DHS twenty years after 9/11: Looking back and looking ahead | Brookings
18h 59m ago by sh.itjust.works/u/Gates9 in politics from www.brookings.edu
Former Senator Joseph Lieberman reflects on the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The reaction to 9/11 did so much more than most people realize to put us on the path that has led to our current national nightmare.
We got punched in the face and started thinking everyone was out to do it again. The modern police state is 100% thanks to the national security measures greenlit during post-9/11 paranoia.
Patriot Act, DHS, TSA immediately come to mind. Al Qaeda succeeded with much more than a mass murder and destruction of buildings.
It's easy to say we did it to ourselves, which is somewhat true, but none of the above was decided by referendum. Never overlook the panicked, knee-jerk politicians who gave no thought to long term consequences of the shit they passed in the early 2000s.
You know what amazes me? MILLIONS of people took the oath to defend the constitution. Not a single one of them is worth their salt.
Finally, it is critical that the leadership of DHS actively steer away from politics and partisanship, which obviously hurts the Department’s ability to carry out its critical missions.
Remember, this was written 5 years ago.