[MRM]

Oh, I don't say those responsible shouldn't be held accountable. The idea that trillions of dollars in cash just disapeared (into the pockets of people who fund our enemies in order to keep the conflict - and their gravy train - rolling) is one of the great crimes of the century. The Fiasco that has been the US involvement in the Middle East since 9/11 is mind-bogling in scope and incompetence.

But getting bogged down in a "who struck John" argument when the house is on fire is unhelpful and frustrates the chance to reach solutions. Every time someone mentions the feckless adventurism of the GW Bush administration, someone on that "team" will respond by saying yeah, but what about the trillions of stimulous dollars that vanished into thin air in 2009-2010? Then someone else will chime in and say the other side can't complain about ____ because (Carter/Reagan/Clinton) is really responsible because he did _____. The argument eventually devolves into a fight over whether LBJ or Nixon was responsible for the Vietnam debacle before both sides claim ownership of the Founding Fathers and state the clear intent of the Consitution is on their side and anyone who disagrees should be jailed for treason.

In a discussion about what the problem is and how to fix it, you cannot interject issues of fault. If you do, it derails the conversation and you never get a solution. Often people who want to avoid the obvious solution will raise issues of who is more or less at fault specifically in order to derail the solution. I'm all for fixing the problem right here and now and hanging the bastards on both sides later when we have the luxury of time.

If Delta knows who I am before I even get to the airport, has issued me a half dozen credit cards and gives me preferred seats, knows that I have another trip scheduled for next month and greats me by name as I check in or board, why does the TSA make me take off my shoes and belt and wait in line to go through a machine that doesn't detect explosives?