20,

I'm not sure I understand you on this. If I do, then I think I disagree.

The war on drugs is a joke, absolutely, and we aren't just losing it; we've long since lost it. (Salmo's platform: if elected, I will eliminate most of the crime in this country by legalizing drugs! This of course would undermine the economic well-being of drug lords and U.S. drug enforcement, but everyone else would be better off.)

Unfortunately, the war on terror is no joke at all. It does, of course, have in common with the war on drugs the incorporation of delusion. The delusion is that you can actually declare war on something like terrorism. You can declare war on specifically identifiable people, places, and tangible things, and then blast the crap out it/them.

You can no more effectively declare war on terrorism than you can declare war on democracy. Terrorists can shoot Americans, blow up places and symbolic icons, but they cannot defeat American democracy and values. Democracy and American values are ideas and ideals, and therefore not susceptable to bullets and bombs. Terrorism is an idea/ideal to instill fear through unpredictable actions against non-military targets.

That's why I think a war on terrorism is delusional. Realistically, what we can do is identify those terrorists we are able, and then hunt them down and kill them. Our initial action in Afghanistan was pretty much on track. Bush's mis-adventure in Iraq is pretty much fubar.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.