Scott Hibbard

Islamo‐fascism and America’s long war

Despite its many failings, the discourse of Islamo‐fascism continues to influence American foreign policy debates. Many Bush Administration policies have consequently remained in tact because the frame of political debate has remained largely unchanged. This is problematic for any number of reasons, but primarily because the challenge of Islamic militancy has very little to with the competing values which is the essence of the Islamo‐fascist discourse. Rather, America’s long war with Islamist militant groups is deeply rooted in the pursuit of American strategic interest, and is a byproduct of the American government’s long‐term support for a dysfunctional regional order in the Middle East and South Asia. Clarifying the nature of these ideological debates – and more accurately understanding the nature of the problem that needs to be solved – is the first step toward developing a more constructive foreign policy and extricating the Obama Administration from the legacy of its predecessor.