First of all, ‘Terrorism’ has been around for a long time. It didn’t start on 9/11. Hell John Brown used it in the 1850’s to influence the national debate about slavery. It was popularized as an international tool, at the ‘72 Olympics where the Israeli athletes were slaughtered. Since then Terror attacks have been seemingly endless and occurred in most countries. It hasn’t singled out a specific religion or nation but has been perpetrated against Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Hindus. Terrorism has been used from Saudi Arabia to India, From Japan to Russia, and from Europe to America. It is not used by a single group either. Al Qaeda is merely the latest manifestation and the name is now more generic than a real organization. The war in Afghanistan was as much about eliminating the breeding ground as it was about eliminating the infestation.
So who are we talking about when we say they’ve won. All terrorists, Al Qaeda, Hamas? There are 41 terrorist organizations I know of. Did they all win? Did any of them win? If we get Osama, is that the ‘Brass Ring’? Terrorism dies with him? A bit ridiculous, don’t ya think?
Our actions to combat terrorism are merely taking the new state of the world realistically. When I was a kid, Halloween was a big deal. Kids would go out by themselves, door to door getting candy. No one even thought there was a problem or a danger. Then razor blades and poison began showing up in the candy. Now no kid goes alone and only for a very short time. The holiday has been marginalized. Does that mean the perverts and psychopaths won. Or does it merely mean we have to take into account the new reality.
Terrorism is neither a Democratic nor Republican thing. We may not totally agree on the best tactics to combat it but ignore it at you own peril.