I don't relish the position of being a naysayer, and anyone who knows me knows I'm an eternal optimist. However, my fundimental optimism rests on my faith in human beings to make the right choices through reason and insight, and as such from time to time it becomes necessary to say things that seem very negative. The point of this isn't to say that all is lost. On the contrary, the point is to say, "Hey! We need to take stock of what's really going on if we want things to get better!"

In that spirit, here's something that's bound to be unpopular: if there is such a thing as a global war on terror -- and for the record I don't think there is; we need better language here -- we are losing. In fact, we are playing directly into the hands of those who are convinced the US must be destroyed. Daily Kos -- Pentagon: Bush's 'hypocrisy' lost us hearts and minds

• Muslims do not "hate our freedom," but rather, they hate our policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the longstanding, even increasing support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and the Gulf states.
• Thus when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy. Moreover, saying that "freedom is the future of the Middle East" is seen as patronizing, suggesting that Arabs are like the enslaved peoples of the old Communist World -- but Muslims do not feel this way: they feel oppressed, but not enslaved.
• Furthermore, in the eyes of Muslims, American occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has not led to democracy there, but only more chaos and suffering. U.S. actions appear in contrast to be motivated by ulterior motives, and deliberately controlled in order to best serve American national interests at the expense of truly Muslim selfdetermination.
• Therefore, the dramatic narrative since 9/11 has essentially borne out the entire radical Islamist bill of particulars. American actions and the flow of events have elevated the authority of the Jihadi insurgents and tended to ratify their legitimacy among Muslims. Fighting groups portray themselves as the true defenders of an Ummah (the entire Muslim community) invaded and under attack -- to broad public support.
• What was a marginal network is now an Ummah-wide movement of fighting groups. Not only has there been a proliferation of "terrorist" groups: the unifying context of a shared cause creates a sense of affiliation across the many cultural and sectarian boundaries that divide Islam.

That's from the Pentagon's Defense Science Board, people, not Dennis Kucinich. It's for real, and the longer the president and his administration insist that we're living in some comic book reality, the further we travel down the path towards failure and defeat. Full report PDF.

In Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the globe, we are engaged in 4th generation warfare (4GW). The important thing about 4GW is the it essentially about moral conflict. In other words, if you do not "win the hearts and minds" you loose, unless you are willing to commit genocide.

I'll say it again, and not because it makes me happy. We. Are. Losing.

(NOTE: I learned to read and write phonetically, though not w/hooked on phonics. Sometimes that puts me in a loose/lose situation. Please pardon my lack of rigor.)