the weakest link?

nalani

nalani

Well-Known Member
Have y'all ever heard the expression, "you're only as strong as your weakest link"? Well ... I've been thinking about this a lot lately ...

Now, I know Hawai'i isn't the kind of "force" for America as it used to be, and I am sorta grateful about that ... and I'm not all that up on politics or military strategy, contrary to popular opinion ... but it seems we've put ourselves in a vulnerable position by being the only state (according to this mornings news broadcasts) still at a blue level whilst all the others are at orange - a whole two levels above us. Now, on one hand, that's great - that means the Homeland Security dudes don't feel we're at risk ... but then again, that makes us the weakest link since we're at the second to the lowest level of security and the whole world knows it ... it's kinda like "hey - Hawai'i is at a low level ... and they are still a part of the US ... and since we wanna hurt the US ... let's just take a quick turn out there!" ....

This war is starting to get on my last nerve ...
 
No shit? I thought that Status was nationwide. That's really odd. I wonder why they don't think it's at risk.
 
Not enough people on Hawaii to make it a viable target?

Besides...who would want to hurt Hawaii?
 
The only strategic target that I know of in Hawaii is Pearl Harbor, and terrorists aren't interested in military targets. It would be a source of national anguish to lose some of the natural assets and views on the islands, but that wouldn't kill enough people for their tastes, maybe.

It is odd, though. I also though it was a national system.
 
PT - the governor was advised by Homeland Security to keep it at blue ... they don't feel there is any risk to Hawai'i whatsoever ...

MrBishop - that's what they thought too back in 1941 ...

see, that's my point - does it matter if there is or isn't enough people? There are close to a million people on one island alone - if a country wanted to make a statement to the US, why not go for the weakest link? A million people sure seems viable to me ... and don't forget, we don't only have Iraq to worry about .. there's also Korea ...
 
:crap: Eish! Na, it sounds bad! But haybe you're being over reactive ;)

I mean, if they were gonna go through the trouble to go hurt an area, and IF they were going to strike an area as large as Hawaii, wouldn't it seem logical to choose a more populated area? And there's more than enough of those on the Western Sea board, right?? (sorry to be sounding so grim and "playing" with peoples lives :( )

:hug: Just means that you're gonna have to post here everyday so we know you're all right! :D
 
Over reactive? Hmm... maybe that's because I'm a mother who lives in a state that was hit by surprise before and I live on a rock in the middle of the ocean and have relatives who have fought in many wars and conflicts on behalf of the US. Yeah. Over reactive. You know, sometimes the point of being a terrorist isn't having a reason ... it's hitting what you can, when you can ... The point is, in WAR no one is safe. Period. Over reactive? Maybe. But then again, I'm here - and you're not.


HomeLAN and PT - the story on our level blue status apparently, it's a decision of our government as well as the Homeland Security Program....
 
To me, the whole alert status thing is pure window dressing that never was a reflection of where our resources are being concentrated or how our spy ops are directed. They jump and dance to a myriad of rumors and data and try to defend everything at once... which simply isn't possible.

What I am getting from this modular setup for regional level color coding is the feeling that the lives in X areas are somehow more important than the lives in X other areas. The country and all of its assets need to move as one national color code .. and if there are credible threats against certain areas ... agencies should swarm into those areas without clueing the bad guys into our every move.

Its a double edged sword of: a. If you know of a threat, and then announce that threat out loud ... then you stand a great chance of scaring the enemy into not going through with it. The other side of that sword is the chicken little syndrome. Every time we say 'LOOK OUT' and nothing happens ... people eventually get numb to it and don't react. They simply aren't privvy to what is going on behind the scenes and how many actions are being subverted and undermined daily. Such numbers are uber secret and simply cannot be reported.

The two most important elements of the entire Pacific rim are the deep water docks in Frisco and Honolulu. The projection of our military would be cut in half without them.

(I have more thoughts... but I want to see what everyone else has written .. and I type so friggin slow that all that I write is out of context by the time I enter it)
 
Lingle's spokesman, Russell Pang, said last night that state alert levels are left up to the discretion of the individual states.
Click to expand...

I had no idea.

But she stressed that in determining the threat level, "we don't consider what the impact would be on the visitor industry," Lingle said during one televised appearance.
Click to expand...

Man, I hope not. This is what flashed through my mind to begin with. I realize that it's a huge part of the economy, but that would truly suck.
 
I don't think you're over-reacting, Na. In fact, I would think that Hawaii would be a prime target myself. To me, it's just a symbol of our greed and wealth. But, I guess it is more easily defended in a way too. Having so few people relatively works in your favor as well, as new people would be noticed more easily, but then again, it's a tourist mecca, with new people in and out all the time. I read the link, but still have to wonder why you guys aren't on par with the rest of the nation.
 
HomeLAN said:
Man, I hope not. This is what flashed through my mind to begin with. I realize that it's a huge part of the economy, but that would truly suck.
Click to expand...

That was the feeling around here as well, but they keep saying that it has nothing to do with the tourist industry .. yeah .. sure ... the governor was going to fly to Japan to try to convince them to continue traveling here, much like the previous governor did after 9-11 ... the Japan President dude told her to stay home - Japanese tourists would not be flying to America - even to Hawai'i - during a war ...
Click to expand...
 
nalani said:
Hawai'i isn't the kind of "force" for America as it used to be, and I am sorta grateful about that ...
Click to expand...

Korea is in your backyard.
 
Gonz said:
Korea is in your backyard.
Click to expand...

*nod* ... that was one of my points ... even though the US govt doesn't think we have anything to be worried about as far as Iraq terrorists, whilst all our strengths are yonder, what's to stop Korea from trippin?
 
HomeLAN said:
The only strategic target that I know of in Hawaii is Pearl Harbor
Click to expand...

A good friend of mine wrote this testimony after 9/11 ... I'll quote a portion of it ...

...I was overcome with horror, sadness, and fear as I looked out of my kitchen door overlooking the airport, Hickam AFB, and Pearl Harbor.  I got numb as I looked out my back door at Scholfield barracks and to the notch in the mountain, Kolekole, and visualized all the nuclear weaponary stored just over that beautiful mountain in Lualualei Naval Magazine.

... Hawaii, more specifically, our front yard, is THE United States Naval base in the world, and that Lualualei, that beautifully shaped valley, with its dry, amber colored grass and inconspicuous mounds of bunker like storage facilities, is THE US storage house for its nuclear weapons in the Pacific, and that the CINC PAC FLT, headquatered just up the street from us in Camp Smith, handles satelitte coordination of US targets.  This of course makes us rank in the top 3 "most likely to get bombed" places on earth if you want to start WW III.
Click to expand...
 
Jung Il will go after S Korea or Japan long before Hawaii. We are obligated to protect those nations. Hawaii, due to it's proximity will be high on the list though. I don't think you're on the top 40 for terrorism though.
 
What are they gonna try and do? Blow up a volcano? Go for it. A plane, right into the crater.


Make one helluva tourist attraction while it lasted.
 
kuulani said:
HomeLAN said:
The only strategic target that I know of in Hawaii is Pearl Harbor
Click to expand...

A good friend of mine wrote this testimony after 9/11 ... I'll quote a portion of it ...

...I was overcome with horror, sadness, and fear as I looked out of my kitchen door overlooking the airport, Hickam AFB, and Pearl Harbor.  I got numb as I looked out my back door at Scholfield barracks and to the notch in the mountain, Kolekole, and visualized all the nuclear weaponary stored just over that beautiful mountain in Lualualei Naval Magazine.

... Hawaii, more specifically, our front yard, is THE United States Naval base in the world, and that Lualualei, that beautifully shaped valley, with its dry, amber colored grass and inconspicuous mounds of bunker like storage facilities, is THE US storage house for its nuclear weapons in the Pacific, and that the CINC PAC FLT, headquatered just up the street from us in Camp Smith, handles satelitte coordination of US targets.  This of course makes us rank in the top 3 "most likely to get bombed" places on earth if you want to start WW III.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Thus the "that I know of" in my original post. Thank you for expanding my lnowledge base.
 
They say, "ignorance is bliss" ... and up until I read my friend's testimony, I was happy not knowing about all that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top