World War 4
Einstein said "I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Norman Podhoretz apparently disagrees, and has written a wonderful essay entitled "World War IV: How It Started, What It Means, and Why We Have to Win".
The essay is very broad, deep, and far-ranging. It covers the genesis of the War on Terrorism (ie World War 4, the Cold War was World War 3 according to Podhoretz) in the post-Vietnam era, right up to the present day. The essay is very complimentary of the Bush Doctrine for prosecuting the war, seeing it as a parallel to the Marshall Plan of the Cold War.
Podhoretz's essay is quite long; it took me several hours to read. It gives a good historical context to present day events, showing the roots in the cold war and the reaction of the American people to the retreat from Vietnam. The facts presented (along with a bibliography of references) cut the knees right out from under all arguments against the war on terrror, and the method by which the war has been executed. And for a history, it is remarkably up-to date, incorporating events as recent as this summer.
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