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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2015)
OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 Terrorists want us to fear fear itself Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager O Salem errs in cuts to police research regon legislators say they want to curb and decrease the size of our prison population. Policing is part of that solution. But Keizer Police Chief John Teague has exposed a gap in the Legislature’s initiative. Speaking to a meeting of Oregon counties, Teague criticized leg- islators for not fully staf¿ng the Center for Policing Excellence, which they created in 2013. Speci¿cally, they have not fund- ed the research position. Law enforcement professionals such as Astoria Chief Brad Johnston say that research is essential to improving and driving forward the concept of evidence-based policing, which is an element in preventing crime. Johnston also points out that lack of funding forced the I Center for Policing Excellence to cut its leadership training programs, which certify new administrators, such as chiefs and deputy chiefs. “Astoria con- fronted this and had to ¿nd its own training in various places,” said Johnston. “That lacked co- herence and cost more.” The other important thing about centralized leadership training, said Johnston, is that “You want everyone to get the same mes- sage.” In its funding cut at the Center for Policing Excellence, the Legislature has been exceed- ingly short-sighted. It’s time to correct the error. Death with dignity harder in rural areas n 1997, the last time Clatsop County voters were asked about it, 61 percent favored keeping Oregon’s law allowing terminally ill adults to obtain a lethal pre- scription. When Washington state authorized the same law in 2008, 64 percent of Paci¿c County vot- ers supported it. Despite these strong endorse- ments for the concept that rational adults deserve to control their own fates when it comes to end-of-life decisions, it remains stubbornly dif¿cult for terminally ill residents of the Columbia estuary counties to obtain physicians’ help in end- ing their suffering. In fact, this gap between the law and pragmatic reality is an issue throughout the rural Paci¿c Northwest. Many of the Northwest’s hospi- tal systems are af¿liated with the Catholic Church, which has strong doctrinal objections to suicide in any form. This takes Providence Seaside Hospital out of the equa- tion. Columbia Memorial Hospital is Lutheran-af¿liated and also opts out of participation. In other cases, many pharmacies, publicly owned hospitals and their medical staffs have chosen not to participate in “aid in dying.” This means, as a practical mat- ter, that the ability to conveniently obtain this form of help is limit- ed to patients in urban areas with abundant healthcare choices. As EO Media Group journal- ist Natalie St. John reported last week, a recent report found that in Washington state few minority, lower-income and rural residents have taken advantage of the law. According to the report, 92 percent of participants were white, 93 per- cent had some form of insurance, and 76 percent had at least some college education. More than half were married, and 95 percent lived west of the Cascades. In Oregon, participation trends have been very similar to those in Washington — white, well-educated, insured, west side. But only 7 percent were from Oregon’s coastal counties in 2014. A common challenge is that people who don’t live in major cities may have to travel out of their area to have the two required consultations and pick up the med- ication. That can be a serious hard- ship for people who are low-in- come, don’t have transportation or are too sick to travel. It’s time for rural healthcare providers to reassess their posi- tions by expanding access to aid in dying. Measures supported by strong majorities of local voters deserve deference. Good news on Amtrak’s Willamette Valley route T he Amtrak Cascades has been a hit, with one exception — the Willamette Valley. For years, as ridership soared between Portland and Seattle, it languished between Eugene and Portland. Oregon legislators were con- cerned about that dead zone, be- cause Oregon buys train sets and funds that route, just as our neigh- bor Washington pays an even larger share. Legislators identi- ¿ed scheduling as the Willamette Valley route’s main problem. Hillary Borrud of our state- house bureau reports that after moving the morning train’s start time from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., ridership jumped. And the on-time record of the Eugene-Portland train has improved markedly. Rail must be part of the inter- city transportation solution. The rail route between Portland Seattle has gained popularity over the past decade, and it is easy to see why. Interstate 5 between the two cities, especially into Seattle, is a night- mare. Many in Congress want to see Amtrak fail. We out here cannot afford that. By PAUL KRUGMAN New York Times News Service L ike millions of people, I’ve been obsessively following the news from Paris, putting aside other things to focus on the horror. It’s the natural human re- action. But let’s be clear: It’s also the reaction the terrorists want. And that’s something not every- one seems to understand. Take, for example, Jeb Bush’s declara- tion that “this is an organized at- tempt to destroy Western civili- zation.” No, it isn’t. It’s an or- Paul ganized attempt Krugman to sow panic, which isn’t at all the same thing. And remarks like that, which blur that distinction and make terrorists seem more powerful than they are, just help the jihadis’ cause. Think, for a moment, about what France is and what it rep- resents. It has its problems — what nation doesn’t? — but it’s a robust democracy with a deep well of pop- ular legitimacy. Its defense budget is small compared with ours, but it nonetheless retains a powerful military, and has the resources to make that military much stronger if it chooses. (France’s econo- my is around 20 times the size of Syria’s.) France is not going to be conquered by ISIS, now or ever. Destroy Western civilization? Not a chance. So what was Friday’s attack about? Killing random people in restaurants and at concerts is a strat- egy that reÀects its perpetrators’ fun- damental weakness. It isn’t going to establish a caliphate in Paris. What it can do, however, is inspire fear — which is why we call it terrorism, and shouldn’t dignify it with the name of war. The point is not to minimize the horror. It is, instead, to emphasize that the biggest danger terrorism poses to our society comes not from the direct harm inÀicted, but from the wrong-headed responses it can inspire. And it’s crucial to realize that there are multiple ways the re- sponse can go wrong. It would certainly be a very bad thing if France or other democracies responded to terrorism with appease- ment — if, for example, the French were to withdraw from the interna- ians wouldn’t remove the limits to tional effort against ISIS in the vain American power. It would, howev- hope that jihadis would leave them er, do wonders for terrorist recruit- alone. And I won’t say that there are ment. no would-be appeasers out there; Finally, terrorism is just one of there are indeed some people deter- many dangers in the world, and mined to believe that Western impe- shouldn’t be allowed to divert our at- rialism is the root of all evil, and all tention from other issues. Sorry, con- would be well if we stopped med- servatives: when President Barack Obama describes climate change dling. as the greatest threat But real-world ex- face, he’s exactly amples of mainstream Terrorism we right. Terrorism can’t politicians, let alone won’t destroy our governments, knuck- can’t and and civilization, but glob- ling under to terrorist al warming could and demands are hard to won’t might. ¿nd. Most accusa- So what can we tions of appeasement destroy our say about how to re- in America seem to be aimed at liberals civilization, spond to terrorism? the atrocities who don’t use what but global Before in Paris, the West’s conservatives consid- general response in- er tough enough lan- warming volved a mix of po- guage. could and licing, precaution, A much bigger and military action. risk, in practice, is might. All involved difficult that the targets of trade-offs: surveil- terrorism will try to achieve perfect security by elimi- lance versus privacy, protection nating every conceivable threat — versus freedom of movement, de- a response that inevitably makes nying terrorists havens versus the things worse, because it’s a big, costs and dangers of waging war complicated world, and even super- abroad. And it was always obvious powers can’t set everything right. that sometimes a terrorist attack On 9/11 Donald Rumsfeld told his would slip through. Paris may have changed that cal- aides: “Sweep it up. Related and not,” and immediately suggested culus a bit, especially when it comes using the attack as an excuse to in- to Europe’s handling of refugees, an vade Iraq. The result was a disas- agonizing issue that has now gotten trous war that actually empowered even more fraught. And there will terrorists, and set the stage for the have to be a post-mortem on why such an elaborate plot wasn’t spot- rise of ISIS. And let’s be clear: this wasn’t ted. But do you remember all the just a matter of bad judgment. Yes, pronouncements that 9/11 would Virginia, people can and do exploit change everything? Well, it didn’t terrorism for political gain, including — and neither will this atrocity. Again, the goal of terrorists is using it to justify what they imagine will be a splendid, politically bene¿- to inspire terror, because that’s all they’re capable of. And the most cial little war. Oh, and whatever people like important thing our societies can do Ted Cruz may imagine, ending our in response is to refuse to give in to reluctance to kill innocent civil- fear. The most revealing debate yet Paul had his best night. He Which leaves the two certainly deserves credit outsider front-runners. Ben for courage. His noninter- Carson had an awful night — the Chinese intervening ventionist foreign policy is in Syria? But it was book- ASHINGTON — The far outside the GOP main- ended and thereby saved stream, which is why Marco Republican debate on by two good moments: his Rubio won the room in their CNBC was riveting, the way a exchange on defense spend- ¿rst answer, the pre-emptive train wreck is riveting — you ing and intervention. But “Thank you for not asking me what I said in the 10th Paul defended his minori- can’t take your eyes off it. The grade,” and his closing state- ty view stoutly, regardless. Charles Fox Business Network debate was ment about the suffering in Give him points for princi- Krauthammer merely satisfying. A serious politi- ple. the country being overcome cal discussion requires a bit more In a year when showmanship is by America’s inner strength. Trump shares with Carson the king, however, principle won’t help work, but it repays the effort. GOP’s vast anti-politics constituen- him much to get out of single digits. The CNBC affair was a contrived You could almost see Paul on the far cy, now fully half of the Republican food ¿ght during which substance oc- right of the stage and Kasich on the far electorate. Carson’s antidote to the na- casionally broke out (such as the brief left dropping through a trapdoor, leav- tion’s failed politics is moral strength. exchange between Chris Christie and ing six ¿nalists. Trump’s is unapologetic brute strength. Trump did not have a particular- Or perhaps not six. Jeb Bush, too, Mike Huckabee on entitlement re- ly good night, either. He was again at had his best night. He was competent form). FBN, on the other hand, con- and solid but, unfortunately, still inar- sea on foreign policy. And when asked ducted a meaty debate during which ticulate. You almost feel sorry for the about the Trans-Paci¿c Partnership, the a tomato or two was occasionally travail he is about to endure on his in- 12-nation trade deal he opposes root tossed. John Kasich came itching for creasingly long-shot campaign. and branch, Trump did his riff on the Carly Fiorina, strong on stage but Chinese economic menace — to which a ¿ght. Donald Trump pitched back with his usual high-mindedness, re- weak on campaign infrastructure, Rand Paul calmly pointed out that showed herself tough China is not party to the TPP. Indeed, sponding at one point as nails — the perfect the main strategic purpose of the TPP to Kasich with “I’ve The CNBC VP. She can say things is precisely to contain China by bind- built an unbelievable Hillary Clinton ing its Paci¿c neighbors to the United affair was about company worth bil- that no man can. And States, thus blunting Beijing’s reach for regional hegemony. knows it. lions and billions of a contrived she Tuesday’s Never mind. As long as the anti-pol- best dollars. I don’t have to performers, unsurpris- itics mood prevails, neither Trump nor food fight hear from this man.” ingly, were Rubio and Carson is even dented by such policy By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER Washington Post Writers Group W during Despite such ex- Ted Cruz, the 44-year- ceptions, the FBN de- old, silver-tongued, which bate marks the point Cuban-American, at which the GOP ¿rst-term senators. substance campaign begins leav- Imagine them as a ing the entertainment occasionally ticket. In 1992, Bill phase and entering the Clinton’s choice of Al broke out. Gore was as strategi- serious season. The moderators’ modesty cally brilliant as it was and straightforwardness created an at- counterintuitive. Instead of balancing mosphere of transparency that allowed that ticket — old with young, Northern the candidates to reveal themselves, ad- with Southern, experience with energy vertently or not. — Clinton doubled down with his own Kasich did. Unfortunately, it was mirror image. The “Young Guns,” as an irritable self-righteous Kasich who Newsweek memorably dubbed them showed up, doing himself no good. on its cover, proved irresistible. (Others At the other end of the podium, Rand called it “Double Bubba.”) misadventures. Tuesday night did not radically alter the trajectory of the Republican race. But it will hasten the winnowing of the ¿eld. If you narrow the view¿nder, the debate stage shrinks from eight to six to a possible ¿nal four: Cruz, Rubio, Carson, Trump. (Chris Christie, who shone in the undercard debate, has the best outside shot at crashing this group.) On Tuesday, all the contenders were required to show their hand. We saw character and we saw policy. Substance is never sizzling, but the FBN de- bate was both revealing and sobering: Which one of these can you actually see inhabiting the Oval Of¿ce?
