ISIS and the West

Not too long ago, those of us who live in the Western World worried about Al Qaeda.  Now, all we hear about is the threat posed by ISIS.  We can debate how ISIS formed, why it formed, and what it wants however; I believe that all of us can agree that ISIS represents an extremist point of view.  Are they a threat to the modern world?  Yes.  How do we deal with this threat?  This is yet to be determined.

Part of the problem for the West is our inability to understand the concept of war in it's current color.  We remain mired in our learned experiences of World War I and World War II.  The European continent has a long history of nation states opposing one another in combat.  The vast majority of the inhabitants in the New World are descended from European stock and our participation in the two great world wars causes us to view the act of war as an affair between two or more nation states.  The current unrest in the Middle East is a new idea for the West or is it?

In his military treatise Vom Kriege (1832), Carl von Clausewitz stated, "We see, therefore, that war is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse carried on with other means. What remains peculiar to war is simply the peculiar nature of its means."

Whether we in the West want to accept it or not, ISIS is at war with us and political action is required. The sooner we accept this, the sooner we'll develop the means to oppose ISIS.  Regardless of where we call home, the human condition remains much the same.  All of us want the necessities of life.  We're primarily concerned with having an abode, food, water, and the means for earning currency that supports these requisites for life on Earth.  We also want our children's life experience to be better than our own.  The vast majority of us also try to adhere to the concept of the Golden Rule.

We won't defeat ISIS with bombs.  ISIS must be defeated by destroying it's roots.  They must become irrelevant amongst the populace that they live amongst.  Convince the locals that we're not all that different and ISIS will quickly become a pariah in their own homeland.  

So, how is Carl von Clausewitz's quote relevant today?  We must pursue a multi pronged political approach when dealing with ISIS.  When an opportunity affords itself, with the use of arms we must surgically remove a threat from ISIS while at the same time breaking bread with the local populace.  The threat posed by ISIS is unconventional and can only be destroyed by unconventional means. More often than not, the power of bonding on a human level with the indigenous population has more power than the use of arms.  Once the locals can identify with you as a fellow travel in life, ISIS will cease to exist. But beware, we're involved in a marathon race against ISIS so, we in the West cannot expect quick results.  It is time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.