OUR NAMELESS ENEMY-- " NOT A THREAT TO OUR EXISTENTIALISM"??

Do you feel threatened by terrorism, and the escalating,  horrifying news? President Obama is feeling the heat---sort of.  He no longer refers to ISIL as "Junior Varsity".  But he refuses to name them. to call them what they call themselves, The Islamic State, for fear that doing so will cause a backlash to the entire Muslim people---does he seriously think we cannot discern the difference between loving, rational Muslims and radical jihadists? Be that as it may, On Wednesday of this week, he called a special summit on the threat of "extreme violence" right here in River City, or wherever you may live here or in the world.  Seems he has finally come to the conclusion that terrorism by any name other than Islamic is an issue worth his full attention., if for no other reason, in order to pacify the growing concern of those around him, and the general public. He has asked congress for their approval and blessing to wage increased  military action, not war precisely,  against ISIS , and warned the terrorists that they will lose. But also, that we will fight  for only three years, mind you, an odd pronouncement to make public--but Obama likes time tables in military matters. He is a reluctant warrior and  ironically, he has been dragged into, if not outright wars, skirmishes and military actions, ever since taking office---a bitter pill and a heavy dose of reality for a man who ran as an anti-war presidential candidate, and thought he could change the world by offering his hand instead of a fist.

The world is not as Obama wished or dreamed it could be---real life can be such a bummer. Ideologies often aren't enough to manage a country safely and effectively--they may sound good in speeches, look great on paper, and feel so fine---but  their true test,where the rubber meets the road, is in  the practical application of policies applied to real world situations--in this case, leading from behind, not interfering in other countries' business, insisting on coalitions to join the fight against terrorism,  refusing to name this enemy, and finally to down play, or even to admit a clear and present danger. .So goes the Obama doctrine---and six years into his term, we watch and wonder---does he still believe himself? Does anybody? Are we safe in his hands, still respected enough to ward off those who think they can bring us down by sheer brutality and horror not seen since the holocaust?

Seems ridiculous, but the over powering of governments is happening elsewhere in Syria , Iraq,  Libya.,and parts of Africa---and is growing. This unholy, holy war, appeals and is attracting recruits from everywhere---and last weekend the horror continued as 21 Christians were marched to their beheading executions in Egypt. There are rumors of children being crucified and burned to death, as their parents are forced to watch, and sexual slavery---this is no rag tag, under financed army, no kind of enemy we have ever faced in our history.  But do they really think, these radical fanatics, that they can terrify us into submission? Ridiculous, some say-----so why the fuss? Are we not too big to fall?

Apparently Jordan is feeling threatened--within 24 hours after witnessing their military pilot be burned alive, they were dropping bombs on terrorist training camps. Egypt, France, and Australia, all victims of recent terrorism, are paying close attention, and asking for more of ours---but Obama is  taking his time, even lecturing to the annual Prayer Breakfast Meeting in Washington, and reminding that the crusading Christians killed many in the name of their religion, so let us not "get up on our high horse". Really? That was a very long time ago, and hardly a rationalization for barbaric behavior in today's world. But we are under the auspices of a man who mystifies and stymies with his no drama personality, and his sanguine attitude to events which would seem to incentivize outrage and immediate action. Though there are  theories as to why Obama seems so dispassionate, the most logical is that he simply does not appear to consider the threat of terrorism to be, in his words, a "threat to our existentialism". His priorities lie with other kinds of thinking, one of which is keeping Iran our ally and moving them toward a nuclear peace treaty. All hail to the chief, he marches to his own beat, and nuclear peace is a worthy goal---but does he not see the gathering storm, which could de-rail even the best of intentions?

And then there was the incredibly curious statement by a State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf, who said we must fight this enemy, not with weapons, but with compassion and understanding.  Find these people jobs, she said, and we will change their  hearts. We will let those thoughts speak for themselves, as we learn that even people of good will---missionaries, humanitarians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims are being slaughtered simply because they are not radical Islamists. And while many of the young recruits to jihad are young, poor, uneducated people, even young Americans, their leaders tend to be quite educated and financially secure---they are the pied pipers of our time, peddling false hopes, and their enticement is power and a perverted religion--it is doubtful that  agape type love will stop their lust for triumph to their cause. We seem to have reached a critical mass---something must be done, but what?

It  gets down to this: How do we defeat an elusive enemy with no one country or base, and who does not honor life over their religion, and in fact murders in the name of their God,  and in the most heinous way  Boots on the ground? Big bombs in the air? Or a more measured,  allied, even compassionate approach? Those are the big questions  No, we say--- no more American lives sacrificed, no more collateral damage done in retaliation to a force that would love to take us on,. But sadly, we may have no choice.  Perhaps Obama is right, and we can take our time with the aid of a world wide coalition, marginalize and defeat without an outright war---but at this point, the coalition is minimal, and  it is said that we are the only ones who can truly stop this volcanic flow of barbaric aggression that is effectively taking over the middle east, much faster than anyone thought possible.

President Obama is nobody's fool,  and is surely a patriot who wishes the best for America--- but neither has he proven himself an effective, trusted leader. Perhaps he is not as naive or incapable as his worst critics accuse, or as wise as his most ardent followers proclaim---but events are exploding daily, and empires have been known to fall very quickly.  Will we eventually see and buckle under to suicide bombs in our streets, our cars, our Capital? Or will more Christian/Jewish/Muslim executions move us to demand more extreme retaliation? Worse, will a middle east caliphate emerge and become powerful enough to threaten us with a nuclear war? Sorry, but these are the stuff nightmares are made of,---and what all the fuss is about.

We can only hope that the summit on "extreme violence" concluded with at least a recognition that this brutal, unimaginable onslaught against humanity must be met with something besides summits and a refusal to believe that it may indeed affect our right to exist, and civilization as well. Hyperbole? The Jordanian pilot, the Christians in Egypt, and all other innocenr victims of this long brewing hatred against anybody who refuses to accept their brand of religion would disagree---but the summit on extreme violence came too late for them---and apparently didn't reach any  momentous decisions.  President Obama, once again  used the occasion to lecture on the why of terrorism, instead of how to stop it--- but while we dither, so many are being sacrificed on the alter of restraint and empathy---and a refusal to even acknowledge that this enemy has as its roots a belief in an ancient faith that considers itself the one true religion---a so called holy war whose  actions they passionately believe is indeed holy, justifiable, because it is in the pursuit of a world domination, and conversion to their faith --the Apocalypse, or at least Sharia law--all in their view, condoned by the Koran.

There is a difference between understanding the root cause of the enemy, and self defense, and it is stunning to see our nation blink passively  before those who have no intention of mercy toward us. What to do?  One thing is clear--what we've done so far, isn't working. The latest threat  came today---our shopping malls are the newest targets.  We think the "threat to our existentialism" has just been given notice---red flag status.