Mar. 23, 2004 - 18:22 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Right War

I think that often "catch phrases" get me to thinking about things the wrong way. Such as the media calling a U.S. appointed goverment official a "czar" of whatever. What the heck does that imply ? Why can't it be referred to in a civilized manner ?

There is an article in the Rocky Mountain News this morning by Diana West of the Washington Times that seems to go in the direction I think.

"It's a war against jihad"

"Something needs to be made very clear: The war we wage, the United States and its coalition of friends, now Spain-less, is not a war on terrorism. terror is an emotion. Like blitzkrieg, siege or ambush, terrorism is a tactic."

"The war we wage, the United States and its coalition of friends, is a war on Islamic jihad -- the spread of Islam by violent means -- and we wage it against Islamic jihadists who dream of death and destruction in their religion's name."

"Maybe the conclusion to be drawn is too horrifying: namely, that in warding off jihadist aggression, we combat an ideology born of a religion. In the formerly Judeo-Christian, currently relativist-hedonist West, such a thought triggers near panic: How can religious worship, pure and un-hijacked, inspire anything but goodwill among men ? And aren't terrorist attacks opposed by all but a statistically invisible Islamic fringe ?"

"Perhaps it's better to wonder how invisible a fringe is when a recent poll commissioned by The Guardian newspaper claims that more than 1 in 10 British Muslims (over 160,000 people) believe al-Qaida attacks on the United States are justified."

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So, how much of this is media hype ? How much came from the government ? For instance "operation freedom Iraq" who coined that one ? Of course now, 9-11 does not mean an emergency phone call but the people demolished in Twin Towers. Now I suppose 3-11 will become a catch phrase - hopefully not involving the U.S. in another war of slogans.

It just makes me wish that governments, media and people would call a spade a spade instead of "a wooden handle attached to a curved, pointed metal blade for use in moving ground material." Or coming up with some distracting, meaningless word that distorts the actuality of things.

I am not a historian, but I remember reading about all the holy wars fought through the ages where each side prayed to their god for victory, are we fated once again to re-learn what we should have grasped before ? I think when Israel after World War Two became an actuality, the jihad began. Other countries in the area made the claim that Israel would be wiped off the face of the earth, and they tried -- and are still trying. I guess what I am saying, if we are going to fight, fight the Right War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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