The Dark Side, Part 3 of 6

In the third section of Mayer's The Dark Side, a shocking revelation is made. While it would seem as though the terrorists who scarred the country on that fateful day would have planned for their attacks completely under the radar, that was not the case; the CIA, at several points in time, had information on individuals that would eventually prove significant to the attacks of September 11th. The CIA knew of several meetings, one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where members of Al-Qaeda were meeting. As they attempted to gather intelligence, a number of things fell through the cracks. The CIA was working with the Malaysians to obtain valuable information about the meeting. They were unable to record the conversation. When two marked individuals left for Bangkok, no one tracked them, they got away. Eventually, they found there way to Los Angeles where they were roaming abroad. "By March 2000 fully fifty or sixty individuals within the CIA knew that two Al Qaeda suspects ha come to America-but no one officially notified the FBI about this" (Mayer 153). It was the CIA's responsibility to notify the FBI of any domestic threats. From researched information, Mayer writes, "The two guys' names were just sitting in someone's outbox. It just didn't get done" (Mayer 16).

"What 9/11 is really all about was the lack of follow-up on these two people, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi" (Mayer 17). How could the CIA make such a gigantic blunder? Yes, while the CIA was attempting to track many other individuals, they had become caught up in a frenzy of work, but a blunder that cost the lives of many Americans is unforgivable. Mayer attempts to explain the blunder. A former top officer of the CIA stated, "The problem, he said, was not a lack of urgency, but rather a failure of management" (Mayer 16). He goes on to say, "In short, the errors were painfully mundane: misfiled paperwork, inattentive government employees, misunderstandings and miscommunications - just commonplace incompetence" (Mayer 16). The loss of countless American lives could have been prevented if the CIA were doing their jobs. It was not an inability to target those who threatened America, it was an inability to follow through on a task.

The Dark Side, Part 2 of 6

The second section of The Dark Side, author Jane Mayer writes about the actions taken by those in the executive branch immediately following the September 11th attacks. Threatened by foreign terrorists, those around the president (the president included) proceeded to act quickly so as uphold national security. The two men who held the most authority in the United States began at ground zero; they were to determine what enabled to terrorists to carry out their attacks. Bush and Cheney believed one of the reasons terrorists were able to attack the US was because the US was "soft...and that Bin Laden didn't feel threatened" by the United States (Mayer 56). The US had been introduced to an enemy that, although known, was never seen as a threat. However, as the result of an intelligence failure, the attacks were able to unfold. The President and Vice-President looked to conservatives on the right, seeking a means to best solve the national security crises. The executive branch, with the consultation of those on the right, came to the conclusion that "there was too much international law, too many civil liberties, too many constraints on the President's war powers, too many rights for defendants,...and too much meddling by Congress and the press" (Mayer 71).

Those in power determined that, in order to bolster national security and reduce terrorist threats, the executive branch needed to be granted more power and that achieving a secure nation would have to come at the expense of citizens giving up certain civil liberties. These endeavors could not be accomplished legally; they would act against the constitution. After September 11th, VP Cheney and others looked around America for the nation's smartest, most well-trained lawyers. Once an elite team of lawyers had been found, the executive branch "came up with legal justifications for a vast expansion of the government's power in waging war on terror" (Mayer 76). At the time, some in Bush's administration were skeptical of the means the administration was taking to deal with the new crises. Bush concluded that if what they were doing failed, they should at least leave the office stronger than it was when they entered it. It was through the lawyers that they could do this. The constitution would be abused, but it would happen behind closed doors. During the administration "The lawyers authorized previously illegal practices, including the secret capture and indefinite detention of suspects without charges" (Mayer 80).

The Dark Side, Part 1 of 6

The Dark Side, written by Jane Mayer, is a non-fiction narrative on the changing atmosphere of American ideals following the September 11th attacks. As the narrative begins, we are given a brief background on Former Vice-President Dick Cheney's involvement in top-secret programs during the Reagan Administration. His involvement in these programs was in an effort to prepare for worst-case scenarios such as an all-out nuclear war with the Soviet union. At the time, the threat of a Soviet attack was very real and those who were preparing for it took it very seriously. Mayer writes, "Every year, usually during congressional recesses, Cheney would disappear in the dead of the night. He left without explanation to his wife, Lynne Vincent Cheney, who was merely given a phone number where he could be reached in the event of emergency" (Mayer 1). The need for such secrecy faded as the Cold War came to an end, but Cheney's experience would be needed in the future. Never feeling the threat from outside groups, "Terrorism hadn't ranked anywhere near the top of the Bush administration's national security concerns in the beginning of the administration" (Mayer 6). Shortly after the Bush administration replaced Clinton's administration, combating terrorism would be one of the foremost issues of the day.

On September 11th, a series of events occurred that were unrivaled in US history; terrorist attacks had taken place in a number of locations on US soil. The nation was shocked, but no one was more prepared to handle the situation than Vice-President Cheney. Despite his Cold-War experience, which perfectly set him up for dealing with the situation, when an ultra-sensitive sensor that detected the presence of lethal substances in the white house - when it signaled, Cheney believed he had become contaminated. He believed the terrorists were targeting him through biological warfare. Because of this, he took a number of precautions such as taking a different route from the capitol to the white house in an armored car every single day. A change was seen in Cheney, a fearful one: "An old family friend found him changed after September 11, 'more steely, as if he was preoccupied by terrible things he couldn't talk about' " (Mayer 6). The executive branch and the entire country were shocked by the September 11th attacks, but that is not to say they were completely surprised. Al-Qaeda, they believed, was behind it. "Having underestimated Al Qaeda before the attacks, Bush and Cheney took aggressive steps to ensure that they would never get similarly blindsided again" (Mayer 5). It was these aggressive steps that set the stage for an expansion of presidential powers that would go against American ideals.

Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Choices Part 6

In the sixth and final section of Douglas Wilson's Honor's Voice, Lincoln's pre-president life is reviewed. Most notably, Wilson makes reference to a phrase Lincoln once used in a congressional speech: "the power to hurt" (Wilson 303). In Shakespeare's 94th sonnet, he essentially says that those who don't hurt, despite having to power to hurt, have a sense of superiority. According to Wilson, Lincoln possessed a quality similar to the one Shakespeare writes about: "The power to hurt...was curiously offset in his nature by something like its obverse, an inability to ignore the helpless" (Wilson 305). Once, as Lincoln's wife recalled, while Lincoln was crossing a prairie, he noticed a pig stuck in mud. Deliberating whether or not to help the pig, he passed on by, but, because of his conscience, he rushed back and saved the pig in distress. Stories like this, which defined Lincoln as a person, were not at all uncommon in his life.

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Although the story of Lincoln and the pig shows that Lincoln was a man of integrity, Lincoln was not the kind of person who completely devoted his life to service and helping others. In fact, he had more important, more self-oriented goals to accomplish. Wilson writes, "Rising in the world, which was apparently Lincoln's ambition from the start, seems to have meant a quest primarily for recognition or distinction" (Wilson 293). While this may seem selfish, it is only natural to strive for recognition and distinction. Everyone wants to have their recognizable place in the world. What is unique in Lincoln's case, though, is the fact that his yearning to achieve distinction led to a monumental feat in the service of helping others. In a nutshell, Wilson describes this thought, "As his wife observed, the world found out about Lincoln's hard-won resolution, for his rock-solid ability to keep his resolves once they were made would undergrid his performance as president. And that would make all the difference" (Wilson 323). The individual longing for distinction and upward mobility is neccesary, as it was in America during the time of Lincoln, to make advancements in society. There is, however, a danger in certain ambitious individuals. Luckily, Lincoln was not one of them.

Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Choices Part 5

In the 5th section of Douglas Wilson's Honor's Voice, Lincoln's move from New Salem to Springfield is discussed. After Lincoln had helped make Springfield the capital of Illinois, he had established himself as a leader in the Illinois legislature. Even though he had moved up the ranks, he decided to take up a career in law, to be "the law partner of a rising political star" (Wilson 261). Lincoln, however, could not pursue his career in law in the city of New Salem as it didn't provide him the opportunity to do so. He would have to move to Springfield. Moving from New Salem to Springfield would not be easy for Lincoln just as moving from a house that one has been living at for years to a new location would presumably be difficult. What made the move even more difficult is the fact that Lincoln had built up a strong reputation in New Salem, one that would have to be re-built if he moved to Springfield. Wilson attests to this, "He established a viable niche for himself at New Salem, where he was not only accepted but regarded as something of a remarkable young man. But there was no future for a lawyer there" (Wilson 249). Dealing with the challenge of moving to New Salem would be somewhat of a test for him.

Upon Lincoln's arrival to Springfield, he was a man who was by no means one of the upper-class. Lincoln was born into a farming family and lived in the same conditions of those around him, no better, no worse. To Lincoln, though, this didn't matter: "Poverty was not the issue, for Lincoln seems to have been quite content to live a simple life of very few materials wants and possessions. The issue was debt" (Wilson 265). Lincoln had incurred sums of debt as a result of investing in a horse and a compass as well as a failed storekeeping venture. Just as if that wasn't enough, Lincoln had several other problems. Wilson writes, "If Lincoln's first year in Springfield found him having to cope with apprehension about his prospects as a lawyer, feelings of social ineptitude and a lack of acceptance, there was at least one more thing that must have given him serious concern: his recurring bouts of depression" (Wilson 283). The doubt of his being successful should be expected and his want for being accepted into the society is by no means abnormal. On the flip side, Lincoln's depression, which is seemingly abnormal to those who regard Lincoln as great, was quite normal as he had lived with the blues before he came to Springfield. What was different about the blues he had in New Salem was the fact that he didn't show it. In Springfield, it seemed to consume him and it showed greatly. One of Lincoln's associates, Herndon, described Lincoln as "a sad-looking man; his melancholy dripped from him as he walked" (Wilson). Lincoln's move was met with adversity, but he would pull through.

Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Choices Part 4

In the third section of Douglas Wilson's Honor’s Voice, Lincoln's relationships with women are discussed. From the young age of seven until he was an adult, he was "unattracted" to girls. His grandmother is quoted as saying that Lincoln "was not very fond of girls..." (Wilson 110). Although others identified Lincoln as being a young man without a particular liking towards women, Lincoln didn't let it phase him. In fact, the main reason Lincoln lacked a strong liking for women was because with them, he couldn't display his social talents. Wilson writes about Lincoln saying, "He had...the inclination and ability to take center stage in social situations...but girls did not compete with boys in athletic contests, and most of his stories would probably not have been considered suitable for a mixed audience" (Wilson 114). By no means was it that Lincoln plainly disliked them or that was afraid of girls, he just liked the spotlight more.

Lincoln did, however, fall in love with a women by the name of Ann Rutledge. The two became lovers, she a tavernkeepers daughter and he a boarder. While Ms. Rutledge was in love with Lincoln, she was publicly engaged to a man named John McNeil. A neighbor who lived near the Rutledge farm recalled Lincoln's presence at the farm saying, "Mr. L. came over to see me & them every day or two. I did not know of any engagement or tender passages between Mr L & Miss R at the time" (129). The fact that Ann was already engaged to Mr. McNeil most likely allowed the neighbor to not suspect anything. Once she Ann died in 1834 though, the neighbor was very aware of the fact that there had been something between Lincoln and Miss Rutledge. According to Wilson, "his extraordinary emotions...accurately reflect what local residents came to believe and to remember about the aftermath of Ann's death, some of whom used words like 'crazy' and 'insanity' to describe Lincoln's condition" (Wilson 132). Lincoln took her death quite seriously, but he would move on. He would always find himself in the middle of social gatherings, but his love to do that never took him away from establishing deep relationships with others, even women.

Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Choices Part 3

In the fourth section of Honor's Voice, Wilson writes about Abraham Lincoln's journey into politics. Surprisingly, his physical build and athletic ability greatly helped him: "He could lift weights that were beyond the capacity of others; he could throw heavy objects, such as cannonballs, farther than his fellows...These were feats that were much admired by the men who constituted the electorate in Sangamon Country" (Wilson 141). Although these things probably helped him, he couldn't have become a leader without intellect, something he did not lack. Lincoln was able to ascend into a position in the state legislature. Before Lincoln had been elected to represent Sangamon County in the state legislature, he had begun to align himself with views contrary to those held by people living in the community. Wilson alludes to this: "Lincoln's back-country neighbors...were almost entirely Jackson men, but the young Lincoln, reportedly following Jones' example, resisted. He began to line up with the anti-Jackson forces and soon pronounced himself a follower of Henry Clay" (Wilson 150). Even though Lincoln didn't hold the same views as the community he lived in, he was still elected which means his community had some kind of faith in him.

Once he had served through one session, he became a leader in the legislature; he was recognized as the leader of the Whigs in the House. In his second session, he was two-faced in a way. On one side, he has been accused of logrolling which is essentially doing a favor for someone in exchange for another favor. In Lincoln's case, he was looking to make sure Springfield would be deemed capital of Illinois: "...Lincoln may have voted for and helped to put over patently bad or otherwise inadvisable measures, purely for the sake of securing the state capital for Springfield" (Wilson 163). Even if Lincoln went on to do great things, what he could have possibly done here is inadmissible. The measures Wilson talks about, but does not elaborate on, could have hurt individuals in the community they were passed for. There is nothing remotely right about what Lincoln did. On the other side of Lincoln's two faces, for the first time we see his anti-slavery views. Lincoln is seen with a colleague protesting on the house floor. The protest is described as "two lonely voices crying out in the wilderness against the evils of slavery" (Wilson 175). With Wilson's description, it is clear that although most people in Illinois were in agreement of slavery's evils, they were not going to stand up against it. Lincoln personally stood up against when others wouldn't.