Comments on: Getting Beat in the War of Ideas http://comops.org/journal/2009/02/26/getting-beat-in-the-war-of-ideas/ A Journal of the Consortium for Strategic Communication Sun, 20 May 2012 16:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: JCG http://comops.org/journal/2009/02/26/getting-beat-in-the-war-of-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-206 JCG Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:06:29 +0000 http://comops.org/journal/?p=1096#comment-206 One can read the results of this poll and come to the opposite conclusion. AQ is NOT winning a "war of ideas." Despite its attempts to take a free ride on public opinion in the Muslim world, its own credibility has sunk. As the poll spells out, Muslims single out specific US policies they see as counter to THEIR interests. These concrete issues, combined, shape the belief that the U.S. is against Islam and Muslims. This dynamic, in various degrees of severity, was with us for decades before Bin Laden and unless the U.S. were to somehow alter how it defines the national interest, is unlikely to change. One way to think about AQ is that it is an opportunistic parasite that infects an open wound, making the wound more serious. In the absence of a "down-to-earth" agenda like other terrorist groups, it must take advantage of existing conflicts to keep the fire burning. If there is any "war of ideas" it is the lively and continuous debate within the Muslim world over politics, ideology and religion. One can read the results of this poll and come to the opposite conclusion. AQ is NOT winning a “war of ideas.” Despite its attempts to take a free ride on public opinion in the Muslim world, its own credibility has sunk. As the poll spells out, Muslims single out specific US policies they see as counter to THEIR interests. These concrete issues, combined, shape the belief that the U.S. is against Islam and Muslims. This dynamic, in various degrees of severity, was with us for decades before Bin Laden and unless the U.S. were to somehow alter how it defines the national interest, is unlikely to change.

One way to think about AQ is that it is an opportunistic parasite that infects an open wound, making the wound more serious. In the absence of a “down-to-earth” agenda like other terrorist groups, it must take advantage of existing conflicts to keep the fire burning. If there is any “war of ideas” it is the lively and continuous debate within the Muslim world over politics, ideology and religion.

]]> By: Bob King http://comops.org/journal/2009/02/26/getting-beat-in-the-war-of-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Bob King Sun, 08 Mar 2009 05:06:00 +0000 http://comops.org/journal/?p=1096#comment-203 I discovered your blog via a link on the blogs at the Army's Combined Arms Center (CAC) in Fort Leavenworth. Ironically, as you write about "Getting Beat in the War of Ideas", the CAC blogs have ongoing discussions where it seems some doubt that a "War of Ideas" even exists. In one recent example, a reader commented: "I do not believe the influence (metaphysical) war is analogous to the physical war." http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/BLOG/blogs/cgsc_student_blog/archive/2009/02/27/blog-policy-flawed.aspx I have no doubt there is room for significant improvement in our Strategic Communication efforts at the highest levels of government. But we also need to recognize this IS a "War of Ideas" and we must engage in that war with all of our assets. We can't afford to allow our enemies supremacy or superiority within cyberspace and the information domain. I discovered your blog via a link on the blogs at the Army’s Combined Arms Center (CAC) in Fort Leavenworth.

Ironically, as you write about “Getting Beat in the War of Ideas”, the CAC blogs have ongoing discussions where it seems some doubt that a “War of Ideas” even exists.

In one recent example, a reader commented: “I do not believe the influence (metaphysical) war is analogous to the physical war.”
http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/BLOG/blogs/cgsc_student_blog/archive/2009/02/27/blog-policy-flawed.aspx

I have no doubt there is room for significant improvement in our Strategic Communication efforts at the highest levels of government. But we also need to recognize this IS a “War of Ideas” and we must engage in that war with all of our assets.

We can’t afford to allow our enemies supremacy or superiority within cyberspace and the information domain.

]]> By: Weekend Readings « Caracas Gringo http://comops.org/journal/2009/02/26/getting-beat-in-the-war-of-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-201 Weekend Readings « Caracas Gringo Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:49:24 +0000 http://comops.org/journal/?p=1096#comment-201 [...] Getting Beat in the War of Ideas - A new study of public opinion in Muslim countries was released this week by WorldPublicOpinion.org (Comops) [...] [...] Getting Beat in the War of Ideas – A new study of public opinion in Muslim countries was released this week by WorldPublicOpinion.org (Comops) [...]

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