AMERICAN POLICYISLAM (overview) ISLAM (in America) ISLAM (fanatic) ISLAM (Christian engagement) MILITARY RESPONSES COMMUNICATION RESPONSES EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY
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It’s hard to decide whether Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are merely colossally ignorant of military history or treasonously irresponsible in their craven willingness to secure short term partisan gains at the expense of our long term national security interests. Perhaps it is some of both. That the Democratic Party is led by such mediocre and narrow minded hacks at this critical time in our nation’s history is cause for reflection on the merits of the process by which politicians ascend to positions of leadership these days. Reid tenaciously clings to the fantasy that we live in a world unchanged in forty years. He is so foolish as to believe that copying the surrender tactics deployed by the self righteous American left of the 1960's will earn him the international prestige of, say, Jane Fonda. At least Ms. Fonda was merely a private citizen when she sat on the North Vietnamese gun turrets aimed at our planes. Mr. Reid's recent ill advised declaration that "the war in Iraq is lost" was made while he enjoyed, at least temporarily, the status as the leader of the majority party of the United States Senate, one of the most important positions in our legislative branch. Reid and Pelosi live in a delusional world, one in which the military activities in Iraq over the past four years are seen as a stand alone event whose outcome is disconnected from the ongoing worldwide conflict in which we find ourselves engaged. The purpose of the military, apparently, is not to defend the national security of our country, but rather to give soldiers an opportunity to wear uniforms, appear as a show force, and, most importantly, never be put in harm's way. Clearly, a philosophy that would have served George Washington well, and led inevitably to the failure of our own war for independence more than two centuries ago. And, of course, the implementation of the Pax Pelosi-Reid in 1939 would have secured a present world ruled by some conglomeration of Naziism, Fascism, and Communism. The purpose of the exercise, we are told, is to return the troops home safely. Lacking any tactical knowledge of the situation on the ground, untrained in military matters, and oblivious to any concerns but their own bloodlust to maintain political power in 2008, Pelosi and Reid have set forward a Chamberlinian "timeline" for removal of our troops. It doesn't matter that the timeline is not tied to the accomplishment of any military objectives, is indeed only reflective of domestic political objectives. It doesn't matter that even the dullest of our enemies knows how to manipulate such artificial timelines to their own advantage. Just bide your time until the deadline passes, then swoop in unopposed and murder hundreds of thousands of civilians who oppose your particular brand of fanaticism. Reid and Pelosi simply fail to understand the nature of our enemy. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today, and several million of them--perhaps as many as a hundred million--are dedicated to the complete destruction of Western Civilization, the killing of anyone on the planet who does not convert to Islam, and the replacement of all civil governments with sh'aria--jurisprudence based on the Koran. And our enemy is dedicated, focused, and able to take advantage of all the wonders of modern technology which we have created. How will such an enemy react to the kind of withdrawal timeline that Reid and Pelosi recommend ? They will rush into Iraq, slaughter their opponents, and use it as a base from which to spread their evil doctrine. Withdrawal will do nothing but embolden our enemy, hastening the day when the battle will take place on our own shores. The fundamental, defining challenge of our generation is the threat to civilization posed by fanatic Islam. The "war" in Iraq is merely one theater of activity in the true ongoing war between the forces of reason and civilization, on one side, and the forces of evil and destruction, on the other. This war will not be won in a year or a decade. It may not be won in a century. It will not be fought in the desert sands of Iraq alone, but in every computer node and highway and airport and shopping mall in the world. Victory will not come to the West if it remains confused, divided, and directed by foolish men and women. It will require a highly focused, long term, worldwide strategy that combines effective use of strong military forces, clever use of the modern tools of worldwide communications, and savvy diplomatic and political skills. We can only hope that Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid will not last long in their present positions, because neither one has even the beginning of a clue as to the true nature of this challenge. Copyright 2007 by Michael Patrick Leahy |