It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

We have John Kerry, secretary of state, saying that times have never been better, casualties from terrorism are down, everything is hunky dory.  We have James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, saying the terrorism problem is the worst it has been since they started keeping records.  On the same day we have these two summaries.  Both given in front of Congress. 
   So who is right?  Well Kerry is an airhead, been one for a long time.  Dunno much about Clapper.  But neither of them look back very far. 
   For a real existential threat to our country, look back to the 1930's.  The Nazi's , with the Japanese for side kicks, were a real threat.  It took the longest, bloodiest, deadliest war in all of history to stop them.  We might have lost WWII if the enemy hadn't made so many mistakes.  The Nazi's could have beaten us to the bomb, and that would have been that.  Hitler would have nuked London and then New York, and kept on doing it till we had nothing left. 
   And, then there was the cold war.  The Soviets had plenty of nukes, enough to turn our country into a coast-to-coast slagheap.  One misstep,  say in Berlin, or Cuba, and boom, no more US of A.
   Compared to those two, now extinct threats,  the IS/ISIS/ISIL thing, while a pain in the tush, is just not that deadly, yet. 
   Of course we aren't doing anything about the IS/ISIS/ISIL threat.  We can't even figure out what to call them, let along how to squash them. 

Anti Terrorist Operations

John Kerry spent some TV airtime explaining that what we are doing in Iraq and Syria are "anti-terrorist operations" NOT a war on ISIS.   Sounds like Kerry just wants to do some fireworks displays and go home.  "Operations" are something you can just declare to be over.  If he were to call it a war, then the country would expect victory, which he has no desire to produce. 

The Escape Hatch Opens in Syria

Looks like Obama has found a way to avoid striking Syria and saving some face.  Kerry proposed a deal where Assad gives up his chemical weapons and we don't bomb him.  And, bingo, the Russians take us up on it.  Details are unclear, but Congress will be able to avoid voting for military action that the voters are dead set against, and the democrats in Congress will be able to avoid hanging Obama out to dry. 
   Looks like the famous collision between the irresistible force and the immovable object has been side stepped. 
   Side stepping is so attractive to every one that it will probably take place.   
   Now we can get on with the debt limit, the budget, Obamacare, immigration,  IRS, EPA, and what to do about Detroit.