The Laughing Wolf

The War Of Enlightenment

I had planned for this to be a much longer post, but things are a bit hectic here at the lair. So, I am going to lay out a quick framework to which I hope to return in time and flesh out a bit.

Yesterday was a day for those murdered by terrorists on 9-11, and to my mind a day for all the victims in this latest battle. Today is my day. If anyone is truly interested in my memories and catharsis, go for it. I will not spend today on just one part of the past, but a broader sweep, and on the future.

What we are in is not a War on Terror. The campaign against terrorism is just one part of a much larger war. For what we are in is the penultimate battle for the Enlightenment of our generation. For what is at stake are the ideals and the accomplisments of the Enlightenment that are the true achievement of our civilization.

That is the cornerstone of all we have. It is capitalism, which is one function, that gives us our advanced and strong economy. It is the concepts of individual worth, liberty, freedom, and responsibility that drive the economic and social engines. It is the combination, the serendipitous workings of the various aspects, that have literally begun to take humanity to the stars.

These functions also are a threat to those who either live in, or want to return to, “simpler” times. Times where the strong ruled, peasants did as they were told, and the vast majority of individuals had no value other than as workers. There are many such people and groups, and they range from the radical Islamicists to radical socialists. It is not our culture or strong economy that they hate, for they are just symptomatic to the greater threat to them: freedom and the concepts of same that taking root throughout the world.

We are now in the middle of a war that will determine if the ideals of the Enlightenment will continue to spread and grow, or if humanity as a whole will drop back into barbarism of the worst stripe. The campaign on terror is a part; the coming war between radical and “moderate” Islam is a part; the struggles and wars between fundamentalists and “moderates” in Christianity and other religions is a part; the current Presidential campaign is a part; and, the war between socialism and other radical thought and the original ideals of the Enlightenment is yet another. All of these are going on now, and the decisions made in one part shape the fight and affect the others.

The lines in each are reaching a point where they can be clearly drawn. The enemies of the Enlightenment and freedom are clearly defined. “Let’s Roll” was a good start for the first part in the campaign on terror. It defined the immediate needs and responsibilities. For the larger fight it is time to toggle the selector, define the broader War and its needs and responsibilities, and deal with it as a whole. Let’s Rock.

LW