Learning to think like a terrorist

Cathy Lanier had to think like a terrorist and come up with a way to kill a few thousand people at a picnic in San Luis Rey. The virtual town in California, repeatedly cursed with smallpox epidemics, explosions and attacks on its nuclear power plant, is part of her new education: The commander of special operations for D.C. police is earning a master's degree in the fast-growing field of homeland security.

Cathy Lanier must be a terrorist. After all, she is learning to think like one, right? Remember back when John Kerry said we must fight a smarter and more sensitive war? Learning to think like a terrorist is along the same lines. Rightwing pundits jumped on him for the comment, so, shouldn't they jump on Cathy Lanier and all of those who are majoring in terrorism studies? I mean, the rightwing hatred for higher education should provide enough incentive to go after these people! After all, you shouldn't try to understand your enemy. That's anti-American!

On the flip side, doesn't government funding for these new programs mean some degree of governmental control over them? I mean, Rumsfeld and Co. want total control over Volkland Security. There will be little academic freedom, I'm sure. And you'll have those ignorant kids claiming that their professors are terrorists for teaching Sayed Qutb, just as they claim their professors are Communists for teaching Marxism.

I say kudos to Cathy Lanier and all of those who have gone back to school to learn about this topic. Learning to think like a terrorist will enable them to stop attacks before they happen.

Now if only we'd inspect those containers...