War on Terror

I've read and listened to very many discussions about our current "War on Terror." Most seem to revolve around the question of whether Iraq should be included under the umbrella - which is to me not the right question.

The proper question has to be "Are we fighting a war against a defined foe, or are we fighting against a tactic of war."

If we are fighting against a tactic, or the idea behind the tactic, we have already lost. By waging "war" against the idea/tactic we are spreading it. We are increasing the numbers of people who know about it, and at the same time increasing the number of people who decide that the use of the tactic is appropriate.

Even more, the tactic is intended to produce an emotion {Terrorism is supposed to produce terror in one's opponent's}. War, in and of itself, does nothing to end but much to promote exactly the emotion Terrorists intend to instill.

Because our actions defeat our purpose, we will either never finish or we will lose this war.

The best course of action for us right now is to "Frame" the debate, in the style described by Kevin Drum, as being a war against Al Qaida, or Iraq, or any one specific. There is no other way to either win or end this war.