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Author Ann Coulter and Reason Magazine’s Matt Welch debate the U.S.’s reaction to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
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March I'm mean specifically.
We.
Once war in Iraq I don't think that the war in Iraq was what we need to do to make America more safe he's a dictator -- body was shielding.
Terrorists a terrible actor on the world stage but I think it over extended America to.
An alarming degree it lowered the bar from make -- wolf will go back and argue about Iraq in a in a moment but go down the list have we created the Department of Homeland Security there's no.
There's no reason that all that they -- -- bureaucracy is Asian.
Of security is going to make -- any more sick all we have to do is go on an airplane or hopefully avoid going on airplanes.
To see that there's a difference between security security theater between federalizing a problem and actually solving the problem.
There's a magazine national defense magazine.
Read -- headline.
Homeland Security market is vibrant.
Despite budget concerns.
In some people say this is -- military industrial complex Eisenhower warned us about.
Well sure we have a security industrial complex are now having a cyber security industrial complex.
There are self interest it actors for sure and let's not forget there are also Americans who want to spend money on this stuff -- there's a political.
In but -- -- all the people who want to murder us yes there are and there are effective ways to do it and ineffective ways of doing it spending money.
On you know Wichita Kansas police departments is not an effective way to protect us from islamists want to kill us.
Ann Coulter you say much of what we done what we did was right.
On -- I think you mischaracterize.
My position something else we're good and some things were not and the way you can basically to -- way to determine what was.
Useful in the war on terrorism and what was not is whatever liberal screams bloody murder about.
Was very important on the war on terrorism the policies they supported was utterly that were utterly useless for example like completely disagree with -- on Iraq I think a rock was a crucial part of the war on terrorism if you had to choose between Iraq and Afghanistan.
I'd take a rock over Afghanistan but certainly -- accomplished everything we were going to Afghanistan.
In the first six months give or take a week -- did not need to send more troops Department of Homeland Security whose idea -- Let's Jersey girls that -- slowdown and -- -- Let's send the small you down let's not kid acts fantastic and get -- fantastic waterboarding not bad don't torture would've been -- Our we'll get to us let's start with Afghanistan.
I think everybody agrees they.
Allow these people to have a whole base there we.
Kill them.
That should've been yet so on.
I declared a true go right and that's the warned that Democrats were run George Bush just for leaving a few troops behind -- the lots of good more rock at the bad war the war of convenience -- -- -- -- should have gotten out of Afghanistan why should we have gone into Iraq because a rock from one bank has national resource is that -- very important region of the world.
You have basically saying people pro western young population led by crazy leader who was trying to -- -- Weapons of mass destruction we needed an Arab Israel we got it in a rock.
That is a fantastic -- to four regime change and a very dangerous leader in a crucial area of the -- by contrast.
Afghanistan.
By and -- the afghanis have never been the invader is they are the invade ease the Taliban invited didn't want me -- in order to fight the northern alliance.
Yes they need to be punished for an apple want -- were punish it's -- rotten country for regime change -- -- no natural resource is there.
Are you guys are in agreement and that meant you agree Afghanistan yet we should there be there and and go like you disagree with her about Iraq yes -- -- on the verge of bankruptcy is a country.
Military spending -- and war spending is a large part of that certainly not the only part of that we increase spending all -- board.
Under George W.
Bush and Barack Obama but we are at the sort of tipping points of imperial overstretched right now and I use that word in the nonjudgmental way.
Iraq is a huge huge no I I actually do.
It's -- we'd all we'd take.
Care of the world security right now -- weather that you know regardless of motivation that's the fact.
We can't afford that anymore Iraq is a huge part of that and there's no real end in -- I don't think that Iraq is.
Israel the -- of Israel -- Kurdistan.
Might have some kind of claim to that but I don't think that there was talk in the -- -- argument create an island the freedom that would settings.
And many arguments in favor Barack there were not many against Iraq and this is totally the problem libertarians Matt -- -- -- how -- the department of commerce and agriculture and health and women's services.
And a government should work for the Pentagon and the government providing aren't scared I mean get this stop should government had no business is doing and -- Not worried about what we're supposed to be -- which is national security but is the TSA making six I believe we're talking up the war in Iraq.
Okay how are we safer is that our national security -- go into -- yeah.
This haven't we made more enemies now not I don't know I know that's it for easy ACLU argument absolutely not Emma and just to take one small exit sentence when there were though as Mohammed cartoons in Danish mom -- Muslims rioting across 100 -- there was nobody ever know also driving that was our rock rocket been a fantastic country.
Fronts move on to the TSA before the TSA there were these private contractors they would hire who knows.
Minimum wage jobs.
Inspecting they weren't very good.
Now we spend it's a government program we spend five times as much I understand.
And they're still not Africa the TSA is a is a case study in what happens when we sort of panic and centralize a kind of response -- thanks it becomes pull this it's a political kind of game it's all about the federal bureaucracy and and does civil and -- civic the civil service rules.
That you've been I mean and you can say about any government -- and we know -- it's going to be like 40% -- -- with the TSA saying.
It is the -- a political correctness that we will sacrifice ourselves on the altar of everyone being trained in the same.
Even when it makes no sense I'm not suggesting a -- be treated cruelly at airport security here don't cocktails -- a little lax for a check of somebody -- looks.
Like a possible terror.
It's also security theater it's in time it's it designed.
To actually intimidate people who are no threat and and that is insidious.
Now I find many TSA workers polite from.
Fairly reasonable I worry what they'll be like in fifteen years -- because government bureaucracies often sips of duke eager do gooders who come in.
But because the incentives are all wrong over time.
They get to be even more horrible incident in the in Europe they had tried this and they gave up on government run security because you can't fire the government but.
You could fire -- private contractors -- Israel for example uses private contractors.
-- -- -- -- -- -- Airlines ought to be able to choose it ought to be up to the airline because that's the only way you have the market helping the airlines decide which.
Which services better and I do I have to say the individual airport security.
Checkers the quality did go up it's the rules they are operating under that are insane and also we know from those.
Yale experiment -- eleven the guy wasn't we had kids that prisoner on the prison guard.
People are given control over other humans will become -- even if they're lovely people.
The -- -- experiment SM was I mean Stanley militant.
In I know what -- your -- -- them through the -- we it's an amazing tape it's not clear clarity security watch what they.
But that's another subject but in San Francisco they.
Is one big airport where they do -- private contractors other one TSA tests they found they found more of the bomb materials than the government contractors in Europe -- mentioned there's a lot of privately run airports we don't have that in America haven't Canada we have not in everywhere else in the western world.
Not in America it's an experiment that we should have at long last -- -- airport I want to -- airing -- it -- sent me airline by airline so that you haven't they -- that the consumer deciding whether -- be flying airline if they're not doing anything and let's acknowledge -- single greatest thing to airport -- airplane security -- within days basically 9/11 we -- -- cockpits and will -- -- and -- and all this focus on the -- is missing the point I mean that's fighting the last war -- this was paid one in eight million billion shot incredibly lucky shot.
There are so many different ways to kill people are -- it events -- mass destruction and all this focus on airline I'm afraid is keeping us off whatever is coming Max.
