Fearless Nation
By: Alon Stivi

Most people are now familiar with overt forms of terrorism and its repercussions for our day-to-day lives. Kidnapping, hijacking, homicidal bombing, assassinations and international monetary crimes are common themes in everyday news. Yet, not enough of us are aware of the more subtle, covert and complex aspects of terrorism and its growing intellectual and economical influence in our lives.

The terrorists' end-game is to so frighten us that we not only cower in fear, but are converted – that is, our fear produces a change in our attitudes and beliefs regarding the terrorists and their cause. Terror masterminds know that most people are risk averse and would choose the path of least resistance to avoid adversity at any cost, even if that means appeasing those who engender the risk.

The process of appeasement, whether overt or secret, occurs over time and follows a predictable pattern. When people are so intimidated and so fearful of being victims, their fear is transformed into an unconsciously surrender. Their acquiescence is accompanied by attempts to “understanding” the conflict from the terrorist point of view. As Westerners, we apply Judeo-Christian values in our attempt to accommodate the current conflict into our perception of reality. Accordingly, in order to feel justified in fighting those who wrong us, we impose scrutiny on ourselves, such as; “Perhaps we brought the violence upon ourselves by our past actions? Don't they have legitimate grievances against us? Did our leaders mislead us to wage war for selfish purposes? Maybe it’s our fault? Maybe we're the real terrorists?" This approach ultimately fosters sympathy for the terrorists and can evolve into overt support for their cause (as is already happening in Europe).

Additionally, as Americans, we also believe in establishing a “high moral ground” to “justify” any aggressive action that we might take. We feel compelled to exhaust all other options before we resort to the use of force. Diplomatic negotiation, dialog with terrorist-supporting nation states has become acceptable options for decreasing risk of terrorist attacks. As a result, the mantra of “peace and reconciliation through dialog” has caught hold on increasing sectors of Western societies.

These outgrowths of political correctness are being exploited by the terrorists and their supporters alike. They know that in order to win they must make us weak from within. To do so they strive to create doubt and mistrust among and they manipulated the media for that purpose. We are made to feel guilty about our choice to fight and to feel solely responsible for the inevitable consequences that go with any war. We are accused of being, evil, imperialistic, racist, unjust and too aggressive. Their propaganda is intended to persuade us that we are wrong which in turn makes us second guess and distrust our political leadership.

Appeasement always encourages violence. If you cower before a bully in an attempt to placate him, all you accomplish is to make him more confident, more demanding, more contemptuous of you – in other words, your weakness literally transforms him into an even bigger and more dangerous bully. Islamic militants regard goodwill gestures and concessions as nothing more than contemptible weakness and an irresistible invitation to take advantage.

To forgive, forget, and accept are noble notions for citizens of any nation. Yet, tolerance and multiculturalism should not be confused with the acceptance of radical ideology and appeasement of uncivilized hate mongers.

We need to keep in mind that fighting a war against terror is not a popularity contest. It is a fight for survival. Global jihad can succeed only if we lose the battle for our own hearts and minds.

Determining Our Future – What To Do

This country was built on actions not words. For a long time many of us have pondered how we, as individuals and as a society, could make a difference in this fight against terror and bring about more peace in the world. Here are a few recommendations:

Celebrating Courage

To be truly free we must have the confidence of knowing that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from anyone who may try to force their will upon us. We must cultivate the ability to resist oppression of any kind and be prepared to defend ourselves from those who want to terrorize us. Being free is about never being afraid to speak your mind, doing what you believe in and becoming who you truly want to be. I believe that free Americans are fearless Americans.

This is why I have founded FearlessAmericans.com. This unique website is design as a platform to empower Americans to cultivate courage and by so doing promote the ideals of liberty.