SwiftVets.com

[LewWaters]

If We Don't Fight Them There

Being stated as a “new slogan” in support of the War on Terror, the above seems more like a simple truth to me. While President Bush used it in his speech to the American Legion in Salt Lake City today, speaking to supporters of freedom and liberty around the country will produce the same exact thought.

President Bush stated it as; “We will fight the terrorists overseas so we do not have to face them here at home.”

Some on the left seem to feel it is failing slogan. There seems to be the thought that it is a silly notion. Almost immediately, Senator John Kerry, Failed 2004 Democrat Presidential candidate and anti-war activist from the 70s, was quoted as saying, “America’s veterans and American troops don’t need misleading speeches,” and “Enough with slogans and staged speeches calculated to divide here at home…” I totally disagree.

Recent captures in London and elsewhere shows that the Islamofascist terrorists are actively working towards their stated goal of World Domination. Suicide bombings and slaughter of Iraqis and Afghani’s that support allied efforts at helping build both societies into functioning Democracies shows their desire to dominate.

Attacks within America, twice now, and against our interests in other countries over the past 27 years shows me we are one of their main targets. By the diligent work of our NSA, FBI, CIA and others responsible for intelligence gathering, as well as a lot of pure old-fashioned luck (so far), a repeat of September 11, 2001 has not yet happened. How long will we remain this lucky?

Smaller events throughout the country have happened with perpetrators claiming to be either terrorists or attacking innocents out of revenge for our fighting terrorists or against Jews because they defended themselves. Local authorities have written each off as “non-terrorist related.” Even if on a minor scale, it seems they are still terrorist related to me.

Should we follow the lead of Democratic Party leaders calling for withdrawal, or redeployment as they call it, as we have continually done for the decades under their leadership, the slaughter of innocent Iraqis and Afghanis is assured. Not only that, our “eyes and ears” in these hot spots will very likely be included in that senseless slaughter. Terrorist goals of dominating and destroying Western Culture will not cease one iota. They will be free to operate in the Middle East as they did before, which resulted in planning and training the single worst terrorist act in history in New York a scant 5 years ago.

Back here in America, you can bet restrictions at airports and ports of entry will eventually be relaxed out of our natural complacency. Terrorists will once again be free to roam back and forth, training, planning, and performing dry runs, whatever. Contacts between sleeper cells in our country and the leadership in the Middle East will once again go unnoticed.

I need not state what the next massive attack could be like.

Democrat leaders are wrong. We cannot once again “cut and run” and leave a struggling ally to certain slaughter. In the past, our cowardice, or lack of resolve, if you will, only affected those in the countries we abandoned. This time, it will free the terrorists to transfer their war to our very streets, sidewalks, shopping centers, all over. We need to wake up and stay awake until this newest enemy is neutralized, however long it takes.

Fight them there or fight them here does make a good slogan, just as past wars produced excellent slogans. They were needed to keep our eyes open, keep us awake to the dangers approaching, and teach us we are vulnerable. It is also a very simple truth we need to be reminded of often, apparently.

Place it on bumper stickers, signatures in email and discussion groups, or simply speak it often. It is a message the rest of America needs to hear over and over again, IF WE DON’T FIGHT THEM THERE, WE WILL FIGHT THEM HERE
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Clark County Conservative

[Me#1You#10]

"If We Don't Fight Them There, We Will Fight Them Here"

Lew, while I concur with the underlying and self-evident logic, let me "devil's advocate" what I perceive as a small weakness in the "bumper sticker".

It is open to an argument that the sentiment devalues the lives of those on whose physical terrain this fight will be fought. IMHO, the rhetoric applied in this WOT endeavor is equally as important (and arguably moreso) than the actual application of military force. Assuming that reality, I'm concerned and not totally confident that this particular rallying cry will serve us well in the long run but will, instead, serve as evidence of US disinterest in anyone's well-being but our own.

[LewWaters]

I can see your point, Me#. Maybe bumper stickers are a bit much.

It is a recurring theme that Foxnews seemed to pick up this evening as if new and is a simple truth.

Pretty much whatever we state is being spun by the leftist with impunity from the lamestream media and even our rightwing Congressmen and women. Even mentioning September 11th draws fire from them.

I recall seeing and hearing that during WW2 posters and slogans were effectively used to maintain support for the war after Pearl Harbor. Prior to that there was little support for our involvement in the "European War."

I would like to see more public support for this war and the left being "put in their place" for politicizing this Battle in Iraq as a diversion from the War on Terror when it is actually a large part of the overall War on Terror.

I feel Americans need to be kept awake as to what is really going on. We know we are at war, but it seems too many others have forgotten already.
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Clark County Conservative

[Deuce]

First, lest I be colored with too broad a brush, let me state the obvious...we're fighting them 'over there' and we're fighting them 'over here'!
We have many fronts under the Homeland Security Umbrella, where daily efforts are succeeding, containing the terrorists daily threats! So perhaps the more 'PC' bumper sticker would be "We'll fight them over there, and we'll fight them here harder and longer"! For instance, we need to declare 'open season' on hit and run vehicles, before some [un named, use your imagination] group begins to think that SUV's are the best weapon of choice! And before someone suggests that's 'cruel and unusual punishment', and lawless in nature, the simple act of 'hit and run' clearly 'profiles' (to use a non-PC phrase) the driver as possibly insane, a terrorist wanabee, a heartless criminal, on crack, murderer, or a multitude of other felonious possibilities, clearly sociopathic in nature. Since we're currently burdened by too many liberal judges, Congress needs to pass a 'National' law openning the season on these sociopaths, in general, no profiling necessary! OH, of course by 'hit and run' I mean only the 'attempted murder' type, not the run over the neighbor's rose bushes type!
Americans are good samaritans by nature, so the odds of sending the 'wrong' driver to an eternal dirt nap are lower than his chances in a US court !
Bumper sticker alternatives:

[Me#1You#10]

Lew, the way I look at it, the ultimate enemy we're fighting is the "idea" of achievable Muslim (or is that Moslem?) hegemony (Pan-Islamism?). It finds sustenance and support in it's Koran, support for its "Jihadists" within the Muslim population and almost unlimited financial resources with the influx of petro-dollars yet appears to be barely on the edge of the radar of an under-mobilized, uninformed and largely apathetic American society. The only real way to combat it is the replacement of that conceptualization with another...self-determination...and the establishment of democratic societies in the Middle East is a step in that direction. However, the ultimate weapon is in the hands of the propagandist and, as you pointed out, our arsenal right now is woefully understocked.

There are so many obstacles in that path (Israel first comes to mind followed quickly by the fifth-column leftists and their "globalism") that one can easily write a book on the subject (and they're being written)...but it's good that you continue the conversation.

[Deuce]

Lew,
Great discussion, Me#1 is of course boiling the issue down to it's roots...but Steyn in his own inimicable way goes right to the heart! (It's so easy for him since he's dealing in facts and not partisan sniping!)

http://www.nysun.com/article/38668

Paraphrasing Steyn (this is dangerous, I know), Christianity had its roots in grassroots support of the weak...Islam had its roots in warriors doing Empire building (the Caliph's creed: Convert, Pay, or die). And the caliphs were happy with the 'Paying' part of the infidels as a way to keep enslaved the majority groups by the Moslem leaders in power. Steyn points out it's hard for Islam to 'nuance' direct quotes from the Qu'ran. Looks like Fox News Channel got the ultimate gift of god...they got to both 'Pay' and 'Convert'! (There goes Fox 'fair and balanced'...now mostly... 'rich and unbalanced'!)

Again, thanks guys for the education...and of course that goes double for Fox and Steyn!

Deuce

[shawa]

(With a H/T to Powerline Blog)
I think the President nailed it with these words. He has to keep repeating it EVERYWHERE, EVERYDAY!!


"Here at home we have a choice to make about Iraq. Some politicians look at our efforts in Iraq and see a diversion from the war on terror. That would come as news to Osama bin Laden, who proclaimed that the "third world war is raging" in Iraq. It would come as news to the number two man of al Qaeda, Zawahiri, who has called the struggle in Iraq, quote, "the place for the greatest battle." It would come as news to the terrorists from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and other countries, who have to come to Iraq to fight the rise of democracy.
It's hard to believe that these terrorists would make long journeys across dangerous borders, endure heavy fighting, or blow themselves up in the streets of Baghdad, for a so-called "diversion." Some Americans didn't support my decision to remove Saddam Hussein; many are frustrated with the level of violence. But we should all agree that the battle for Iraq is now central to the ideological struggle of the 21st century. We will not allow the terrorists to dictate the future of this century -- so we will defeat them in Iraq."


A little later came what seems to me to be the most vital point:

"We can decide to stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq and other parts of the world, but they will not decide to stop fighting us. General John Abizaid, our top commander in the Middle East region, recently put it this way: "If we leave, they will follow us." And he is right. The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq. So the United States of America will not leave until victory is achieved."
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776)

[Me#1You#10]

[Deuce]

And most importantly, there is an ironic corollary to the "we fight them there, or we fight them here" issue! We could elect a Democrat, cut 'n run...declaring a Moratorium on the War on Terror on the condition that no terrorist activities take place in the USA....and just let the chips fall where they may. In case that last phrase wasn't clear enough, what that means is Osama and his cult would get a free pass to wipe out Eurabia, penalty free, as long as nothing goes Booom in the good ole USA.

Otherwise, Eurabia just d@mn well better keep their pie holes shut during our next elections or suffer the consequences! ie, "be careful what you wish for" and "unintended consequences" is hanging over Europe like the Sword of Damocles!

Deuce

[Me#1You#10]

"Eurabia". A keeper. Thanks deuce.

[Deuce]

[hmminCanada]

How about if we throw their own words back at them?

Fight them wherever we find them!

Of course their book says "kill them" but I think we understand what we mean by "fight".

[dusty]

[Deuce]

Me#1,

[Anker-Klanker]

Somewhat off-topic, and somewhat on-topic... (but certainly related)

Rod Dreher is a Dallas Morning News columinst, who heretofore I've felt was among the slightly left-leaning - which makes the column he ran in the DMN about a week ago even more remarkable. I don't agree with all of his article, but it is especially informative as to where terrorism came from, and the mentality of the Islamist Terrorist. When you read the article, please remind yourself that this is almost certaintly a valuable clue as to how the radical, anti-western culture, Islamist extremist thinks (feedback to the article indicates that too many people get hung up on what Qutb accuses western culture of, instead of realizing that however these extremists came by their beliefs, this is probably the mindset we're up against.)

Opinion Columnist Rod Dreher

[moderator, please fix the long link. thanks]

No problem. EJ

I think this column makes it abundantly clear that we're in a fight to the death with the Islamist Facists - wherever we chose, or are forced, to fight them.