Customer Reviews

War Footing: 10 Steps America Must Take to Prevail in the War for the Free World

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Regarding President Bush's handling of the war on terrorism and the invasion of Iraq, "Something is missing in the Bush administration's approach, and in manifests itself in a number of inadequate and sometimes even feckless steps that fail to produce a determined effort, a coherent strategy, or a rallied nation." Written by a head-in-the-sand liberal? Anti-Bush, anti-war activist? Try R. James Woolsey, President Regan's CIA director, who notes, "Even among those of us who support...President Bush...there persists a pervasive disquiet. [Emphasis added.]

Thus begins the Foreword to one of the most disturbing--even terrifying--books on the state of the world today, War Footing, by Frank J. Gaffney, former assistant secretary for defense for international security policy under President Reagan and founder of the Center for Security Policy.

Some books startle you from the beginning, shaking you out of complacency into a new understanding. Others build slowly, often reminding you of what you've already read, but by putting the various links together in new ways, leave you shaken, distressed, and muttering, "I never thought about it that way before." War Footing is in the latter category. Whatever one's political philosophy--and there's enough in the book to offend everyone--I can't imagine anyone rejecting Gaffney's opening argument that this book is "your owner's manual for the War for the Free World." Whether one accepts the entire thesis or not, this book is a serious, must-read book for anyone concerned about what's going on in the world--we ignore it at our own peril.

No one escapes Gaffney's criticism: the administration's strategic myopia and pathetic attempts at public diplomacy, the Defense Department's refusal to understand the nature of the enemy, the State Department's undermining of administration policy, corporations who knowingly do business with countries supporting terrorist activities, and the entire country for refusing to take concrete steps that could be implemented quickly and relatively painlessly to end our suicidal dependence on foreign oil.

Making a clear distinction between the majority of Muslims who pose no threat, Gaffney identifies what he calls "the new totalitarians," Islamofascists, and compares them and their goals with those of Hitler, Stalin, and other fascists determined to create a new world order--one in which Americans aren't welcome.

War Footing is not a dense, policy wonk's dissertation, although there are times one wishes he'd written the thousand-page companion--it is, as he describes, a manual. At 270 pages, he sets out ten specific steps that need to be taken immediately if we are to survive the coming decades.

At the same time, he examines the world, region by region, exposing the growing Islamofascist threat. It shouldn't be news to anyone that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is a dictatorial thug who has done everything, including killing wannabe voters, to rig the current election. And yet, in the Saturday, December 10th Washington Post, the failure of his efforts--and our billion-dollar a year support became clear with the following headline: "Banned Islamic Movement Now the Main Opposition in Egypt."

If it were only Egypt, perhaps one could relax, but there is literally no world area that, in one way or another, is immune from the Islamofascists or in league with them to thwart American interests. One might take exception to some of Gaffney's claims, but if he's only fifty percent right, America is woefully unprepared--both to confront the problems overseas and manage them at home. In the same edition of the Post was a disquieting report that our crisis communications systems are no better than they were pre-9/11. More billions wasted.

Gaffney--and the considerable group of experts with whom he collaborated--fall well into the conservative arena, and, as a hard-core liberal, I found myself at times frustrated with some of the rhetoric. (I'm reassured by the fact that hard-core conservatives will be just as frustrated by his criticisms of the administration and big business.) But there's no question that Russia and China continue to act against our interests around the world, that the Saudis continue to spread and fund the most virulent form of Islamic extremism, that Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are at risk of being taken over by the Islamofascists, that demographic, economic, and immigration problems in Europe threaten that continent's future viability...and that America isn't having the kind of open, honest dialogue necessary to fully understand and respond to the real world.

A remarkable piece of work in that it is:
- comprehensive, covering the spectrum of security challenges and threats
- readable, in that it is written in plain English for a lay audience, not for policy wonks
- informative, in that it addresses challenges that seldom make it into the narrow vision of the US news outlets
It is unsettling, as it needs to be.

At last, a Unified Field Theory of what America needs
to do! Not just a laundry list of current threats,
problems and challenges, this comprehensive volume
transcends mere hand-wringing to delineate specific,
viable solutions to each of the major dangers we face
as a civilization today: be it oil dependency, illegal
immigration, indirect corporate funding of terrorism,
or more exotic doomsday scenarios such as the one
outlined in the chilling EMP chapter, "War Footing"
defines the problem, then gives extremely specific
steps we need to take to achieve the solution in each
case. A crucial, timely text that ultimately
transcends party/political lines.

This is the first book I have strongly urged anyone to buy, ever. It is the most chilling book I have yet read and It should be required reading for every American, because it will take a few million of us to become politically active enough to start making a difference.
"Is it accurate?" The contributors all have very strong pedigrees and it is heavily footnoted. Researching the footnotes reveals that not only is Gaffney & company not exaggerating, in some cases they may be understating the threat.

This is not about liberals and conservatives. This is about having the freedom of choice and the way of life we enjoy today. I urge you to buy it, read it, and pass this information on to your trusted networks. We must get this knowledge in the hands of as many Americans as possible, and quickly.
Here are some of the subjects it explores:
1. The rise of Islamofascism, a totalitarian ideology that masquerades as religion; how it is funded; and how it threatens today's Free World and how it poses an even more immediate menace to the majority of Muslims who do not agree with their agenda.
2. The very real nuclear threat to the U.S. that makes bombing a major city small by comparison; and what our threats 1) know about it, and/or 2) could possess the technology.
3. The rise of totalitarian regimes in oil-rich states and the rising economic and military power of one not-so-oil-rich nation; including Dictator Hugo Chavez' rise to power, his dismantling of Venezuela's democracy, his intentions for the US and how he'll pay for it.
4. What the porous ness of our border system means to our country's security.
5. The alliances (of 1 & 3 above) that the "bad guys" have formed or are forming; their goals and objectives.
6. The international political war that our enemies are waging against the Free World, and our lack of effective response.
7. And several subjects regarding "return-on-investment" for Federal funds expenditure directly relating to our national security.
At each step of the way, the book spells out what must be done. Much can be done by the American people, becoming pro-active and working to shape the policies and actions of the politicians, and other government/corporate institutions who can turn the tide.

This is a great book and really explains, in one place, every aspect of the war we are facing: from what needs to be done from a military point of view, to cultural initiatives. It explains that we are NOT fighting the religion of Islam, we are fighting people who hold the IDEOLOGY of (Saudi Wahhabist) islamo-fascism, or "Islamism", (or just: Islamic fundamentalism). This book discusses everything from illegal immigration, to EMP attacks (electromagnetic pulse attacks that would knock out our infrastructure). This book puts it all together in one book. Each page contains insights that cut right to the chase, without any "grandstanding". There is more in this book of real value than in 10 other books on the subject, combined. I just hope our politicians are reading it.

This is a book that should (but won't be) read by every adult American. It presents in clear, readible text the nature of the threat that our nation faces. It then sets forth the 10 steps that America must take if we are to prevail. We ARE in World War III and have been for over 20 years, but most Americans are not aware of it. If we don't wake up soon it is going to be too late and we will have lost our nation and our freedom. Read this book and WAKE UP AMERICA!! PLEASE, if you don't have this book, get it, read it and pass it's ideas on. It's vital. Herman Son - A retired warrior.

This book details some of the best methods for dealing with homeland security,oil dependency,jihadist and radical regimes,and an emerging China to challenge the U.S..I wish that George Bush had followed these ideas that deal with our weak spots of our nation's security.Even some critics of Bush would back some of these suggestions as a plan for true homeland security

Every US citizen who cares about their continued safety and the ongoing freedom of this country should read this book. The 10 steps that Mr. Gaffney outlines in it are frightening, enlightening and motivational all at the same time.

I truly believe that this book, and the principles within it should be part of the required curriculum taught to our children in all public schools in the US.

Gaffney may be one of the most articulate spokesmen on national security today. His fluency with critical defense issues and their financial implications is impressive. We at AmericaPAC.org applaud his effort with "War Footing" and encourage everyone who is interested in how to prevail in the war for the free world to read the book tonight!

This book was an eye-opener for me. I can't believe that our leaders haven't put all 10 steps into action to win the war for the free world. This book made me realize that we all have to get actively involved in preserving the freedoms we enjoy today and ensuring that our children and grandchildren understand the threats we face and how much we have to lose.