler claimed to the rest of the world. The Germans rolled in the tanks to "protect" their brethren--and it appeared that the continent was on the brink of war.
Here in the US, isolationists implored President Franklin Roosevelt to stay out of the controversy--saying the US had no business sticking its nose into European affairs. And Roosevelt complied. Instead, it was British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who went to Berlin to meet with Hitler. His capitulation--and allowance of Germany to basically "steal" entire sections of other nations--was hailed by the rest of Europe as "securing peace in our time". That time would last less than two years--when the Germans invaded Poland (again to "protect" Germans living there) and World War II would be underway.
The question that will always remain unanswered is what would have happened if the US and her European allies had stood up to Hitler in 1938? How many fewer people would have died? And how much shorter would the war have been? It will be interesting to see over the next few weeks and months if President Obama will give Putin what he wants to "secure peace in our time".
While the sight of an American President being treated like a lapdog dismays some of us, for the majority in the US, that is exactly what they are looking for. The latest CBS News/New York Times poll finds the vast majority of Americans--65%--believe the US should NOT take the lead when it comes to international affairs. That compares to 49% of people who held that world view after the 9/11 attacks.
Americans have long been isolationists. In his farewell speech, President George Washington warned of becoming entangled in European wars and affairs. The two oceans separating us from most of the other world powers gave us a certain sense of security--as any attempt to attack us from the outside would require vast resources and effort. But as technology has made the world smaller, our enemies only get closer.
Pearl Harbor and 9/11 have shown that oceans are no longer a real barrier to attack. The rise of Fascism and Communism in Europe and Asia--along with the proliferation of militant Islam in nearly every other part of the world shows how lack of American influence in a region can lead to the vacuum being filled by those who seek to do us--and millions of others--harm.
Those of us who like to study 20th century European history can find plenty of similarities between the current Ukrainian situation and that of the Sudetenland area of the Czech Republic and Austria of the 1930's. Back then, a German-speaking minority in those sovereign nations "demanded" an alliance with Nazi Germany--or so Hitler claimed to the rest of the world. The Germans rolled in the tanks to "protect" their brethren--and it appeared that the continent was on the brink of war.
Here in the US, isolationists implored President Franklin Roosevelt to stay out of the controversy--saying the US had no business sticking its nose into European affairs. And Roosevelt complied. Instead, it was British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who went to Berlin to meet with Hitler. His capitulation--and allowance of Germany to basically "steal" entire sections of other nations--was hailed by the rest of Europe as "securing peace in our time". That time would last less than two years--when the Germans invaded Poland (again to "protect" Germans living there) and World War II would be underway.
The question that will always remain unanswered is what would have happened if the US and her European allies had stood up to Hitler in 1938? How many fewer people would have died? And how much shorter would the war have been? It will be interesting to see over the next few weeks and months if President Obama will give Putin what he wants to "secure peace in our time".
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