Why we can't win the War on Terror

We have no hope of winning the war on terror. Why? Because right now, this country is engaged in a war against itself. So far, it's a non-shooting war, but it's a cold war, nonetheless. Unless this internal war can come to a peaceful truce, we have no hope of actually defeating terrorism (which I do believe is a true threat in this world).

What is causing this war? The same things that cause all internal struggles within countries and regions. Power and religion. Based on Pat Robertson's statements this week, and the lack of condemnation, it's obvious that the religious right has no respect or interest in co-existing for those who think differently. O'Reilly's wish of a terrorist attack on a major US city because they wouldn't vote the way he wanted shows that the right wants total power over the citizenry.

While these are outrageous beyond the extreme, I read, watch and listen enough to know that there are those on the other side of the spectrum that also show an intolerance for those who think or believe differently. It isn't a matter of "but they did/said it first" or "what they say is worse than anything our side says". It's a matter that there are such deeply divided sides at this point that this entire country is in a deadlock.

People refuse to watch certain shows/stations, refuse to listen to certain music, refuse to entertain any exchange of ideas that deviate from whatever their closely held beliefs are. And this concerns me for what the future is for this country.

We cannot continue to exist this way. In no way am I advocating that we roll over and let the right have their way, for the sake of ending this cold war. We did that after 9/11 and look what it has gotten us - limits on our Constitutional rights, discrimination against religions, and bigger power grabs by the right. I don't have an answer...maybe this internal cold war is what has to happen until some group is able to step up and obtain a mandate of the vast majority in this country. I just know that things are going from bad to worse, and it's been heading this way for the past decade.

As long as this continues, there is no way to work together, either as one country or in conjunction with allies, to wage a war on the evil of terrorism.

by buying into the pack of lies it's based on and calling it a war and assuming it can be won.

But it's not a lie that there are those such as Osama or Tim McVeigh or others who are now using deadly technology to do harm to vast numbers of people they don't agree with. A "war on terror" doesn't even have to be a shooting war. You can fight with words or ideas.

I just know that in order to at least protect ourselves we will have to work together. And at this point, this country can't.

but the whole ball of wax. I knew I should have elaborated on what I said; I just didn't feel like writing an essay. What I was trying to say is don't jump on this bandwagon that ignores the causes of terrorism and takes no responsibility for the past actions that have created it and really just creates more terrorists and perpetuates the war machine. Don't call it a war. I wouldn't even be comfortable using the phrase defeat terrorism. The actions that create terrorism and the thinking that leads to those actions are what needs to be defeated. And even then there would still be terrorists.

Remember the war on drugs?

How'd that turn out?

(Inhales)

But no one in those "wars" actually wants to do massive injury to those that disagree with them. The goal of the so-called "enemy" in those "wars" isn't death and destruction, it's profit.

The difficulty I have is I believe that the Straussian Neo-Cons need the WOT to continue. I hope somewhere in the GOP there is a leader that will emerge that has some common sense, one of integrity who is able to bridge the great chasm of distrust that the NeoCons and BushCo sow and then exploit effectively. Unfortunately it may be a long wait before such a person arrives.

an idea, it's not a tangible entity like an army or a country, the whole concept is an advertizing ploy.