Obama and the "War on Terror"

Robert Gibbs has reclaimed the term "War on Terror" for the White House. The clouds grow darker on the horizon.

The American-led military involvement in Afghanistan has never been rejected by the Obama campaign team or administration, so this is a shift in rhetoric much more than position.  Obama has referred to the elimination of Al Quaeda as "just" and necessary.  He has long been committed to raising troop levels and vowed to hunt Osama Bin Laden. Reclaiming the term (and no, press secretaries do not experience slips of the tongue) should come as no surprise. But it is telling, nonetheless.

Nor should it come as a surprise that a majority of Americans oppose intensifying military involvement in Afghanistan.  We know, as the President knows, that this is not a war, that it can't be won. Nor is it a sociopolitical question such as the resolvable conflict between Israel and Palestine. It is rather a costly, violent battle against an extremist ideology that will not go away - least of all not in the face of battle, but probably not in the face of withdrawal as well. Should the United States end military involvement in Afghanistan, the likeliest outcome will involved the Taliban reasserting power, Al Quaeda flourishing, and violent attacks in the the Middle east and in Western nations escalating.

I say no war. I say no violence. I say no American incursion of military power. But the problem I have is that when someone asks me, "so what would you do to restore peace in the world once the US stops acting violently in Afghanistan?", I don't have an answer. I believe that violence would continue. I believe it will come to England. I believe it will come to the US.  So, in order to oppose this war, in order to actively seek to end it, I need to see how ending this violence can lead to peace, because I don't believe it will.  I'm not convinced that a resolution to the Palestinean-Israeli conflict will do it, nor do I anticipate a peaceful resolution any time soon. I'm not convinced that a new Afghani of Pakistani government will do it.

Is this cynical? I honestly don't know. I started this blog to generate and sustain hope. I invite you to discuss this issue; I need to ask you for help with this question.

peace,
El Oxidado