On the War on Terror...

I believe in the justness of the War on Terror, and am proud of the righteous anger with which we prosecute it. But I believe the War on Terror is a misnomer. We are involved in a conflict not with an ideology, but with men who live to create an ideal, men who are more honest with themselves in describing the nature of this conflict, and possess a clearer understanding of the duality of the war than we seem to. Both in its global scope, and the breadth of the nations involved, the enemy is more truthful in describing the war, in that they call it World War Three.

This is truly World War III, for their goal is not the expulsion of an enemy from their lands, though the Old Media may play it that way. Their goal is the subjugation of all cultures not their own.

This is truly World War III, for their enemy is not a single nation, as some claim, blaming the actions of terrorists upon America, but all nations that do not ascribe to their philosophy.

This is truly World War III, for their aim is not the freedom of their people, but the oppression of all people, as they seek to enforce the laws of their theocratic beliefs upon everyone, and refuse to tolerate any diversion from them.

I believe in the justness of the War on Terror, but it is not just a war on Terror, it is a war upon all those who would see such terror succeed. To us has fallen the task of preserving freedom from those who would see it abated, of defending a way of life immeasurably more tolerant, more prosperous, more inclusive, more understanding, and more compassionate than any in the history of man, against the least tolerant, least prosperous, least inclusive, least understanding, and least compassionate ideology in the history of man.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood clearly what the nature of war was, and his words ring true to our conflict today...

"We are fighting today for security, for progress and for peace, not only for ourselves, but for all men, not only for one generation but for all generations. We are fighting to cleanse the world of ancient evils, ancient ills. We are fighting as our fathers have fought, to uphold the doctrine that all men are equal in the sight of God." - January 6, 1942

"Together with other free peoples, we are now fighting to maintain our right to live among our world neighbors in freedom and in common decency, without fear of assault." - December 9, 1941

"Free men are fighting desperately--and dying--to preserve the liberties and the decencies of modern civilization." - July 4, 1942

"We are fighting to free the people of this earth from...the most ruthless, the most savage enemy the world has ever seen. We are dedicating all that we have and all that we are to the combat. We will not stop this side of victory." - May 9, 1943

It is unfortunate that those recently elected into the halls of government show so little understanding of our current conflict, and so great a penchant to "stop this side of victory."