Ode to Surrender

This past week brought the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 1,000th death of a US serviceman in Iraq. For interpretations of these landmark events, we turn to selected members of the media.

First, from the National Review, ethnic Pakistani, practicing Muslim, and international affairs expert Mansoor Ijaz, explaining why he believes the global jihadist movement is now in ruins:

This is largely a function of the sacrifices made by our fallen heroes - the men and women of the U.S. armed forces, and their Coalition colleagues - in the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Their courage and valor in conflict zones has battered the very thesis - that the enemy is too corrupt of mind, too decadent in spirit, and too weak of body to sustain the battle to victory - on which bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, have sent thousands of "martyrs" to their deaths.

Next, from the Star Tribune, kitchen table pundit and soccer mom Kim Ode on the lessons she's learned since 9/11:

Maybe there's no end to this death tally, not if we're claiming each tragedy as our kin. Maybe the numbers will just go on and on. Because the war on terror isn't looking winnable, not the way we're going.

From the cozy confines of whatever western suburb she lives in, Kim runs up the white flag. Corrupt of mind, decadent of spirit, and weak of body, thy name is Ode.

Unfortunately for bin Laden and his planned global jihad, Ode's kind aren't represented in the Administration of the current President, nor do they represent the majority of Americans. The majority of Star Tribune readers - maybe. The majority of Star Tribune editorial writers - almost certainly.