Opposition to Islamic Fascism

You cannot oppose these ideas with flowers, with an olive branch, with words of peace. History has proven that you cannot appease these people, you cannot treat with them for peace. You cannot try to change their ideas with speech.

As much as they believe in their idea, deeply and without reservation, we must believe just as strongly that the only way to oppose this "evil" ideology is the spread of freedom and prosperity through out that region. That we must achieve this freedom at whatever cost, lest it means our freedom, our way of life be destroyed.

It is obvious from the last 30 years, that we cannot change the political structure of this region, create freedom and prosperity, by whispering in dictators ears that their people should be free (diplomacy). We cannot continue to hand money to these regimes in hopes that the influx of capitalist capital will inspire an economic revolution that will translate to a bloodless revolution to democracy, freedom, hope and prosperity.

These things, these hopes are not transparent to the people in these countries. To them, it appears only that we "prop up" dictators and assist in their oppression. The ever widening spread of the Islamist ideology tells us that we do not have time to wait for these "peaceful" policies to change the world in which this idea has taken root. The very slowness of this policy gives the enemy the time needed to spread their word and consolidate their base of operations.

That is the danger of returning to our old policies. The policies that many European nations and Democratic leaders in the US would like us to continue.

Bush's policy is a radical change from "business as usual". This policy recognizes that the future depends on making changes now before it is too late to stop the tide.

The first change is to insure that no dictator in that region will willingly join forces with these people in the purpose of destroying the US or any other free society. That they will not give succor, economic or material support. Whether that is money or actual weapons of mass destruction, those dictators must be the first to go.

The second change is to replace this ideology based on despair, poverty and hopelessness with an ideology of freedom, prosperity and hope.

That is the reason for war in Iraq and why the success of freedom for the Iraqi people is important in the war to defeat this ideology. Iraq must be, as Ronald Reagan once said, "the shining city on the hill" for the middle east. The hope is that people in this region will see this shining example of freedom and want that more than they want oppression, death or destruction.