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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613....>
The "war on terror" has created a culture of fear in America. The Bush
administration's elevation of these three words into a national mantra
since the horrific events of 9/11 has had a pernicious impact on
American democracy, on America's psyche and on U.S. standing in the
world. Using this phrase has actually undermined our ability to
effectively confront the real challenges we face from fanatics who may
use terrorism against us.
The damage these three words have done -- a classic self-inflicted
wound -- is infinitely greater than any wild dreams entertained by the
fanatical perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks when they were plotting
against us in distant Afghan caves. The phrase itself is meaningless.
It defines neither a geographic context nor our presumed enemies.
Terrorism is not an enemy but a technique of warfare -- political
intimidation through the killing of unarmed non-combatants.
But the little secret here may be that the vagueness of the phrase was
deliberately (or instinctively) calculated by its sponsors. Constant
reference to a "war on terror" did accomplish one major objective...