What! ... not won? ... but there was a Mission Accomplished sign!
Of course Bush is right [this time], there is no way you can win a 'war on terror' .... terror has always been with us, most if not all human struggles that came to violence have included elements of terror .... twenty years ago terrorists were raising funds in the bars of Boston, for the blowing up of brits who were often women and children, and in more than a few cases, ahem, irish ...... those old testament stories of 'leave not one stone upon another', well that was after they slew all the people, which is terror for sure .... lots and lots of examples throughout history, in every war and outside of war as well - thinking of the Unabomber and McVeigh here
But 'Terror' is not an address, it doesn't have borders you can invade across ..... you don't know where the terrorists are, until you do good comprehensive police work to find out ..... it's not 'war', it's crimefighting, police work, possibly major police actions using military when appropriate, but still police work by nature
Calling it 'war' elevates murdering thugs to the status of warriors
Calling it 'war' will worry your natural allies, who will wonder what else you're going to slip into the 'war effort', especially after they hear you call yourself a 'war president'
Taking those towers down was a crime, plain and simple .... a large impressive crime, big enough and dramatic enough to get an extremely harsh reaction, but still a crime ..... multiple charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder - going into Afghanistan in hot pursuit of conspirators was valid police work, as eighty nations lost citizens that day, they've all got laws against murder on their books, that's eighty nations with probable cause up the ying yang
There were other points in re 'war'/crime terminology, i typed a bunch out elsewhere months ago, disremember them now
You and chuck both on my little backwater foreign fling thread, hmmm .... well one thing i know of you AS, is you promote this Kerry chap - next time you're talking to him, could you please mention for me that he just about had me tossing my cookies with that 'Reporting for duty' line ...... tell him it was great that he helped end the fantastically stupid war in Vietnam, but it was a long time ago, and if he looks around he'll find more pressing issues than that .... tia .... cheers |
