Incoherent Criticism

In addition to the Clarke article discussed below, The Atlantic also carries a piece by James Fallows. Like Clarke he is a severe critic of the conduct of the WoT. On close inspection, however, the two articles raise more questions than they answer. They look at the same picture and draw contradictory conclusions.

For example, Clarke points to homeland security and says, We are ignoring our vulnerability in the heartland. A few pages later Fallows proclaims, We are spending too much in the heartland and are doing too little to protect high-risk cities.

Fallows quotes Benjamin Friedman: "U.S. Homeland security policy has embraced the false idea that all American communities are likely targets of terrorism."

Maybe Friedman is right that this is an "expensive myth." But if that is true, then half of Clarke's future history is mythical. One or the other is correct and that question is worthy of rigorous discussion. But both critiques cannot be true.

The Atlantic does not even acknowledge the contradiction. It features both articles on its cover and claims a specious linkage. Clarke's article is hyped as "America Attacked: The Sequel" while Fallow's piece is headlined: "How We Could Have Stopped It."