Our Post-9/11 Reality (Rep. Tom Davis)

As in the almost-50-year-long Cold War against Soviet Communism, our post-9/11 reality has to be defined by constant vigilance and willingness to use all instruments of national power, not just the military, to advance the cause of human freedom.

We need to employ the same principles that won the Cold War – grow stronger economically, protect civil liberties, maintain a robust national defense and win the struggle of ideas through frank words and honest dealings at home and abroad.

As a nation with global responsibilities, we need to climb out of the domestic political trenches and reclaim the high ground so dearly purchased six years ago. We need to lower the rhetorical volume, raise our sights toward a more secure future and take the long view that only confidence in the universality of human freedom can sustain.