The point is, regardless of whatever we term "success" in our external foreign battles against terrorism, terrorists, leaders, or pseudo-leaders, that is no longer a battle that will have an "end", in the WWII sense. There is an unlimited supply of bad guys with benefits to be gained from attacking us, either directly, or as agents of others, or even for financial gain due to oil prices or the fluctuation in the stock market (as we have seen). No one inside or outside the military in their wildest dreams expects to get rid of all the bad guys. It doesn't take but a dozen bad guys to create citywide or national havoc.
Our only security will be won with carefully thought-out and thorough civil defense here on our homeland. To do that while maintaining our liberties, expansive economy, and what we might call "the American Dream", is now our challenge. There is no doubt we can do it. The trick is not to allow our resources to get sucked into brushwar battles everywhere.
A call to arms is intoxicating. I am personally sick of our politicians and media being manipulated into calls to arms everywhere in the world, for the benefit of others, to our detriment, and the death of our citizens.
What I am suggesting is that (a) yes we kill the bad guys (altho' it is better to do the much more difficult thing of capturing and interrogating them), and (b) only when they attack us. Let them attack each other -- without our support. |
