Osama bin Ladens death is the result of American persistence and American military professionalism.
For at least a century Americas enemies and their propagandists have portrayed the United States as lacking the will to engage in an extended struggle. The roots of this myth actually extend into the 18th century but with the 20th century and the global proof of Americas economic political and cultural success the accusations of spinelessness and fecklessness became more elaborate and insistent.
America can be blamed for giving its critics a basis for their argument. If your vision of America is shaped by TV programs like The View or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit it would be reasonable to conclude that America is an utterly decayed nation of sexually frustrated gossips and sadomasochists -- in other words an easy enemy that will cower and capitulate.
However if your vision of America is shaped by the Wright Brothers Thomas Edison the building of the Panama Canal the Battle of Belleau Wood the Battle of Okinawa the Manhattan Project the Apollo program the Internet and similar endeavors a nation of genius courage and persistence emerges -- a nation to emulate not injure and anger.
An interpretation of Vietnam informed Saddam Husseins February 1990 speech in Amman Jordan in which he sketched his vision of recent history. After World War II France and Britain declined. Two superpowers arose the U.S. and USSR. Suddenly the Cold War ended.
Saddam then proceeded with a rambling proposition that America was fatigued and would fade but throughout the next five years the U.S. would be unrestricted. He implied defeating the U.S. entailed exploiting the scar of Vietnam and threatening massive U.S. casualties. Fatigue and domestic self-recrimination would stall U.S. power.
Saddam miscalculated. America responded to his invasion of Kuwait with Desert Storm. Bin Ladens America as a weak horse metaphor echoed Saddam. Bin Laden focused on Americas hasty withdrawal from Somalia after the Black Hawk Down fiasco.
Both men ignored the more telling lesson of Nov. 9 1989 the day the Berlin Wall cracked. From 1947 until 1989 the U.S. successfully contained and defeated the USSR in the Cold Wars long and tedious struggle.
That took extraordinary persistence. It took resilient adaptable creative and able American military and security services. Most of all it took the basic consistent support of the American people the ones who go to work pay the bills wear the police and military uniforms and to paraphrase John Kennedy will bear any burden ... to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
As the Cold War ended another long struggle for the terms of modernity had began one that would pit multifarious America and its radical experiment in liberty against murderous religious fanatics whose vision of the future linked 21st century technologies with 12th century feudalism 20th century dictatorships and tribal misogyny.
The religious fanatics bet on their will to win their will to persist.
The U.S. special operations team that killed bin Laden in Abbottabad Pakistan was the tip of a very long spear made of intelligence agencies military services and police departments. It is a spear wielded by the American people. The bottom line to bin Ladens death is this: Dont attack America. The line above the bottom line? Dont underestimate America. Ever.
Columnist Austin Bay is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate.
Osama bin Ladens death is the result of American persistence and American military professionalism.
For at least a century Americas enemies and their propagandists have portrayed the United States as lacking the will to engage in an extended struggle. The roots of this myth actually extend into the 18th century but with the 20th century and the global proof of Americas economic political and cultural success the accusations of spinelessness and fecklessness became more elaborate and insistent.
America can be blamed for giving its critics a basis for their argument. If your vision of America is shaped by TV programs like The View or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit it would be reasonable to conclude that America is an utterly decayed nation of sexually frustrated gossips and sadomasochists -- in other words an easy enemy that will cower and capitulate.
However if your vision of America is shaped by the Wright Brothers Thomas Edison the building of the Panama Canal the Battle of Belleau Wood the Battle of Okinawa the Manhattan Project the Apollo program the Internet and similar endeavors a nation of genius courage and persistence emerges -- a nation to emulate not injure and anger.
An interpretation of Vietnam informed Saddam Husseins February 1990 speech in Amman Jordan in which he sketched his vision of recent history. After World War II France and Britain declined. Two superpowers arose the U.S. and USSR. Suddenly the Cold War ended.
Saddam then proceeded with a rambling proposition that America was fatigued and would fade but throughout the next five years the U.S. would be unrestricted. He implied defeating the U.S. entailed exploiting the scar of Vietnam and threatening massive U.S. casualties. Fatigue and domestic self-recrimination would stall U.S. power.
Saddam miscalculated. America responded to his invasion of Kuwait with Desert Storm. Bin Ladens America as a weak horse metaphor echoed Saddam. Bin Laden focused on Americas hasty withdrawal from Somalia after the Black Hawk Down fiasco.
Both men ignored the more telling lesson of Nov. 9 1989 the day the Berlin Wall cracked. From 1947 until 1989 the U.S. successfully contained and defeated the USSR in the Cold Wars long and tedious struggle.
That took extraordinary persistence. It took resilient adaptable creative and able American military and security services. Most of all it took the basic consistent support of the American people the ones who go to work pay the bills wear the police and military uniforms and to paraphrase John Kennedy will bear any burden ... to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
As the Cold War ended another long struggle for the terms of modernity had began one that would pit multifarious America and its radical experiment in liberty against murderous religious fanatics whose vision of the future linked 21st century technologies with 12th century feudalism 20th century dictatorships and tribal misogyny.
The religious fanatics bet on their will to win their will to persist.
The U.S. special operations team that killed bin Laden in Abbottabad Pakistan was the tip of a very long spear made of intelligence agencies military services and police departments. It is a spear wielded by the American people. The bottom line to bin Ladens death is this: Dont attack America. The line above the bottom line? Dont underestimate America. Ever.
Columnist Austin Bay is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate.
