Posted on 10/20/2001 10:12:17 AM PDT by mercy
It depends on what "ourselves" means. The America which is the America of the past decade or so is ended like it or not. Liberal, politically-correct, squishy America is destroyed, it may not realize it yet but that America cannot win this war. If America is to survive, it will be the former version or even something else.
This war may well end in a cave, but it won't be a cave in Afghanistan. We plan to root out every single terrorist hiding in every single cave, rabbit warren, hovel, palace, everywhere and anywhere on this earth. BTW, that includes those terrorists, and their suporters, who live amoung us.
In the aftermath of these most recent terrorist strikes, it is becoming increasingly important to identify the enemy. This is what President Bush was referring to when he indicated that we were facing a "different kind of enemy." The enemy is no longer a readily identifiable nation or set of leaders within a nation, but has spread like yeast in dough throughout the world. The enemy includes not only obvious groups of individuals, but various wrong ideas that are being exalted as ideals by "friend" and foe alike. Here's my cut at the enemies we face with regard to terrorism.
Enemies who are people:
1) Those that would engage in violence against our country and people, i.e. terrorists.
2) Those that would aid and abet those who would engage in violence against our country and people, i.e. foreign governments, wealthy idealists, family and friends of terrorists.
3) Those that would export weapons and other technologies that can be used to generate violence or support those who propagate violence against our country or people, i.e. businessmen.
4) Those that would make it easier through regulation or lack of enforcement to export weapons and other technologies that can be used to generate violence or support those who propagate violence against our country or people, i.e. business, government, security, and law enforcement agencies.
5) Those that would seek or promote diplomatic agreements for the sake of diplomacy without achieving true security for our people, i.e. various leaders or organizations both internal and external to our country including those in government, business, religion, media, etc.
6) Those that would seek or promote a judicial solution for the sake of political correctness without reasonable expectation of obtaining true justice or future security for our people, i.e. various leaders or organizations both internal and external to our country including those in government, business, religion, media, etc.
7) Those that would seek or promote peace at any cost, i.e. various leaders or organizations both internal and external to our country including those in government, business, religion, media, etc.
8) Those leaders who are not willing to accept the possibility for civilian or military casualties to exact justice on our enemies, i.e. various leaders or organizations both internal and external to our country including those in government, business, religion, media, etc.
9) Those leaders who are not willing to temporarily sacrifice some personal freedoms, rights, conveniences, or sacrifice individual people for the increased security of all, i.e. various leaders or organizations both internal and external to our country including those in government, business, religion, media, etc.
Ideological Enemies:
1) Radical Islam or any other faith or cause that promotes holy war or jihad against the US.
2) There is a judicial solution for every crime.
3) Tolerance is more important than truth.
4) All nations or people groups will play fair if given a chance.
5) All nations or people groups are capable of governing themselves.
6) The US must never occupy a country even though the indigenous people have demonstrated that they cannot govern those within their borders.
7) Innocent people must never be killed by the US military.
8) Nothing more than a measured response can be initiated against our enemies.
9) Preemptive strikes on our enemies are not appropriate.
10) The people have the right to know everything that we are doing militarily at any time.
11) The government cannot sacrifice any individuals or any individual rights for the security of the nation. (This is the scary one and hopefully only temporary)
The freedom we now enjoy hangs in the balance if we are not able to respond appropriately to these enemies. This grand experiment as an open society is going to be severely tested by these events and our response to them. God bless all of our leaders with the wisdom and discernment necessary to deal with the current crisis through thoughtful decisions. The ramifications of their decisions will be felt throughout the remainder of history.
I go back and forth on this. Yes, on the surface, it would seem so. But the greater, monumentally so, evil of geo-political PC seems more entrenched than ever. Indeed not only is it entrenched it seems supreme.
In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the next large scale terrorist attack is planned for the day it is announced bin Laden is dead.
This is the definition as I understand it. I am not making a mistake. I understand, I just don't agree with you.
Yes, we were PC to the detriment of our coutnry.
....what happened 9/11 has opened a lot of eyes & we are on a 'fixit fast track' ......maybe too little, too late.....time will tell..
But we're trying.....Fear is a great motivating factor!!...sad to say.
I don't know about your idea of a 'grand plan' but I do want to link you to .....two articles, & will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks ONG for the link :)
Yes, and just as the video "Jihad in America" along with a lot of other evidence, it is being planned out right here in the US by people living here.
Very true .... I have made note that a new generation is following behind us ... one that will have been nurtured by the Patriotism and commitment which has swept through large portions of our land since Sept. 11th ...
I do not think we will see again a monopoly of squishy liberals whose idea of patriotism is to quickly write a sappy song and then sing it under protective cover ...
Pearl Harbor was many things ... but it wasn't a wake-up call to morality and Patriotism ... most of them were awake, back then ... only now are we being re-awakened ...
By the way. Nice to see ya ISB. I like the way you think .... about 99%.
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