“Our enemies are peaceful when they’re weak, are ruthless when they’re strong, demand mercy when they’re losing, show no mercy when they’re winning. … This is a total war.” – Newt Gingrich
© 2008 Michael Swickard, Ph.D.
The American peace movement is gaining strength in our country. I do not question the sincerity of their beliefs. But in the name of peace they are fueling the next global war.
Winston Churchill wrote of the 1930s peace movement, “…the zealous advocacy of peace led to war, not peace. Never was there a war so easy to stop that was not stopped.”
When Adolf Hitler was weak and without resources, the free world diddled the time away in endless debates about peace. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain allowed Hitler to become strong, resulting in at least 100 million deaths during World War II.
We are making the same mistake today. My friend Charlie Revie, LTC, Ret., ends his e-mail, “
I grew up in a military family. There were certain “givens” to my parent’s philosophy of life. One was that the military was good and necessary. I have always embraced that notion.
Our nation has an all-volunteer military, a testament to our citizens that they would voluntarily put their lives in danger to protect all of us. Sadly, at a time when
Women carry peace signs without realizing that our enemies would especially enslave them. In the countries of our enemies, women have no standing other than as brood mares. Ask the women of
Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
Churchill’s mantra was, “Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
A question of ‘when’
That is what is now on the table. Our enemies become stronger every day as we diddle with the talk of “Give peace a chance.” It is not a question of “if,” it is a question of “when” will one or more of our cities goes up in a nuclear explosion. What will we do about it?
Which parents are going to send their loved ones to war that we all may have freedom? Or will parents say they cannot do it? Weakness quickly brings war to our doorsteps. Cowards never remain free.
Our enemies are three: actual individuals who fight us, groups that fund the conflict and countries that provide the training and logistical support for our enemies. The money and logistical support must end if we are to win this conflict or we invite our destruction, if not today then some months, years or decades in the future.
When people have confronted this issue in the last couple of years they have been attacked both verbally and physically. An example is Theo van Gogh, the Dutch movie producer killed by a Muslim extremist. It sent a message to
I know the feeling. If no one has ever shot at you with deadly intent, you do not understand. Those of us who have been shot at know that to run just makes it worse.
Terrorists are not reasonable
People write personal jabs and witless rantings in newspapers because they oppose my ideas. It does not change my mind. Churchill said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
People can close their eyes, but the danger remains. Maybe it is too late to stop our fall as a nation. The politicians are more interested in winning the next election than saving the nation. Each may secretly wonder how history will treat them. Will they become the new Neville Chamberlain?
I wish that the peaceful, non-violent resistance ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi would work with terrorists. But terrorists are not reasonable. You must submit to their will or resist successfully by force of arms.
Robert A. Heinlein wrote in his 1959 novel, Starship Troopers, “Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. People that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and freedoms.”
Peace at any price never leads to peace. Who will keep us safe? It is our military. They will do so only if we value their sacrifice and allow them to recruit the next generation of defenders.
This war will end when our foes are vanquished or when we are vanquished by our foes.
Swickard is a weekly columnist for this site. You can reach him at michael@swickard.com.