That said, the Bush administration's preemptive, post 9/11 posture has been highly effective at thwarting new homeland attacks. This feat is even more impressive when you consider the divisive, non-stop congressional infighting over whether the U.S. should repel future terror strikes as a matter of law enforcement or national security?

But when it comes to the former, apparently the only thing mankind has ever learned from history is that - mankind has never learned from history. It seems hope springs eternal within liberal Western cultures that the changing face of tyranny can somehow be deterred via jurist prudence or appeased if the right mix of diplomatic concessions are proffered. History though, begs to differ.

Empires - It's fashionable to refer to this era of U.S. history as "Pax Americana." Citing striking similarities, historians have compared the American enterprise to the former empires of Athens and Rome. Athens pursued security by installing democratic governments in hostile Greek nation-states. And the Roman republic established control of its empire's spread through commerce and taxation. But if American influence can be likened to an empire, surely it's of benevolent intent.

Multi-front wars - Draw first blood or lay siege to U.S. strategic interests though, and super-power justice will be prosecuted with dispatch. Attack two U.S. cities, and we topple two rogue governments. However, the weary business of nation building in Afghanistan and Iraq, or the anarchy we'd leave behind after retreat, are sobering realities of having to "carry the water" in defense of the free world. But if forced to wage war on terror, surely it's better to engage the fight abroad.

Tyranny - Consistent with history, the changing face of tyranny still looks to vanquish liberty. It's been suggested that World War II was about Nazis, using Germany to impose the reign of the perfect race, the Aryan race; the Cold War was about Marxists, using the Soviet Union to impose the reign of the perfect class, the working class; and 9/11 heralded the era of religious totalitarians, Muslims utilizing terror to impose the reign of the perfect faith, political Islam.

Proxies - President Bush has labeled terror's advance as the ideological struggle of the 21^st century. With increasing effectiveness, Islamic Salafist and jihadist movements have been attacking Western population centers for the last 30-years. Moribund, virulent strains of Islam's Sunni and Shia sects compete for terror notoriety by way of spectacular assaults through miscreant organs like al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad - to usher-in a caliphate or imamate reign.

Patrons - More troubling still are fascist nation-states that unleash these proxy attacks on the West. While Russia and China appear content to battle U.S dominance only for world markets, they're actively aiding and abetting the nuclear aspirations of the North Korean pariah and the terror masters in Iran. Consequently, the existential threats to U.S. interests today are unprecedented. Fortunately, the Bush doctrine treats terror and its sponsors as one and the same.

Secure the homeland - Clearly, the next chapter of our nation's manifest destiny requires we adopt a long view as it relates to protecting the mainland if we're to sustain the American experiment. And history suggests that security begins with fortifying our borders and ports. While America remains a magnet for émigrés worldwide, our existing immigration laws must also be strictly enforced.

Exhaust diplomacy - As history attests, the policy of "peace through strength" offers a compelling argument. But in addition to carrying a "big stick," we must continue to "walk softly" by exhausting diplomatic initiatives first. Even if it only exposes the excesses of tyranny and the impotence of the UN, multi-lateral negotiations lend more credence to Western ideals than does unilateral power.

Defend Liberty - But where diplomacy fails to check the spread of tyranny or the menace of terror, prosecuting a just war is imperative. That said, establishing a reason for hope is what secures the promise of future peace. In 1775 there were no democracies. Then came the American Revolution, which raised the number to one. Now, some 230-years later there are 117, accounting for 61% of the world's governments. Only governance by the governed ensures peace between nations.

According to historian Victor Davis Hanson, "we are in one of the rare periods of fundamental transformation in world history - as the U.S. pledges its blood and treasure in a dangerous and daring attempt to bring the Middle East, kicking and screaming, into the family of democratic nations and free societies." And since darker alternatives are unthinkable, we must summon the will to stay the course.

Because the lessons of history are clear, I challenge you to be steadfast in support of our Commander in Chief. Send me to Washington and I'll counter those who prize expedience over duty, in the mission critical engagements that advance global liberty. For additional information on securing peace through preemption of existential threats, visit http://www.tannerforsenate.com/security.htm .

As the 911 Commission concluded, "We are safer, but we're not safe." In the final analysis, the security of the free world is a journey, not a destination.

Let's walk together.