Setting up terrorists?

[boost]

Ya, I think the idea that this money could have been better spent is troublesome. Lets say by diverting all of the counter-terrorism funds into cancer research we could cure it. But by doing so we would have on average 7,000 (I think this is somewhere around 2x 9/11) deaths due to terrorism a year. It seems pretty clear that this society, while it lives longer lives overall, would be much more frail and fear ridden. As people lost confidence in the government they would lose confidence in the dollar (the only thing propping it up..) and you can see where this is going...

[Lukie]

along with the deaths and immediate property damage, 9/11 took something in the order of $1,000,000,000,000 out of the US economy.

clearly a tree lighting ceremony is different, but the point is that people being able to lead their lives and for society to function normally is extremely important economically (among other things).

I think people get so caught up in the reality that many a bad law and policy has been passed in the name of preventing terrorism (e.g. USA patriot act) that when something clearly good comes of it, like the FBI nailing a guy attempting to murder a bunch of civilians, somehow that gets lumped in with the bad as well.

[a500lbgorilla]

along with the deaths and immediate property damage, 9/11 took something in the order of $1,000,000,000,000 out of the US economy.

clearly a tree lighting ceremony is different, but the point is that people being able to lead their lives and for society to function normally is extremely important economically (among other things).

I think people get so caught up in the reality that many a bad law and policy has been passed in the name of preventing terrorism (e.g. USA patriot act) that when something clearly good comes of it, like the FBI nailing a guy attempting to murder a bunch of civilians, somehow that gets lumped in with the bad as well.

Pretty spot on.