Since terrorism is an Idea and NOT a person,aren't we fighting this'War' all wrong?

Yup. I've been saying that for a while now. And even if you wanted to stop the idea from being put into action, you'd need to go about it differently. Instead of invading other countries, bombing their infrastructure into rubble, and then forcing our political system and values upon an unwilling population...how about we work on creating a global anti-terrorist network with the cooperation of law enforcement and governments of our allies and...oh wait...thanks to Dubya, we hardly have any allies anymore. Nevermind...

Ideas are intangible so strictly speaking, you cant win a war against an idea. When some people hold and act on ideas others find objectionable the best course of action is to attempt to convince your opponent to at least drop their idea and find something else, or at best to become a fellow believer. This is what diplomacy is all about. When people see nothing but despair around them, when they have (or believe they have) no hope of gaining a decent life through normal means, when they really have nothing to lose, these are the majority of your terrorists and they can be dealt with by killing them (which tends to exacerbate the problem and breeds more terrorists) or you can start trying to seriously address the issues that cause such hopelessness in the first place. There will still be hardcore religious nuts and sociopaths and what nots... but if you stop creating fertile ground for them to recruit in, the scope of the problem drops dramatically.

Terrorism is a form of war. The borders are not defined, and the methods are most often a surprise. The motive is to create fear, not to take over something. We are fighting this war the wrong way, but not because terrorism is an idea. We are fighting it because our enemy is not a united defined country, but individuals who are only effective when they remain covert and in secrecy. However, we are fighting this war in several ways. The way we read about, which is militarily, and yet here are some other ways: covertly, by proxy, by NOC, economically, chemically, psychologically, and technologically. The govt. is

doing stuff that we can't ever be allowed to hear about. There are always several sides to war. But most of this war is being fought behind the curtains so to speak. And I'm all for that. If they are going to be secretive, then we must also, for to play by the standard rules of engagement, we would be uselessly handcuffed. Your premise of an idea is wrong, but its a nice try.

I agree with you a hundred percent.... the wars are becoming ideological wars and no amount of military operation will fix the problem until those in charge realize that the only way for peace to arise is through understanding of the other sides perspective and acting in retrospect. Until we remain prejudiced and stubborn we won't be resolving a thing. But then again there's too much at stake materialistically as far as the oil is concerned for politicians to want to avoid the ideological explanation.

Of course...we've been doing this wrong since it started...bombing a whole country won't accomplish anything. Blame Bush.

Terrorism is an idea, that's true... but terrorISTS are people.

I couldn't agree with you more! finally an informed person speaking the truth!

it's about time.

People carry out the idea and make it happen!

We just fight the desperate ones