I think the answer to this question is the real gulf between those who virulently oppose Bush's policies and those who support them.

There are many in this country who don't really think we're at war. They roll their eyes at the phrase "War on Terror" (and I'll admit not liking it much, but not seeing much of a better alternative). It is much more descriptive of actual war than either the "War on Drugs" or a liberal equivalent, LJB's "War on Poverty".

As Christopher Hitchens points out, we're at war with those who follow fascist, radical strains of Islam, who wish to supplant all other forms of government with Islamic law, and kill those they consider infidels. The "War on Terror" is unfortunately named, because 9/11 wasn't the defining act of a conflict with all terrorism (it had nothing to do with the IRA, or Italian anarchists, and though these groups perpetrate terrorism, to lump them into the conflict is a distraction).

The "War Against Islamofascism" would be more descriptive, but it just doesn't roll off the tongue as well. But the fact remains: We're at war. No country or entity has ever successfully attacked our financial and defense centers. And if blowing out a wall of the Pentagon isn't an act of war, I don't know what the hell is.

And yet, from their insinuations and intonations, I very much get the feeling that some of the people I talk to don't believe that we're actually engaged in a widespread international war against radical Islamic adherents. They roll their eyes at warnings and alerts, and make it sound like the whole thing is an illusory concoction by the current Administration.

So I'll just ask straight out: Do you think we're at war, not just with individual countries, but with radical Islamic terrorist groups?