Asymmetrical Warfare

Foreign policy strategists claim that the United States is in a new era of diplomacy and war because the threats to our security are asymmetric. Rather than great powers facing off with each other over territory, influence and ideology, we are faced with opponents who are not based on any state. Nuclear proliferation, terrorism, the drug trade - these are not problems that can be solved through the traditional mechanisms of diplomacy and deterrence.

Liberalism is also facing the challenge of asymmetrical warfare. Contemporary conservatism is less interested in reasoned political debate or incremental change than the destruction of liberalism. Liberals want to govern, conservatives want to dominate. Liberals recognize the legitimacy of the Republican party, and expect their rivals to respect the principle of the loyal opposition, the 2-party system, and democratic discourse. For conservatism, compromise is weakness and liberalism is an alien graft that must be rooted out of American politics. Anything goes in the pursuit of their unholy vision. Dishonesty, manipulation, illegalality - these are just par for the course. Democratic politics is not the rational meeting of the minds, but warfare by other means.

In short, liberals are bringing knives to a gunfight, and predictably enough we have been getting slaughtered. Conservative ruthlessness presents us with the prospect not of temporary defeat by total annihilation. It is time we recognized this enemy for what it is. Today's Unreasonables are frankly not all that interested in democracy so much as victory. If we win, they can continue in their own private lives pursuing any good they choose. If they win, their vision of the good life will be imposed on all of us. The stakes really are that high. We are at war abroad AND at home against the forces of religious authoritarianism and corporate fascism, and if either are successful our way of life will come to an end.

Time to get serious.