Counterterrorism: (n) terrorism in retaliation for some previous act of terrorism.
Some things sound good:
- Recycling
- Therapy
- Teeth brushing
- A diet
- Losing weight
- Gaining confidence
- And … counterterrorism.
Yet before we launch into any one of these seemingly noble pursuits, maybe we should ask what the price tag is on achieving them.
How much effort does it take to recycle, considering the benefit achieved?
How effective is therapy in light of the expense and length of time it takes to acquire some sense of balance?
How many times a day should teeth be brushed before it seems the only taste in the mouth is paste?
How many calories should each of us consume to maintain our health without increasing our waistline?
How much weight is it necessary for us to lose, when we know that losing weight can also be the first sign of severe illness?
When are we gaining confidence, and at what point does it become promo talk, which is not necessarily backed up by our actual abilities or actions?
And when is counterterrorism the needful action, and how many freedoms will have to be jettisoned from our lifestyle to assure us that we are safe from religious and political maniacs who have axes to grind which were forged back in the Middle Ages?
And for that matter, when is our counterterrorism considered by a citizen of another country to be terrorism, considering the pain it inflicts and the death toll it produces? I believe there are three steps necessary to counterterrorism:
- Put together the finest investigators, interrogators and infiltrators as possible
- Find terrorists and make sure they are determined to kill innocent people
- Quietly kill them first, without telling anybody else, and letting the world know about their cause.
Terrorists love to terrorize because it makes them feel powerful. If you remove the notoriety, and they feel insecure to go to bed at night for fear that their mattress might explode, you just might discourage the practice.
Subscribe to Jonathan’s Weekly Podcast
Good News and Better News
Words from Dic(tionary) 