Perspective

First, before we go any further, let us assure the Nation that Rush Limbaugh is apparently OK. He was rushed to a Honolulu hospital after suffering chest pains. Maybe the proximity of President Obama was too much for him. At any rate, we can all pray that New Year's Eve will not become an official National Day of Mourning for our country's brightest light.

In case you can't tell, we're being sarcastic.

But this is not what's on our mind today. Rather, we feel the time has come to put in our two cents on the whole Northwest Airlines near-bombing. In case you've slept through the last week--or in case you're reading this at some point in the (eerie voice) fuuuuuu-tuuuuure--we are speaking of the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas as it was approaching the Detroit airport--as if Detroit didn't have enough problems. Quick action by passengers and crew prevented the would-be suicide bomber from detonating his chemical cocktail, and the plane landed safely.

Since then, we have been subjected to a steady stream of back-and-forth finger-pointing. Republicans pounced on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano after her infelicitously phrased comment on a Sunday morning talk show about how the security system "worked." She subsequently clarified that she meant the response system worked AFTER the attempt was made, but it was too late to avoid the inevitable political backlash. Other Republicans chastised President Obama for taking two full days to make a public statement about the near attack.

Democrats have not refrained from partisan bickering either. They've pointed out that the failing system was developed under the auspices of George W. Bush and that the Transportation Security Administration lacks a Director because Republicans are holding up the confirmation of President Obama's nominee (Obaminee?).

Let's put things in perspective.

The bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, came to the attention of the United States in November because his father, a prominent Nigerian banker, was worried about his son's suspicious behavior. Subsequently, he was placed on a watch list of approximately 550,000 people who have "possible ties" to terrorism. Had his case been reviewed more thoroughly, he might have been placed on a list of people who require additional screening before being allowed on airplanes (14,000 people) or on the official "no-fly" list (4,000 people).

Now, we can fault the system all we want, but the fact remains that the system worked pretty much as it was supposed to. After all, we don't hear about how many of those 550,000--or even 14,000--people have been investigated and either (a) found to pose no threat or (b) thwarted from attempting some terrorist attack. Even more frightening is the thought that the only reason Abdulmutallab was on the broader list is that his father became concerned enough to contact the United States. Considering that the potential bomber had made no specific or overt threats, it's a minor miracle that he even made the list of 550,000. (As one security official said, "You had a young man who was becoming increasingly pious and was turning his back on his family's wealthy lifestyle. That alone makes him neither St. Francis nor a deadeyed killer." ["Spy Agencies Failed to Collate Clues on Terror"])

During the Bush years, the administration often made statements to the effect that numerous terrorist attacks had been foiled and hundreds of lives saved due to the diligence of the nation's security personnel. The administration was then accused of fearmongering. Now, far be it from the Solipsist to say anything positive about the Bush years, but the fact remains that after 9/11 there were no major terrorist attacks on American soil--and we find it difficult to believe that Al-Qaeda just decided to pack it in and wait for Obama.

Terrorism and its prevention are not partisan issues. Neither Republicans nor Democrats want to see Americans--or anybody else--killed by suicide bombers. When an attack happens, it will not be the fault of the Bush administration or the Obama administration: It will be the fault of both. Or neither.

The sad truth is that we will very likely see another terrorist attack on US soil. No matter how strong the prevention measures are, they won't be perfect. And even if a system works, say, 549,999 times out of 550,000 (99.998%), that one failure could be catastrophic. All we can do--all we should do--is learn the lessons as they are taught and try to do better next time.