The paper reported that the investigation by the FBI into the cellphone of the California terrorists cost the taxpayers one million dollars. But as shocking as that is, it's nothing compared to the money that is being spent to combat terrorism. Money this country does not have. Count up the number of airports in this country and then count up the dollars that are being spent on TSA. The legions of police and security at every large event. This is to say nothing of our military presence in the Middle East.
When a country like ours is forced to spend this kind of money to protect this nation, we are not winning anything. We may win the battle but in the long run we will lose the war. All of this happens as our bridges fall down, our water becomes more polluted with poisons and millions of people languish in poverty.
If we can't convince the rest of the world to help stamp out this problem, then we are in dire straights indeed. The terrorists know they will kill us with a million tiny cuts. They know they don't have to take the hill or win the battles overseas, they only need to persist in their efforts until we break the bank and then all bets are off. They know that at some point we will run out of money and the American people will run out of patience. Something they seem to have plenty of. The $1 million to unlock that cellphone was chump change in the big picture but just one more piece of the terrorists puzzle for winning completed.
Mike Holst
Crosslake
