In truth, this is an effort to address something as large in scope as the Cold War but with new, very uncertain rules.
We are fighting multiple enemies who are growing in number, spreading across the globe, and constantly re-energized. We are also fighting in a way we have never done before.Many civilians have narrowed the conflict to two areas in their minds; Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet there are issues and organizations in South America, Africa, the Philippines, and across Asia that should give us great concern.
These aren’t armies, but loose networks of terrorists and criminals. This enemy is diffused and fights for a number of intersecting reasons. Some are tied to a country, some to a religion, and some are just committed to a hatred for Western life.
There are a growing number of issues to fight over and a need for our country
to be prepared to defend itself in new ways. Beyond terrorism we are fighting a drug war in a number of areas and piracy on the seas. On the horizon are the environmental concerns and global population growth. In the coming years we are as likely to fight over fresh water as we are to fight of oil.What happens when a country suddenly damns a river that flows into a neighboring country? How does that fight play out?
Imagine if the volcano eruptions of a few weeks ago was, instead, a power grid being blown-up in a major western country.
Even our national debt comes into play, creating leverage for other countries as they become the bankers for our lifestyle.
During the Cold War, there was a sense of the “rules of engagement” between Russia and the US. We faced a single enemy. Over the years, patterns were established. There was an arena and a sense of some level of dialogue. Today, none of that seems to exist.
How do you fight with an enemy who knows no rules and is willing to die in order to kill you and anyone else he needs to?
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