Terrorism is a strategy, not an entity

I read with amazement your editorial on how best to deal with the Islamic State. How could there be so many gaps in the thought process of your board? Thank goodness our government does not call The Bee for foreign policy advice.

You gripe that Obama does not know “how to defeat terrorism.” In case you are unaware, terrorism is not an entity to be defeated. It is a strategy.

Terrorism has been and will continue to be used by those who cannot legitimately compete on the battlefield. It has long been very effective, whether used by the Ku Klux Klan or Timothy McVeigh. This strategy will never be “defeated” or eliminated.

You also say that Vietnam showed that air power alone cannot defeat a determined enemy. I was much younger, but I seem to recall hundreds of thousands of ground troops drafted to fight the dreaded communists. Vietnam was not an exclusive air campaign. Just ask one of our many homeless veterans.

I lack the needed space to further address your analytical shortcomings. I do hope though that you have encouraged all of your eligible family members to enlist to fight on your behalf in this glorious battle.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Terrorism is a strategy, not an entity."