If the War on Terror seems endless, that's because it is. Far from being an ongoing fact of our existence since 2001, it stretches back a century into WWI and its aftermath.
The War on Terror isn't new, it's only more global, and misnamed. The economic, cultural, and often martial clashes between Western nations - but predominantly America - and the Middle East are the legacy of a vast multi-cultural swath of territory losing its political stability and hegemon in the wake of WWI and then being briefly but horribly managed by colonial European countries. Since the end of WWII the Middle East has been America's ongoing misadventure, and we may be further than ever from finding peace and stability there.
As always, happy Wednesday and happy reading.
This Day in History
1988 - PanAm Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board as well as 11 on the ground. Two Libyans agents were ultimately charged with bombing the plane after a lengthy investigation and trial with authorities from many countries involved. There were suspicions that the attack was in retaliation for Though we think of the War on Terror as a new phenomenon, it has been even more never-ending than it seems.
Who Are Our Friends?
The Middle East is a region ostensibly full of American allies, but sometimes it is hard to determine exactly who our friends are. Many of these relationships consist of both parties using the other, with little of substance besides historical longevity behind them.
If America were looking for friends, I would - and have - recommend the Kurds. Imperfect, but of course perfect friends are very hard to find. Would investing in a Kurdish state be a plan to help foster stability in the Middle East or another prolonged American fiasco (from the NYTimes)? It may be too late to matter, but as we chart a course forward, these are the questions we must ask.
Iraq After ISIL
I just picked the title because it was catchy; Syria after ISIL would have been a better headline, but the power structure of the whole region will be shaken regardless of how the civil war in Syria ends and what ultimately becomes of the Islamic State. And not just shaken, but worse (from the Atlantic).
Without having any plan for a future after ISIL, the US is committing the same strategic mistake we made in Iraq, which is to simply have no plan at all. Whether the Kurds or someone else, a void in Syria would be even worse than ISIL, a breeding ground for something even uglier. Of course, American inaction may mean we have no say in shaping Iraq after ISIL.
The Home Front
The home front may never have been as important in winning a war as it is during the War on Terror. Mass communications, stateless actors, and global ideological bandwidth make our role as citizens very important. We must simultaneously defend our own values while extending them to others. We must be be both vigilant and tolerant, willing to act but not hyper-reactive and easily goaded. Our role in standing for and offering freedom and respect are critical to winning the ideological war at the heart of the conflict (from the Strategy Bridge).
Bullets kill bad guys, not the ideas that drive them. We can only defeat those ideas with our ideals. It is not an easy task. We must be up to it.
Anne Frank Today
I'll keep this one short and simple, because Kristof's comparison is the important read, but the headline says half of it: Anne Frank today is a Syrian girl (from the NYTimes). Read his powerful piece, because the people we aren't helping aren't today's terrorists, they're today's victims, and sadly, perhaps tomorrow's terrorists.
Bella the Belle
She's short, she's sweet, she's fluffy, she's Bella! Seen here soaking up the sun, Bella lives in Mississippi with her humans Brenda and Bub whose home she just joined recently! Although she's just getting settled into her new home, Bella is already in love with her humans, and finding a friend in her older (and MUCH bigger) sister Emma. Big thanks to Brenda for sharing Bella!
Will's Weekly Trivia
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IF you choose to answer the question, respond to staton.will@gmail.com with your answer. Please note that by competing you are giving me permission to publish your first name in the trivia leader board each week.
Last Week:
1. Which Constitutional Amendment protects the right to bear arms? ONE POINT
2. Who is the current head of the NRA? ONE POINT
3. Which famous movie star was once a spokesman for the NRA? ONE POINT
Answers:
1. The 2nd Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.
2. Wayne LaPierre is the current head of the NRA.
3. Charleston Heston was a longtime spokesman for the NRA.
This Week:
1. How many people died in the Lockerbie bombing of PanAm Flight 103? ONE POINT
2. In 1983 a US Marine base was bombed in which Middle Eastern nation? ONE POINT
3. What year were athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics Attacked? ONE POINT LEADER BOARD Check out the new Leader Board!
