A Necessary War

Ken Burns has produced another monolithic historical series being aired on PBS stations. The WAR is a story about the Second World War told through the “personal accounts of men and women from four American towns.” The first episode of the series is entitled “A Necessary War.”

I am all for remembering and honoring the great struggles and sacrifices of World War II veterans and families. What confuses me is that the same politicians, entertainers, and media personalities who rush to honor the legacies of sacrifice and courage among World War II veterans turn around and vehemently protest American involvement in war now. What makes the Second World War “a necessary war” and today’s global war on terror (GWOT) an illegal?

I submit that American prosecution of the GWOT is more necessary than WWII. From the vantage of historical hindsight, it is doubtful that any of the Axis powers could have sustained any credible military operations on American territory. Today, however, the combination of weapons and tactics provides the enemy with plenty of capability to inflict enormous damage within American territory. A few box cutters and commercial airliners filled the bill in 2001. The deadly, dangerous fanaticism of the current enemy exceeds even that of the WWII Japanese Imperial Army and their military code of Bushido.

Yet, today, the same personalities who stumble over one another to salute the necessity of WWII likewise stumble over themselves to be at the front of today’s anti-war parades. What do they do with the historical reality that every one of their points of protest against today’s involvement in armed conflict occurred during the war they honor? There were times in combat when surrendering enemies were killed both unintentionally and intentionally. Non-combatant civilians of allied and enemy nations died from artillery barrages and bombing sorties. Nations were invaded even though they were not Axis powers. Specific civil liberties were curtailed at home, and citizens’ activities were subject to monitoring by various federal and state agencies. The President of the United States of America and other political leaders invoked the name of God and encouraged Americans to pray and worship repeatedly during the war.

In WWII, these realities are honored as necessary. In the GWOT, the same realities are protested as illegal. Even though I agree that every survivor of WWII, both military and civilian, deserve the honor they receive, it appears to me that those who honor the past conflict and revile the present conflict are not genuine in their intention. They are either outright dishonest or incredibly ignorant. If they were somehow translated back in time to the 1930s and 1940s, these same politicians, entertainers, and media personalities of the American left would attempt to obstruct the successful prosecution of war against the Axis powers and lead America to defeat just as they are doing with the GWOT today. Those who would call the Second World War “a necessary war” yet disparage the Global War on Terror today as illegal do not demonstrate their patriotism; instead, they expose their hypocrisy.

(Photos: Left, American troops land on Saipan. Right, American troops in combat, Iraqi Freedom)

No More False Pretense

During the week that many Americans remembered the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and General Petraeus provided his report of the progress in Iraq to Congress, the left found real reason to celebrate. They dropped what little pretense they had remaining about “supporting the troops.” Moveon.org placed a full page ad in the New York Times that accused the four star general of betrayal.

www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/091rhesh.asp

Liberals no longer have to live the lie that they “support the troops.” They never have, and they never will. Oh, there may have been some who made an honest effort or actually mistook their leadership’s false façade for sincerity, but “supporting the troops” and “supporting America” have never been who liberals are. It is not part of their nature. In fact, it is antithetical to their nature. Their ideology does not support the foundational ideologies of America. Their ideology does not support a strong national defense of America.

At least they can now be honest in this area. They no longer have to wallow in their pitiful attempt to pretend that they “support the troops” – at least, not American troops. Of course, they can still openly express support for all the “freedom fighters” and tyrants seeking to harm American citizens. Only in the land of left-believe are terrorists the good guys. My tip of the hat goes to all those liberals who can now take a sigh of relief and make an honest return once again to their loathing condemnation of American heritage, ideology, and patriotism.

How do you anger a conservative? Tell her a lie.
How do you anger a liberal? Tell him the truth.

Six Years

I bet this will come as a surprise to most Americans: “I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time. All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol, singing ‘God Bless America.’” President George W. Bush, addressing the nation and a joint session of Congress from the United States Capitol nine days after 9/11/2001 also declared, “My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the state of our Union -- and it is strong.”
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html)

Those were heady days as we Americans pulled ourselves out of the devastation of an unprovoked attack, dealt with our losses, and vowed that we would never capitulate to tyrannical and maniacal terrorism. “United we stand” and “God bless America” sentiments plastered billboards, buildings, and airwaves. Like troubled times before when those some call the greatest generation faced a dark, uncertain future, Americans stood with steeled resolve that freedom would prevail.

Six years later, the time of unity and resolve I recapture here sound like a vaporous myth. If not for documented evidence that it actually did exist, I would be accused of substituting fantasy for fact. Who led us on this descent into disunity and discord?

After the initial emotional surge subsided, it was not long before the aclu resumed its objective to remove the expression of the Judeo-Christian faith from the public forum. Indeed, they had new targets to aim for since those terrible “God bless America” banners could certainly not be displayed in public schools and government buildings. As soon as it became apparent that rhetoric against the Taliban in Afghanistan would be backed up with action, anti-war protests popped up with the usual lineup of goofballs and wingnuts: some who paraded in the nude, some who set up their pro-socialist & pro-communist booths, some who burned the American flag, and some who demonized the President as the leader of a Nazi regime. Prominently displayed in this cacophony of disunity and anarchy were the signs of the protest organizers and monitors: moveon.org. These are the people and organizations that choose disunity over unity and chaos over faith. These are the people and organizations that choose to remember each 9/11 anniversary with assaults on every American attempt to defeat the enemies that so treacherously attacked us. These are the people and organizations that choose to act offended when they are accused of a lack of patriotism.

Six years ago, about 3,000 of our fellow American citizens died in a horrible, unprovoked attack by al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization pledged to impose the rule of Islam upon the world. This is just one of several terrorist organizations that believe that every infidel (non-Muslim) is a legitimate combatant target. This is a tough fight, folks. The disunity and chaos of the left will not win it. On this sixth anniversary of 9/11, I honor the day by revisiting the resolve that has seen us through before. United we stand! God bless America!