Agreed, but neither WWII nor Hanson's other favorite war, the Pelopenesian conflict, will provide signifcantly informative references. If we keep cramming Bin Laden and his cohorts into the WWII box, we're fighting the last war. Sounds like a self-defeating project to me.
I know what you mean about a self-defeating project. This is unprecedented in what we fondly call "modern history" but does have more in common, say, with exported "guerrilla war" of the kind that eventually killed the late unlamented Che Guevara, courtesy of Castro and the Cuban Revolution. This enemy does not represent an organized, sovereign nation-state, wears no recognizable uniforms, does everything surreptitiously,loves to kill innocent non-combatants, and does not offer therefore the possibilities of any formal surrender. So we are left back at square one---you will remember that when the WOT was officially launched, the Administration already had its ducks in a row and told us (unfortunately for the first and last time) just how long this could take, and on how many different fronts it would have to be fought, and how there might be small and large successes, but somehow, never a decisive defeat. I have to admit that I simply can't wrap my mind around this, and I think our war policies whether the Bush administration wants to admit it or not, do have a structure, but are a lot more improvised, flexible and spontaneous than they let on. We are in the dark historically. I also have to admit that we could be nudged into a very difficult period where the only way out would be to accept the fact that only massive carnage on an unprecedented level would have an effect. I simply can't see the USA allowing itself to be bullied and intimidated indefinetely. One step I would urge is that ALL Western nations would ACT NOW , assess their situations realistically, (as Australia has done) and begin wholesale deportations of their troublesome Islamic populations, INCLUDING AND PRIMARILY the sleek Advance Men like CAIR and all those "Islamic Councils" frontgroups that are all over Europe and the rest of the world.
Oh and BTW, are you on that kevinjjones.blogspot thing in your tagline, or do you run it.?I went to it but couldn;t identify what was what.