by the Way . . .

"The system worked." This assessment by Janet Napolitano of the failure of the attempted bombing of the flight over Detroit has come under attack, but it is clear the Homeland Security system did perform as expected. The system involves passengers leaping over seats and onto any terrorist who ignites a bomb. Admittedly, this system works best when the bomb fails to fully explode on the initial attempt.

This system, known as the "thousand points of light" system, initially developed during the administration of George H. W. Bush, relies on individuals to correct problems instead of government. Most believe this is superior to the George W. Bush system, which is heavily biased toward action by private business instead of government. That system also worked, as evidenced in the aftermath of Katrina, when Walmart, at their own expense, sent in trucks loaded with water and food to the survivors.

The government approach also worked, as the alert level was at "Orange", alerting all to watch out for terrorists.