Scorched Earth Culture War
Vodkapundit says, they don't know us very well, do they?
Of course, his battle plan requires Hollywood to join the Coalition of the Willing, so it's a serious long shot. But still.
This just in: The Eurabians are up for it. They've already opened fire.
I never wanted this Terror War to escalate into Samuel Huntington's "clash of civilizations." The way I figured it, going into Iraq was our one best chance to give someplace in the Arab World their one best chance to produce a civil society. And I mean "civil society" in a Western way. I mean it with an almost-jingoist, Anglospherical fervor. I mean, they need to learn to fight words with words and not with firebombs. I didn't expect results overnight, but it's obvious that we (and they) have a long, long way to go.
If the Arab World's only effective means of fighting us is to threaten our authors and cartoonists, then it's obvious that we're already in a culture war. They can't win a stand-up fight with our military, but they'll for sure shoot back at our stand-up comics.
They want a culture war? Fine. Let's give them one.
Forget the "Revolution in Military Affairs," and "4GW," and "AirLand Battle" and all those other Pentagon catchphrases. We're good at that stuff, sure. All those fancy doctrines and expensive weapons have helped us win some fine, conventional wars. But we're even better at waging culture wars.
That's because we've got more practice. If you have some free time some weekday afternoon, take a look at what goes on outside a Planned Parenthood clinic when Operation Rescue is there. Hollywood hangs left, talk radio tilts right, and each is expert at making the other look bad. Remember the civil rights movement? Remember the Republican Revolution (even if the Republicans don't)? Left and right, Americans know how to wage a culture war.
It seems we're in one. And as in any war, we can't afford to remain passive. Sun Tzu wrote that when your enemy is angry, annoy him. Is there any doubt the Arab Street is at long last really angry? Then it's time for us to wage an Offensive Offensive. If they're angry, let's really piss them off. Let's show the Arab Street that in a war between our attitude and theirs, we're the Fonz and they're Ralph.
Of course, his battle plan requires Hollywood to join the Coalition of the Willing, so it's a serious long shot. But still.
This just in: The Eurabians are up for it. They've already opened fire.
