Confusing fear with focus
By Frank Salvato
web posted October 30, 2006
As the November 7th election draws closer the political rhetoric on both sides of the aisle is heating up. One of the most deceptive notions coming out of the Democratic camp is that the Republican Party is campaigning on a "platform of fear." Democrats advance this idea simply because Republicans are addressing the deadly serious issue of the war against Islamofascism. In reality, Democrats are either confusing fear with focus or they are intentionally deceiving the American people for political gain.
One thing is abundantly clear; the most important issue in this election is the on-going confrontation between the West and Islamofascism. It was the most important issue in the last election and the election before that. It will remain the most important issue until Western Civilization vanquishes the threat posed by radical Islamic fundamentalism. The war against Islamofascism is more important than bickering over gay marriage or whether "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. It is more important than the endless debate over tax cuts and entitlement funding. It is undoubtedly more important than all of the inflated egos and political scandals in Washington DC combined.
There are many reasons why the war against Islamofascism is the most important issue facing the country. The fact that it has brought deadly terrorist attacks to the shores of the United States is paramount among them. So too is the fact that the enemy – radical Islamic fundamentalists whose ideology fosters the belief of a master race, a belief akin to Hitler's – has declared that they want to see the end of the United States, Israel, Britain and Australia. In the end, their goal is the extermination of Western Civilization. Add to the mix that nation states headed by radical Islamists have friendly relations with a nuclear capable North Korea and a Socialist, anti-American punk in Venezuela, and protectors in Russia and China, and only the terminally stupid can believe Islamofascism is, as many Democrats allege, a politically concocted illusion.
But, the most important reason why the war against Islamofascism is the only issue in any election for the foreseeable future is this; there is a very real chance we could lose this conflict.
I never thought for a moment that I would find myself agreeing – albeit for different reasons – with those of the US-critical European population, but where the war against Islamofascism is concerned, Americans have grown arrogant. We have either failed to understand that the foe we face is a serious and potent threat capable of affecting our demise or we have voluntarily condemned ourselves to the delusion that we will always win our battles; that we will always prevail and always exist as a nation.
Here's a newsflash. The Soviet Union, a superpower that prevailed through World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, is gone. It ceases to exist. But, if you were to have asked a Soviet citizen circa 1980 if he thought his country wouldn't exist in the year 2000 he would have found the question very amusing. The Soviet Union's demise didn't come at the hand of the sword; it came at the hand of its government's arrogant belief that because their country was strong militarily, it couldn't be beaten.
There is no question the United States has the most potent fighting force the world has ever known. To oppose American soldiers on the field of battle is to experience a force so overwhelmingly effective that it routinely incapacitates and/or annihilates its foes. But without clear-thinking and steadfast political leadership, leadership that respects what is good for the country over what is good for the political party, the might of the world's most able fighting force is inconsequential.
Today, the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Arianna Huffington, Michael Moore and Barbara Streisand are telling the American public that the threat we face from Islamofascists, terrorists who have literally declared war on the United States, isn't real.
Nancy Pelosi, who would be Speaker of the House should Democrats attain an additional 15 House seats on November 7th, is on record as saying that we are not at war.
Recently on the freeSpeech segment of the CBS Evening News with media cheerleader Katie Couric, Arianna Huffington advanced the view that the GOP was only addressing the terrorist threat to scare people into voting for Republican candidates.
Barbara Streisand took a break from her post-retirement concert tour to alert her gaggle of fans that the GOP was "provoking fear and panic in American voters" by the mere mention of Osama bin Laden. And Michael Moore has consistently maintained, "There is no terrorist threat."
Meanwhile, these reality-challenged individuals downplay bin Laden's declaration of war against the United States. They ignore Ayman al Zawahri's promise of further strikes against Americans, Westerners and their interests around the world. They dismiss the fact that one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists, al Qaeda's nuclear whiz-kid Adnan el Shukrijumah, has been seen in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Instead, they are more concerned with gay marriage, a hypocritical sex scandal that has nothing to do with the work of government, denying that it is better to fight terrorists on the streets of Baghdad than on the streets of Chicago and whether or not a parent should be notified on the event of their unemancipated minor daughter having an abortion. They are more concerned with politics than government.
The US Constitution mandates that our government ensure the security of our nation and provide safety for its citizens. Since September 11, 2001, ensuring security has been the focus of our government. While Republicans and security focused Democrats have tried to convey the severity of the Islamofascist threat to our nation, the majority of Democrats have proven by deed and by word that they believe the security of our nation and the war against Islamofascism are but two of many issues holding equal weight with politically advantageous social issues.
Babs & Co. believe we should be more concerned with whether Pat and Chris can get "married," and whether illegal infiltrators (read: aliens) have access to government subsidized health care, than with whether el Shukrijumah is ferrying components for a dirty bomb over the border with Mexico.
In light of the fact that our country needs to survive before we can concern ourselves with whether Pat and Chris can both wear wedding dresses to their ceremony, the choice for which party to vote for on November 7th is pretty clear…at least it should be. 
Frank Salvato is the managing editor for The New Media Journal. He serves at the Executive Director of the Basics Project, a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(C)(3) research and education initiative. His pieces are regularly featured in over 100 publications both nationally and internationally. He has appeared on The O'Reilly Factor, and is a regular guest on The Right Balance with Greg Allen on the Accent Radio Network, as well as an occasional guest on numerous radio shows coast to coast. He recently partnered in producing the first-ever symposium on the threat of radical Islamist terrorism in Washington, DC. His pieces have been recognized by the House International Relations Committee and the Japan Center for Conflict. He can be contacted at oped@newmediajournal.us. Copyright © 2006 Frank Salvato