Liberal National Defense: Unilateral Disarmament

President Obama insists that New START is important as a step toward his dream of a nuclear-free world. Where does one begin? A world without nukes would be the ultimate nightmare. We voluntarily disarm while the world's rogues and psychopaths develop nukes in secret. Just last week we found out about a hidden, unknown, highly advanced North Korean uranium enrichment facility. An ostensibly nuclear-free world would place these weapons in the hands of radical regimes that would not hesitate to use them - against a civilized world that would have given up its deterrent. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 11/26/10)

Thanks to Krauthammer for setting us straight on Republican reluctance on START.

If we only search people who "look like terrorists," al-Qaeda will send people who don't fit the profile. It's no accident that most of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were from Saudi Arabia; at the time, it was easier for Saudi nationals to get U.S. visas than it was for citizens of other Arab countries. If terrorists are clever enough to hide powerful explosives in ink cartridges, then eventually they'll find a suicide bomber who looks just like you, me or Granny. (Eugene Robinson, Washington Post, 11/23/10)

Note to Robinson: the way to beat your enemies is to uncover their weaknesses, force them to adapt, repeat the process, and eventually break their will. It is not to say, in effect: why bother attacking, they are just going to try something else.