"The war on terrorism can never be won. Nor can it ever end."

[kentuck]

http://www.counterbias.com/056.html

<snip>
The war on terrorism can never be won. Nor can it ever end. Neither result is logically possible because "terrorism" is a policy, not a tangible enemy. Hence, any war waged against it can neither have a winner nor an ending.

<snip>
Such a war cannot end because "terrorism" is a policy, a concept of the mind and not a physical entity. It cannot ever be defeated--at least not in any traditional sense--nor can any war fought against it ever be won. And a war that cannot be won is a war that cannot end. Regrettably, this would give Bush justification to keep prisoners taken in this war for as long as he chooses. And allow him to watch casualties mount until 800+ seems a mere pittance and yet never attend a military funeral.

The simple question remains: if we cannot fight a war against a policy, is there anything we can do? Speaking in terms more idealistic than realistic, all we can do is kill people who believe in that policy and who subsequently practice it. But unless we have some incredible power to catch them in the act, or to find and identify all of them after they have acted, we will never know for certain who and how many to kill. Thus, we will never be sure whether we have made any progress nor will we ever know when the "war on terrorism" might end.

<snip>
Consequently, the Bush administration needed to come up with a believable rationale for invading Iraq; they had to convincingly explain how and why such a war served America's vital interests. To accomplish this task, they had a choice: either the Bush administration could build a legitimate case, cite valid justifications, and specify truthful reasons. Or they could do something far less savory--deceive, dissemble, dissimulate and, whenever necessary, flat-out lie. Unfortunately, they chose the latter option.

...more

[mstrsplinter326]

1. Moore has a whole chapter

in White men about that whole idea.

[Q]

2. The wet dream of every fascist government...

...perpetual war.

[Eloriel]

10. We have always been at war with Oceana n/t

[ewagner]

3. I was surpirsed last night

when Aaron Brown and CNN addressed this very question. It was in the context of the new book by "Anonymous" who claims that we have essentially swallowed the kool-aid (my characterization) of "they hate us for our freedoms" instead of doing any kind of thoughtful analysis of the causes and sources of terrorism. (the policy)

Maybe the adults are starting to speak up.

[JETS]

4. To all the Freepers, RW talk show hosts, and representatives of both

major parties who says we will win the war on terror I ask thee:

What specifically has to occur before the United States can claim a victory on the "War on Terror?"

My reponse to people I pose this question after their mouths are agape is always: You mean to tell me that you claim we can win a war that we cannot even define the terms of victory?

[zbdent]

6. Only if the rest of the world is left as radioactive dust

and the liberals of America are executed as traitors.

Of course, then, who would fight off the giant Eurasian cockroaches that swim across the Atlantic and Pacific? The Republicans would be scrambling for their lives, and the NRA would be shooting at all the pissedpants "conservatives" trying to get into their bomb shelters.

[chookie]

7. How can we tell "resolve" from a "tarpit"?

When there are continuous episodes of attacks upon US trrops, and dozens die, we are told this is a good thing, because they are "drawing out" the terrorists, and also tying them up in Iraq, so they can't attack Americans on American soil. This is what George Bush means when he says in his ads that he is "an optimist." How quaint.

He has led a mighty army into a battlezone where they face not a uniformed army of a powerful state, but lightning fast lethal strikes from a shadowy, always shifting highly mobile enemy. The war in Iraq has turned into The Mother of All Turkey Shoots. Americans, and innocent Iraqis, are mortally "plinked" off daily. Our mighty army can only strike back forcefully blindly -- and they usually just end up killing innocent people -- bad enough in itself, but also bad in that the true perps always seem to manage to escape.

As good people on both sides die so needlessly, all His Chimperial Highness can say is that the intent of the "evil-doers" is to weaken our "resolve" -- and that we must not leave, or they will have won.

How will we be able to tell the difference from needing to stay to complete operations from being stuck in a hopeless quagmire? It really is not clear -- nor is it meant to be. We are like a mastadon in a tarpit, being pecked to death by birds of prey -- we are hopelessly STUCK, hemorraging daily -- yet His Chimperial Highness chooses to call it "resolve"?

[billybob537]

5. The major complaint

the terrorists have is we are over there. We occupy thier countries and exploit thier people. We manipulate thier governments and coerce thier laws and customs. When we leave these countries alone, to rule themselves without our meddling the major reason for terrorism will be gone. The smaller issues should easily be handeled by diplomacy. IMHO the war on terror is winnable, but not with the current mindset.

[Malva Zebrina]

8. I have never ceased to be amazed at how more than fifty percent

or even more, of the people of thius country could actually buy that.

I have come to the conclusion that they have never been educated and have never been capable of reading comprhension becasue they have bought this shit from Bush without question. Because they are so ignorant as to not be able to think this through, they have sent with their cheers, and with their ignorant consent, more than 850 of our young to die for this impossiblity and for the big lie and others than come out of the White House.

[hippiegranny]

9. or as jon stewart so aptly put it:

"We declared war on terror. We declared war on terror-it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui."
from his commencement address -http://www.stupidgit.com/politics/index.htm