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Will Power Decides the Winner

Domenick J. Maglio, Ph.D. Neo-Traditionalist

People love a winner. At the height of any nation’s prowess they face few challengers. The confidence of the dominant nation leads to the establishment of a pecking order. Our enemies have noticed the crack in our armor, disunity. Our invincibility has been shattered and replaced by vulnerability.

Historically nations have simulated war through sports. Two individuals or teams competing against each other in a sport are similar in many respects to war except for the major factor of time. There is no official buzzer ending the war and anointing a winner. Defeat only happens in war when one side gives up.

Resolve or lack of it is the difference between winning and losing a war. George Washington’s strength as a leader was his ability to keep his troop’s morale up after suffering at the hands of the superior British forces with defeat after defeat and retreat after retreat. He knew the colonies could outlast the British if his forces remained committed. The colonies did prevail and the United States was born.

Like Britain in the revolution, the U.S. militarily dominated Sadam’s forces. In the first week of our invasion of Iraq it was widely reported by the national media that we were in a Vietnam-type quagmire. After the capture of Baghdad in a spectacularly short two week period, the media’s attention focused on praising the cowardly insurgent’s killing and maiming of innocent civilians rather than reporting acts of heroism or elation of the Iraqi people being freed from tyranny. All the horrors of the war torn country are attributed to our troops. The subversion of the media’s role has been like a “Chinese water torture” brainwashing our public perception against the war effort.

It is evident the terrorist’s only strategy for winning is by killing their own citizens to grab the headlines in the American media. Like the Vietnam War this war can only be lost through anti-American propaganda spread by our own media. America can only lose the will to win by being undermined from within.

The press is creating an illusion of inevitable defeat. Serious division within a society over a war encourages the enemy’s resolve while eroding ours. The movie and television industry creates anti war productions fanning the flames of America hatred. The president of the United States is no longer able to preempt television programming to speak directly to the people.

In our media driven world perception is reality. Information is currently filtered through the communication industry to support its worldview and not present an accurate picture.

During WWII the newsreels were instrumental in keeping America’s morale high even when enduring the 295,000 American casualties. Hollywood glorified the heroics and successes of our soldiers throughout the war effort.

No unbiased person can argue against bringing freedom to an oppressed society. My nephew, and over 20 other Iraq war veterans who I have personally met, experienced real successes while stationed in Iraq. All were optimistic about the U.S. effort and thought it necessary to improve the lives of the Iraqi people.

Our country cannot win without having the wisdom to understand wars are wars. There is a flow of ups and downs when fighting a formidable enemy. The weakening of purpose by highlighting failure instead of success leads to surrender. Commitment to doing whatever it takes to win ensures victory.

The media’s unique position in a democracy is to present all the true facts not to ignore some and report others giving a skewed view to influence the American public. We Americans are free to avoid being exposed to blatant politically driven ideology. The true meaning of a free press is reporting the facts, not one’s agenda.

Victory, not defeat, will preserve our freedom. Presenting all the facts will allow American citizens to determine the destiny of our country with the media assisting not deciding the fate of the nation. Demanding unbiased reporting from the media will strengthen our will power to ensure victory in this noble cause of liberation.