What would Reagan do?

Below are excerpt from an imaginary address by Ronald Reagan written by Newt Gingrich:

My fellow Americans:

We have all been saddened and outraged by the vicious videotape of ISIS terrorists beheading an American journalist. Our hearts go out to James Foley's family.

However, anger and sympathy are not solutions.

We, the American people, must come together in a righteous determination to defend freedom and civilization from barbarism, savagery and terrorism.

We must calmly, methodically and with the same grim determination we brought to winning World War II, implement strategies that eliminate the growing worldwide threat of radical Islamists prepared to kill us as individuals and our values as a civilization.

ISIS and its worldwide terrorist allies have become the focus of evil in the modern world.

We were saddened but not surprised by the vicious, barbaric video of the killing of James Foley. Back in January we noted that ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, gave a speech in which he warned America, "Soon we'll be in direct confrontation, so watch out for us, for we are with you, watching." They have promised to raise their black flag over the White House.

The 12,000 terrorists from over 50 countries should understand that they can surrender or we will hunt them down. Terrorists who videotape beheadings operate outside the rule of law and in the tradition of eliminating piracy they will be dealt with as outlaws.

In confronting an evil that seeks to kill us and destroy our civilization, our goal must be complete and decisive victory.

America and the forces of freedom need your prayers in this daunting campaign.

Together, civilization will prevail and barbarism will return to the dustbin of history.

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Like I said these are extracts from the imaginary address. In the address Gingrinch has Reagan go into a little bit of history of radical Islam which would now days would bore the low-info voter and Reagan’s strategy. Reagan would use the word ‘evil.’ I sincerely believe that. He would not state that ISIS is not Islamic or even a state. If ISIS is not Islamic then why are different Muslims in England and America are joining these cockroaches? Surely, they wouldn’t join them if they weren’t. I guess ISIS could be lying about who they are but I doubt it. It’s good that Obama said we are going after ISIS. Now if he would only execute the plan.

Here is what Reagan really said about peace and war:

[P]eace is not obtained or preserved by wishing and weakness.

I’ve called for whatever it takes to be so strong that no other nation will dare violate the peace. If that means superiority, so be it.

And here’s what Glenn Beck said Obama should have said (an extract):

This is not some long protracted war, America has had enough of war. We’ve had enough of playing footsie, of saying, ‘Let’s embrace and understand.’ There is no understanding or tolerating evil. Period. You’re chopping the heads off of people. You’re selling people into slavery. You’re saying you can use woman any way you want. America, it doesn’t look like we have many standards, but we have a few basic standards. Slavery is wrong. Sexual slavery is wrong. Beheading people is wrong. Forcing them to submit to your ideology is wrong. And America will stand united on that, and we’re coming for you. Don’t screw with us.

We will not rebuild you. We do not want your resources. We do not want part of your religious war. You are trying to separate the Middle East, Sunni against Shia. You are trying to take over the movement of a once great and powerful religion, one that gave the world so much. … We have no fight with the Muslim people. But you want to bring it to our shores, you want to bring it to our people, you want to bring it to our journalists? Make no mistake: we will pound you into glass. And then we’ll take our airplanes and we’ll go home.

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Beck makes an interesting point. He says Obama at first says he didn’t have a plan. Now, he does. So, where did the plan come from? And can we trust the plan’s creators?

Here’s the deal: ISIS thinks of themselves as warriors in a holy war. Therefore the only people they understand as adversaries are other warriors. Talk ie speeches is cheap to them. Action on the other hand, especially action that threatens them—that will get their attention. That will make them nervous. The ancient radical Muslims understood the Knights Templar. They might have even respected them as warriors. But respect for a community organizer? Even one with a Muslim-sounding name? I don’t think so.