re. Second Dispatch (thank you, BTW): It strikes me that 'irregular warfare' is being employed against the US not because we are so much stronger militarily that anything else is futile, but because our 'civilized' ways prevent us from fighting back in the ruthless ways that would be most effective. The enemy has identified our weakness and is exploiting it. We will fail to win this war until we decide we actually want to win. Right now we are a nation choosing not to 'hang together, else surely we shall hang separately.' A nation divided against itself shall not stand.'
Elsewhere it was recently reported that the world is drawing down its food reserves - that food consumption now exceeds production. Look around - who are the net consumers and who are the net producers? In a no holds barred battle between Islam and the West who eats?

Chester, thanks for covering this important conference. You did an excellent job summarizing the discussions. We have all benefited from your efforts.

It is interesting and more than a little surprising that five years into this war, the nation's top flag officers and analysts are still struggling to figure out the strategy. But we should not allow ourselves to get too annoyed with that observation. The nature of the war itself is constantly changing, meaning that the West's strategy might need to change just as frequently.

Westhawk

Excellent, outstanding and very much appriciated. Thank you Chester.

I was struck by the final comment on your Final Dispatch, which was the quote of what Winston Churchill once said, “America will always do what it needs to do, after it has exhausted every other possibility.”

With all my heart, and with my prayers, hopes and wishes for my children and my grandchildren, I hope that he is eternally correct.

Because it appears to me that we are not only running blind with disasterous effects, but that we desperatly need to do, whatever it is we must do in order to defeat our enemies and protect our Republic.

And as known and feared, time is against us.

Papa Ray
West Texas
USA