Waging War in a Post-Modern World

Over at the Belmont Club, Wretchard has a post,The Belmont Club: Pedicaris Alive or Raisuli Dead discussing the Left's use of the "torture" calumny as regards the recent killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

In our 21st century post-modern society there is a large segment of anti-American, anti-capitalist thinkers. Most of Europe, Canada and a sizable minority of Americans think this way. The conundrum is how to wage war against a threatening enemy in spite of the "loyal" opposition. Had the Islamic fundamentalists been more successful in their barbaric atrocities post 9/11, the task would be less encumbered by the relativistic "thinkers."

Pierre Legrand's insight into the WWII survival mentality in the face of an unknown outcome is excellent but I would liken our current situation to that of our country prior to Pearl Harbor. For too many, 9/11 was not the wake-up call and I fear that nothing short of a truly devastating nuclear attack will silence the left. Others have said that not even such a disaster would quiet the looney left. Nothing mobilises the warrior instinct like the sound of women wailing over their dead children. 9/11 awakened many people who previously were blissfully unaware of the gathering threat. Succeeding disasters will convert even more but mostly likely nothing short of a nuclear strike will unite America as it was after Pearl Harbor.

Until the worst comes, we will be ham-strung by our secular, moral relativists whose morality is based on the false religion of humanism which never fails to disappoint it's adherents.

The left displays their true character whenever they raise the issue of torture. We can debate them, we can ignore them, but we must not appease them. The issue of torture is a tar-baby which we must avoid and so far, the Bush administration has handled the issue well. We must not hand our critics the rope of an International Criminal Court or expanded UN powers or in any way relinquish soverignty to a foreign power. To do so, would not only tie our hands in the terror war but would also ultimately be used as a noose around our necks.