Newt Gingrich: It’s World War III
July 18, 2006 | By Nathaniel Ward
America's armed forces are engaged in a global struggle against an enemy that seeks to destroy us. Victory is the only option.
Over the weekend, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich declared that the world is now engaged in “a Third World War, one every bit as serious and dangerous as the two great conflicts of the 20th Century.”
Five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks awakened America to the dangers of barbaric terrorism, the civilized world faces threats from all sides:
- Iran, reportedly nearing its decades-long goal of acquiring a nuclear weapon, is using its Hezbollah agents in Lebanon to attack America’s allies in Israel, Heritage’s Jim Phillips reports.
- North Korea, whose leaders are surely watching every development in the Middle East, provocatively test-fired its arsenal of new long-range missiles over the Fourth of July holiday.
- Meanwhile, China has done little to help the free world counter the North Korean threat, Heritage Asia experts Mike Needham and John Tkacik explain.
- Radical Islamic terrorists, meanwhile, have struck at innocent civilians in Spain, Britain and now in India, hoping to undermine the free world’s commitment to fight for its existence. Heritage’s Dana Dillon has more on the brutal Mumbai attacks.
Even though these threats are clear, we continue to run the risk of forgetting that this is war is a long one that cannot be promptly resolved. It would be easy, and by some accounts, politically popular, to simply declare victory and stop fighting. By this analysis, America should retreat from Iraq and Israel should cease defending itself against Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon. Some liberals have actually suggested we give up the fight and retreat from the battlefields of Central Asia and the Middle East.
A declaration of victory does not mean victory is achieved, however, and retreat is no way to ensure the security of either the United States or its allies around the world. It was declared a victory in the 1990s when we coddled the dictators in North Korea and the Palestinian territories. These governments are now up to their old tricks, using blackmail to try and gain concessions. Osama bin Laden saw America’s retreats under duress from Lebanon and Somalia as indications of weakness—and as signs that bringing death and destruction to American soil would win him a great victory.
We cannot prevail if we fail to recognize that we are in a war for the survival of civilization, or if we continue to misjudge our enemies and their aims. We cannot defend our freedom if we do not recognize that it is under attack. We cannot keep the free world free if we strike bargains with those who would destroy it.
Fortunately, President Bush understands the importance of this war. He quite rightly remains firm on Iraq and the other fronts of the war on terrorism. And he has resisted international pressure to condemn Israel for defending itself against Iran’s Hezbollah clients.
How to win the long war
America has no choice but to adopt a comprehensive strategy for winning the long war against terrorism, Heritage national security expert James Carafano and legal expert Paul Rosenzweig write in their book, appropriately titled Winning the Long War. Today’s enemies consist of terrorist organizations, the countries that encourage them, the countries that harbor them and the countries that fail to fight them.
In dealing with this complex battlefield, they write, “there are no cookie-cutter solutions to taking the offensive.” As a result, America needs to ensure it has the right tools to take on any problem. “At the center of America’s offensive means are three key capabilities—strategic intelligence, military force and interagency operations,” they explain. “Equipping these three assets for the long war has to be a top priority.”
America will persevere
At the darkest hour of the American Revolution in 1776, Thomas Paine wrote the following:
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
His words should serve as a reminder to all Americans that perseverance brings victory when the cause is just. America has persevered before against all manner of tyranny; America must persevere today.
Heritage takes positive steps on health care
At a meeting last week with Heritage’s health policy team, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) said he may introduce a bill later this year to dramatically reform health care. The proposal under consideration would revise the tax code so that individuals who want to purchase health care on the individual market would receive the same tax benefits as those who purchase health care through an employer. This would enable individuals to buy and own a health care policy of their choice.
This sort of reform has been a long-standing goal of The Heritage Foundation. “Today, the tax code creates a significant tax advantage for those with employer-sponsored coverage by exempting the total value of the benefit from a worker’s taxable income,” Heritage health expert Nina Owcharenko wrote in November. “This distorts the health insurance market by favoring coverage obtained through the place of work and stifles the advancement of other coverage options.”
Heritage’s experts will work closely with Sen. Coburn and other Congressional leaders as the debate advances.
Ed Meese speaks on immigration
Last Thursday, former Attorney General and Ronald Reagan Fellow Ed Meese spoke to Heritage Foundation members about the principles of immigration reform and how Heritage is influencing the debate in Washington and around the country.
The conference call was the first installment of Heritage’s Community Leadership Exchanges, a new initiative to begin a dialog with members of our Board of Trustees, National Advisory Council and leaders of our Community Committees for Heritage from all across the country.
Now you, too, can hear what Meese had to say! By becoming a MyHeritage.org Charter Member, you can get exclusive, members-only access to a recording of his remarks. Sign up today: https://secure.heritage.org/SupportMyHCharter.cfm
In other news
- The House of Representatives yesterday approved what may be the largest pork project in American history: a $1.5 billion subsidy to Metro, the inefficient and broken mass transit system that serves the nation’s capital. This bill will “reward Metro’s poor performance with an astounding sum of money while enabling the system to put off essential reforms,” Ron Utt writes in a Heritage paper. The system’s management, Utt explains, is determined to avoid basic reforms like raising fares or reducing its tremendous labor costs.
- Liberal elites, feeling threatened by the success of conservative organizations like The Heritage Foundation, are pouring money into their own policy groups, many of them consciously modeled on Heritage. In just one year, The Washington Post reports, these liberals have gathered more than $50 million to champion their misguided cause.
- President Bush is set to veto a bill expanding federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research later this week. This would be his first veto.
Coming up at Heritage
To attend these or any other Heritage Foundation events, RSVP at Heritage’s events website. Or you can watch these events live online at Heritage.org. All times are Eastern.
- On Wednesday, July 19 at 10:30 am, Heritage will host a discussion about the recently-concluded G-8 summit in Russia. Invited guests include representatives from the State Department, the Russian embassy and experts from Washington policy organizations.
- On Wednesday, July 19 at 12:30 pm, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) will speak at Heritage about conservative successes and the proper response to international turmoil.
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
