With the terrorist attacks that we have seen over the last 4 days in Beirut, Kenya, Paris and Bagdad, it’s pretty clear that the war on terror is not a war that is being won. In fact it seems like the number of attacks and threats of attack are increasing.
This increase is leading to an increase in calls for more action, and I have heard many people say that we need to attack, to fight back, to bomb the terrorists, that we need to get out our weapons and go to war.
But with whom?
Much of the increase in terrorism seems to be as direct result of the wars that have been fought over the last 25 years, wars that the West believes that they won.
So it doesn’t look like going to war is the solution to the problem, in fact it looks like it actually feeds the problem.
In times of crisis like these leadership becomes tougher, because everyone thinks they know the right solution, everyone knows what we should do, but in reality that’s not the case as has been proven with terrorism.
If we all knew the answer this problem would be solved.
In times like these leaders often have to go against public opinion. They need to hold firm in the face of criticism over their lack of action, which can often lead to them losing credibility, and even their position.
But good leaders are prepared to do that. They know that there is a difference between what is right and what is popular, and good leaders, especially in times of crisis, choose to do what’s right.
Leadership should never be a popularity contest, where leaders pander to the masses just to retain power. Leadership is about moving people forward, improving their position, making the world a better place.
I hope that the leaders in the West have learnt from previous past mistakes and do not plunge us into an unnecessary war.
Wars are easy to win, especially when you have the technological advantages that are available, but we don’t need to win a war, we need a solution.
One definition of madness is to keep doing the same thing over and over in expectation of different results. I believe starting and winning wars falls right into this category.
We need a solution which is going to make the world a better and safer place for everyone.
A RESPONSE TO: LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CRISIS. While the principle of what you speak of is admirable, I believe it is naïve and misguided for the world we live in today. There exists a radical group of extremists who believe that western civilization is to be eliminated from the face of this earth. Their jihad is to “kill the infidels” and just in the past day or two, they have stated that they are going to hit cities in the United States and that “American blood tastes the best”. What possible solution could be contrived to deal with radical Islamic ideology other than total destruction? What has happened over the past days is an atrocity but it is only a sign of what is to come if our leaders don’t act in swift and powerful ways. War is not something that people of sound mind and character take lightly. It is a sad day when we, as a nation, must send our warriors to fight for the principles and freedom that we believe in but that is part of the cost of freedom and liberty. Our leaders shoulder an unfathomable burden when decisions such as this need to be made. Their job as a leader and as the head of their government; however, is to protect the people and the interests of those great nations. While no one wants to go in to another “unnecessary war”, when would war become necessary? When a Parisian type of attack happens in one of our cities? When suicide bombers run rampant throughout the streets and malls? When we see masked radicals beheading citizens in our own communities? When we experience another 9/11 scenario? At that point, Gordon, our leaders will have failed us and all the solutions in the world won’t change what we will have lost. You ask; “with whom do we go to war?” We know exactly who the enemy is. Our challenge is to root them out from under the rocks and from behind the women and children that they cower. You are correct when you say if we all knew the answer, this problem would be solved. How different this world would be if we could come up with that answer; that magic solution. The truth is, none of us know the answer. It is an answer that mankind has searched for since the dawn of time. That doesn’t mean we should not keep searching for it. I think mankind will someday find it and advance the human race. In the meantime, we are at a crossroads and the time for solutions with these barbarians is long past. It is, unfortunately, very necessary for the western world to fight and the United States needs to lead the way. I am a United States military veteran and I understand the risk and the sacrifice that go with a statement such as this. It is with a heavy heart that I would send my own sons to battle and return to the battlefield myself. Gordon, I shudder to think of what this nation will become if we follow your course of action and the course of this current American administration and don’t.
“….but we don’t need to win a war, we need a solution.” This is such an insightful quote and one that epitomises truly farsighted leadership.
It is good to see a respected commentator, on the topic of leadership, willing to address such a sensitive social as well as geo-political issue. I whole-heartedly agree that the type of leadership required now is not that which snorkels along the surface to address the symptom, but rather that which is prepared to deep-dive to address the root cause. The risk of the current situation is that our leaders are responding to crisis by leading in crisis, rather than providing leadership through crisis. For the discerning there is a very clear and distinctive difference. Those who lead in crisis are buffeted by fears, panic and the whims of public opinion. By contrast, leadership through crisis sees the bigger picture and is prepared to do what is necessary, not what is convenient.
Thanks once again for posting such a thoughtful blog. I am always enriched by your insights.
Paul