The Washington Outsider


War On Terrorism is needed

Previously published January 16, 2008
 

The war in Iraq has been raging on for half a decade now and, though it militarily has seen its ups and downs, the country remains politically disjointed with an amorphous mass of politicians unsteadily and reluctantly taking baby steps away from the nurturing support of the Bush administration; one way or another, we will see an end to major combat missions in the near future. On the other hand, there is the forgotten war effort in Afghanistan that has begun to falter and, in Pakistan, the sentinel state that minds Bid Laden and Al Qaeda for us while we battle the appendages of the terrorist network that attacked our nation elsewhere, we are watching a "democracy" degrade into a state of unrest with somewhere around 60 nuclear warheads at stake.

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, our nation declared war on terrorism, thus, the War on Terror began. I have never been a fan of George W. Bush nor have I been a fan of this War on Terror; however, I do see the need for a war on terrorism that must equally involve the participation of the entire world not only in military action but, primarily, in political, social, and humanitarian action. My fear is that with the inevitable end of the major American combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, our nation will no longer be in a war on terrorism. Furthermore, with our allies reluctant to support our goals, future actions against terrorism will be weak; thus, there will be no true answer to the threat of global terrorism whether it comes from stateless terrorist groups or governments that engage in state sponsored terrorism. I am certain there will continue to be wars in nations like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but there will be no unified world campaign against terrorism.

After September 11th, America invaded Afghanistan because the Taliban were defiantly harboring Osama Bin Laden, along with suppressing their own people; however, in many respects, this was a spasm of revenge which happened to send a message to terrorists around the world that the US is willing to defend itself. Furthermore, it united the world around us. Because its leaders engaged in state sponsored terrorism and it could have been a quick win, the next stop in the War on Terror was Iraq; the Bush administration, of course, felt the need to supposedly justify this invasion with the claim that Saddam's threat of using weapons of mass destruction on American was a valid concern.

Frankly, in the wake of September 11th, we were not a clear headed nation that did act impulsively; however, we also created an opportunity to make the world a better place, to take on the noble case of ending terrorism around the world. What went wrong, I believe, is that we never fully questioned why we were against terrorism, and thus, we never truly committed to a war on terrorism; in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, our nation, and largely the world, zealously vowed to rid the world of terrorism but as the adrenaline faded and the failures of impulsive, underdeveloped adventures came to light, we discovered, many people had little substance to their pledges, aside from anger.

Furthermore, if we assume everyone is against terrorism simply because it is bad and it hurt us, all we manage to do is polarize those who sympathize with terrorist causes toward the terrorists and lead people who are against terrorist groups to over generalize and discriminate against those who are not terrorists but have similar beliefs or support the same causes in nonviolent ways. It is wise to remember that Britain would have claimed rebel American colonists were terrorists and though we consider Israel an ally, many groups view their government as engaging in state sponsored terrorism. Not understanding what you are fighting against only manages to polarize groups; thus, we spread ignorant misconceptions, further disenfranchise a group, drive people who sympathize with terrorists to become terrorists, and strengthen the conflict.

It is important to understand why you are against terrorism so we are able to define the term to the world. Many politicians, American or not, do not like defining terms like terrorist because they fear it limits their ability to engage possible threats against their nation; however, we work in a world context now and, as Iraq demonstrates, our nation needs allies. Frankly, even if we did not need ally support, only fools would exhaust and weaken military resources fighting a prolonged, expensive battle alone while the world grows stronger around us. If we want the world's support, we need to clearly define terrorism and produce an argument that allows an enduring, substantial campaign against worldwide terrorism, instead of an expensive, short burst of fervor that sizzles out with broken nations left to become the seed for the next generation of terrorists. Frankly, the world needs a war on terrorism but for one to be maintained, we need to know what we are fighting against.

For years we supported the Al Qaeda network against the Soviet Union; however, Russia later became a close ally and, as it turns out, our past partnerships of conveyance ended up being poor arrangements for all sides. In the short term, supporting terrorists against an enemy is useful, but overall, it can be quite detrimental. We live in a time when the world is learning that supporting the fickleness of the United States is an unwise strategy, and so, more and more, we must be far more committed to our struggles and far more convincing in our strategies, so that, the world will support us.

Why am I against terrorism? I am against terrorism because terrorists do not simply target government or social hierarchies that they perceive disenfranchise their group, they target society as a whole and enact change through the indiscriminate murder of relatively innocent civilians and they use that fear to drive change, or in the case of an established ruling body, they use fear to hold onto illegitimate rule of a people. I am against terrorism because it destabilizes society and hurts any chance of positive change, but my greatest fear is that because of the failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have lost a golden opportunity to unite and make the world a safer place for all of mankind.


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        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
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      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
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        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
      • Was the California Supreme Court Right in Legalizing Gay Marriage?
      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
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        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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