Degrade and Destroy? That's Not War! I'll Show You War!

President Obama promised to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State (IS).  What does that mean, exactly?  It wasn't much of a strategy, lacking in any substantive material and wholly deprived of any teeth.

This is not war and it will not be effective.  It will result in the situation becoming worse, the US garnering more world resistance, and an increase in terrorist activity.  Attacking an enemy over the long term, picking away at them, only serves to piss them off and steel their resolve for revenge.

You want to know about war?  Forget this "degrade and destroy" bullshit and let me show you how to deal with enemies.

Why Israel Agreed to a Truce and Why It's Not Over

Israel agreed to terms with Hamas, brokered by Egypt, for a cease-fire, ending the latest round of fighting between the two entities.  PM Netanyahu declared victory, as did Hamas, but the fighting is far from over and Israel knows it.

What's behind the hasty agreement and what's looming in the near future?

How Your U.S. Tax Dollars are Funding the Islamic State!

A few stories have surfaced recently about how the Islamic State (IS) funds its rather sophisticated and technologically-savvy operation.  This tactic was used by Al-Qaeda (and many other terrorist organizations not even related to a jihad) and it involves a simple, effective principle: hostages.

European governments are likely to pay seven-figure ransom sums to terrorists.

If the Islamic State Conquers Baghdad...

There's a lot going on in the world right now, especially in the Mid-East, but the once headline-grabbing ISIS advance (and subsequent declaration of an Islamic Caliphate) seems to have taken second place to events around Israel, Ukraine, and Family Dollar (trending higher than Gaza on Google News, as of this writing).

What happens when the I.S. overruns Baghdad?  What are strategic and political complications?