How to Lose to Terrorists

American Spectator ^ | 31 July 06 | Ben Stein

[rellimpank]

We are in real serious trouble, and I'll tell you how and why I know it:

* Because the Hezbollah -- as has been well reported -- launches missiles at purely civilian targets in Israel as a matter of course, and no one in Europe or in the American left says "boo" about it. It's considered the Hezbollah's "right" to kill Israelis and when they do, they boast about it and promise to do more;

[dawn53]

Good article.

After trying to watch the news on TV yesterday (and getting tired of hearing my husband and myself yelling at the TV screen)...here's the conclusion I've come to.

There are "voices of reason" in the written media, Stein being one of them, and there are many others.

There are "voices of reason" on the radio.

However, TV, even Fox, is sorely lacking in perspective. The only person on TV who is "telling it like it is" on the WOT and the Israeli/hezbollah conflict is Glenn Beck. Apart from him, Krauthammer has good things to say, but he's only on occasionally.

I'm tuning out TV news for the most part, or else I may have to go on blood pressure meds, LOL.

[Dilbert56]

Within hours of Pearl Harbor the U.S. began unrestricted submarine warfare against the Axis. Those we the same tactics we considered inhumane earlier. In October of 2001 the American public would have supported nuking Al Qaida if we could get them in all in one place. Now we're arguing over which kind of trials they should get. Now we're arguing if the Executive branch should have to fill out an inch and half of forms before we can intercept their communications.

[The_Reader_David]

Ben's got it.

I wonder how long it will take for us collectively to get it?

Clauswitz, who thought more deeply about the nature and purpose of war than anyone since Sun Tzu, observed that in the long run total war is the most merciful.

Israel should be bombing Shi'ite neighborhoods and villages at the rate of one thousand pound bomb per Hezbollah rocket fired into Israel, and at the same time, continuing to exercise restraint when targetting Hezbollah positions in Christian neighborhoods.

[cpdiii]

The terrorists can not exist without the support of a nation state. The source of the terrorism is not Hezbolla. Hezbolla is merely the arm of the terrorist state and not the body. It is like a lizard in the desert. If you cut off an arm it will grow a new one. To defeat this terror you must kill the body that supports the arm. The body is Syria and Iran.

[Old Student]

"Backing down in a fight like this hasn't done any good in the past; yet we continue to back down thinking the results will be different."

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten, and to think otherwise is the very definition of insanity.

[Gritty]

At the end of the war we win, there is light. At the end of the war we lose, there is the end.

This cannot be said often enough.

[varyouga]

Sadly, it's going to take a major US city being vaporized for people to do something.

But then again, I thought we would wake up after 9/11. The Islamofascists brought NYC to it's knees with boxcutters. They can't be allowed to get nukes.

[expatpat]

I agree. The Anglo-Saxon countries, especially, are slow to react to danger (e.g., from Nazi Germany or Japan) but when they do react....

[rellimpank]

--every enemy that we (and Israel) have realizes that if they can hold out for a few years, the traitor wing of the Democrats will negate any efforts we make and give them victory, also--

[Convert from ECUSA]

"How to Lose to Terrorists- Force an ally into a unilateral cease fire. How to Lose to Terrorists- Allow yourself to be forced into a unilateral cease fire."

Exactly!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Ben Stein nails it - ping!

[conservativecorner]

BINGO BUMP!

[EEDUDE]

"When that fact is finally driven home by a major western city going up in smoke I think things will change."

I'm not sure they will even if this happens.

Remember that shortly after the WTC there was much wringing of hands and people asking the question, "What did we do to make them so mad?"

Many Americans simply cannot conceive of an enemy that believes that their sacred duty is to kill us.

ie. "There are no evil people in the world, they are just misunderstood"

[ichabod1]

Churchill said something about facing down an enemy before he gets so strong that you have to fight to preserve your nation, or even to fight knowing you're going to die because it's better to be free and dead than to live as a slave.

Looking at the gathering conflagration with a speck of objectivity, I'm becoming more and more convinced that politically you can not convince a free people to engage in total war on the basis of what may happen. Even though the gathering barbarism and brutality of the enemy becomes more flagrant every day, and we can see it as plainly as the nose on our faces, there are too many people who think this is just international politics as usual, to turn our ship-of-state onto a total war footing at the present time. Churchill was scorned for years until France fell and Dunkirk happened, then they wanted him "on that wall."

Simply put, things aren't bad enough yet for us to do the things that are necessary to put this down.

[WOSG]

"They rely completely upon the virtual battlefield to win against any opponent: It's a Propaganda War.

KNOWING that there *IS* a Propaganda War is the first step in defeating terrorists. KNOWING that the Propaganda War is real, and is the only chance for a victory against the US, almost, all by itself, destroys any chance of victory against the US. "

CORRECT. Well said.

[WOSG]

"Looking at the gathering conflagration with a speck of objectivity, I'm becoming more and more convinced that politically you can not convince a free people to engage in total war on the basis of what may happen. Even though the gathering barbarism and brutality of the enemy becomes more flagrant every day, and we can see it as plainly as the nose on our faces, there are too many people who think this is just international politics as usual, to turn our ship-of-state onto a total war footing at the present time. Churchill was scorned for years until France fell and Dunkirk happened, then they wanted him "on that wall." "

Let's add that Bush - the Churchill of our day - has gotten pummelled for fighting a 'pre-emtive' war where the impending threat was analyszed and now, post-facto, judged by some to be wanting (ie the "Bush lied, people died" mantra). ... By scorning just the kind of leadership that can save us from grave crises in the future, the democratic orders (and the Democrat party) has GUARANTEED the creation of grave crises in the future.

To wit: We will not fight Iran, etc. until it is too late to make it any easy fight.

[OldPossum]

Re your post #3, you and Mr. Stein see things clearly and know what has to be done.

I think that when things become so obvious to the average real American, i.e., those that live in the red states and some in the blue states, such as yourself in deep, dark California, things will get done. Many of us have had military training (though mine is 46 years old) and probably could be "whipped into shape" fairly quickly.

[sheik yerbouty]

You bet!

[Texas Songwriter]

I believe it is probable that the West (America and Israel) has already lost the war. We do not have the will to win. We want to talk. The Nazis want to kill us. We want to talk. We absolutely refuse to try to understand the reality of Jihad. 1.2 billion Muslims have been and are being inculcated with Jihad (their struggle or Mein Kamp). Not all Muslims are on the front lines, but they are controlled by those who are. We do not hear this supposed 90% speaking out loudly, or at all. Our MSM are so effeminate that they cannot stand to see the death and destruction, so they want our leadership to talk, with a predictable outcome that their own progeny will be their victims. They kick the can down the road, but we are very near the end of that road. When nuclear capibility is in the Jihadist hands, it will be too late. A city, or the nation of Israel, is the lefts' in this coutries sacrifice to their lack of resolve to first see the problem as it is and not as they would like it to be, and 2, to act with a preventative destruction of our sworn enemies. Those 2 notions, we are told, is politically incorrect.

And so, we are loosing this war. We do not love our children enough to protect them from what is to come. We do not love our way of life enough to stand up and do what is obviously necessary to win the war. We ask the best of us (our soldiers) to stand in Iraq and Israel to take the slings and arrowns as a temporary stop-gap measure. We say to them, "You die, but keep them away from our doors." We will continue our commerce and relaxation. It is too much to inform ourselves about the facists promise to us, that they will kill us and our children. Let us not think about the reality today." We have lost the war as demonstrated by the inane media commentary which lays the blame of the Lebanon front at the feet of Israel. Consider this,...Israel is to blame because they have failed to continue to suffer Hezeboalla to continue to rain Katyushas more than 1000 rockets and have finally decided to try to stop the war which has been waged against Israel. To arive at that conclusion is mind boggling. Yet, that is where the American populace is to be found. We have lost the war because we want to be left alone at the expense of a false perception of freedom. We are not free from them choosing a time and place to strike us. It is coming and it will be devastating. Our ability to concentrate on 9-11 lasted about 6 months. It will be the same when a nuclear device is detonated on our soil.

If we do not bengin to think clearly our days are numbered. Someone must win. There will not be a negotiated settlement. I have never seen such resolve as in the Jihadist. They are taking on the Americn Military and that takes stones. The are winning the war because the American Media control the majority of our population perceptions and with their efforts giving aid and comfort to the Jihadist turn our own people against our leadership. The left in this country are up front in their sympathy with our sworn enemies. We tie our militarys' hands and will not use the tools which we have to win this war. We could win decisively, but our sensibilities refuse to allow our victory, and for that we will suffer mightily. If we fail to let the American and Israeli military do their jobs, in all of its forms, and with all of its tools, we will loose this war. This is real and it is now, and it is here. Have we already already decided to loose? I ask this question in all seriousness.

[ichabod1]

"Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, and still yet if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not so costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you, and only a precarious chance for survival. - There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." Winston Churchill