Shock and Awe: Achieving Rapid Dominance (1996)

by Harlan K. Ullman and James P. Wade National Defense University

http://www.dodccrp.org/shockIndex.html

Without compelling reasons, public tolerance toward American sacrifice abroad will remain low and may even decrease. This reluctance on the part of Americans to tolerate pain is directly correlated to perceptions of threat to US interests. Without a clear and present danger, the definition of national interest may remain narrow.”

“In this period, political micro-management and fine tuning are likely to be even more prevalent as administrations respond to public sentiments for minimizing casualties and, without a threat or compelling reason, US involvement.”

“Americans prefer not to intervene, especially when the direct threat to the US is ambiguous, tenuous, or difficult to define.”

“Unless a new menace materializes, defense is headed for less of the same. Such reductions may have no strategic consequences. However, that is an outcome that we believe should not be left to chance.”

” Absent a massive threat or massive security challenge, it is not clear that this military advantage can always be translated into concrete political terms that advance American interests.”

“Beyond prudence, however, it is clear that without a major threat to generate consensus and to rally the country around defense and defense spending, the military posture of the United States will erode as the defense budget is cut.”

“The absence of a direct and daunting external security threat is, of course a most obvious aspect of the difficulty in defining the future defense posture of the nation….it will prove difficult to sustain the current defense program over the long term without a real threat materializing to rally and coalesce public support.”

http://www.dodccrp.org/shockIndex.html

“Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski publishes a book in which he portrays the Eurasian landmass as the key to world power, and Central Asia with its vast oil reserves as the key to domination of Eurasia. The attitude of the American public toward the external projection of American power has been much more ambivalent. “The public supported America’s engagement in World War II largely because of the shock effect of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor”, he says. Because of popular resistance to US military expansionism, his Central Asian strategy can not be implemented except in the circumstance of a truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat.”

From The Terror Timeline by Paul Thompson

“History is replete with instances in which warnings signs were ignored and change resisted until an external improbable event forced resistant bureaucracies to take action. The question is whether the US will be wise enough to act responsibly and soon enough to reduce US space vulnerability. Or whether, as in the past, a disabling attack against the country and its people – a space Pearl Harbor – will be the only event able to galvanize the nation and cause the US government to act.”

-The Rumsfeld Commission (assigned to assess US National Security Space Management and Organization) January 11, 2001

“You and other Democrats in Congress have voiced fear that you simply don’t have enough money for the large increase in defense that the Pentagon is seeking, especially for missile defense, and you fear that you’ll have to dip into the Social Security funds to pay for it. Does this sort of thing convince you that an emergency exists in this country to increase defense spending, to dip into Social Security, if necessary to pay for defense spending- increase defense spending?”

-Donald Rumsfeld (speaking to Senator Carl Levin) September 11, 2001

“The process of [military] transformation is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event- like a new pearl harbor.”- http://www.newamericancentury.org/ RebuildingAmericasDefenses

“To be truthful about it, there was no way we could have got the public consent to have suddenly launched a campaign on Afghanistan, but for what happened on September 11.”

Tony Blair (July 2002)

From The Terror Timeline by Paul Thompson

“You show me one reporter, one commentator, one member of Congress who thought we should invade Afghanistan before September 11, and I’ll buy you dinner in the best restaurant in New York City.”

Sandy Berger (former National Security Advisor)

- The Cell by John Miller, Michael Stone, and Chris Mitchell, 8/02, P.219

“A question has been asked whether or not there is evidence that other hijackings and attacks were prevented by the actions that were taken that day. There are classified reports, media reports and investigative documents that indicate that other attacks may have been planned. But the evidence on this question is speculative at best, and I do not believe anyone can assert that other attacks were thwarted on that day unless he or she is the one who either planned the attack or planned to carry it out.”

Norman Mineta (public hearing before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States,; May 23, 2003)

Take a breath, let time do it’s job and the truth will reveal itself.

Finally, everyone here who has been kidnapped and held at threat of death raise their hands. Uh huh, that’s what I thought.

Remember, whatever you send out into the world is what you will in turn receive back from it. How would (or did) you feel about having millions of people (or friends, family, colleagues) jump to conclusions about you without having all of the facts?

Best of luck in the coming storm.

Imus lets this sort of thing go on because it has been part of his routine for years beyond count. He lets Bernard McGuirk and Charles McCord say the most horrible things and then tells them to shut up, or whatever. The hateful message gets out and Imus can pose as the voice of moderation and reason.

I predict, by the way, that McGuirk is going to go off his rocker before much longer. He’s wound up way too tight and will be wandering the streets one of these days with a Glock, blasting and everything he can. It’s all going to be very sad.

Your guys can be assholes too, or have you drank too much kool aid to realize that?