When Patrick Henry orated for military action against the British, he finished his speech with the famous phrase, "give me liberty or give me death." The oft repeated assertion represents a high-point of American exceptionalism. But that phrase alone does not adequately represent Patrick Henry's argument. For while he used the word "give", he understood that freedom is never given. In the broader context, his closing offers up a deeper truth: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" What Patrick Henry was really calling for was not a gift of freedom but a will to fight for it. He recognized the fundamental truth that freedom cannot be given, only earned.

A will to fight is what we are sorely lacking. Speaking to war torn Britain in 1940, Winston Churchill implored his countrymen to stand strong, such that a 1000 years hence future generations would look back and say, "This was their finest hour". How will our descendents regard today's American resolve? If things continue down their present course, this will surely be regarded as our weakest hour. Never before have a people so strong been incapable of winning against an enemy so militarily weak. But that is where we sit today, incapable of defeating our enemies for no other reason then we refuse to try.

Granted, Global Jihad is not a typical enemy. It's tied to no single country, and instead manifests itself across all borders and boundaries. Its fighters do not merely follow the orders of some government official, but are true believers in their cause, capable of acting decisively without instruction. Global Jihad is a shared ideology with self-confidence, determination and aspirations for a global empire; a deadly combination. In contrast, America is following the example of Europe and tossing its shared ideology in favor of a secularist conglomeration of identity groups. When Theodore Roosevelt was warning against the rise of "hyphenated Americans", he referred to Americanism as "a matter of the spirit and of the soul." Europe has already lost its soul, and America is quickly losing its as well.

The stark reality is that many, particularly in Europe but also a growing number here in America, believe in nothing. When you worship at the altar of multiculturalism, embracing all values but believing in none, you have nothing to fight for. The result of this ideological paralysis is being played out right before our eyes. Americans need to watch closely as our cross-Atlantic brethren commit suicide by acquiescence. Lacking convictions, Europe was ripe to be conquered by the first strongly held ethos to come its way. As a result, Islamic radicalism is now sweeping across Europe like wildfire. If Americans cannot find our common cause again, we could be next.

It is not that we are incapable of waging war, as we do that quite well. Against a standard enemy with an army, tanks and planes we have no problem calling to arms. But our eventual victory in such battles is quite assured, thanks to our superior forces and technology. Where we stumble is against an enemy of ideology where our victory is not assured. That is the new kind of war we face. The rules have changed. Women and children are no longer respected; they are targeted. Land and borders are no longer strategic objectives; they are largely irrelevant. We need a strong soul to win this war.

We have a soul, but it's hidden away like an embarrassing child. European elitists scorn at American exceptionalism as a sign of barbarity and American leftists gleefully concede the point. In their view we are behind the times in our refusal to relinquish control of our lives to our government and control of our national safety to transnational organizations that function as little more than tyrant debate clubs. But they have it backwards; American exceptionalism and self-reliance is not the problem, it's the solution. It's the only solution. The ideological battlefield is not limited to the mountains of Afghanistan or the sands of Iraq, it's being fought right here in America. Every important decision that we turn over to the government, from education to health care, is a defeat for American exceptionalism and a victory for our enemies. In order to achieve their goals, jihadists must rely on a weak America incapable of sustaining her will for survival. And the bigger our government gets, the more our survival instinct dissolves.

This is a war that every American can participate in. Recognize that there do exist ideals that are righteous and worth fighting for. Believe in your hearts that the world is better, rather than worse, thanks to America. Understand that individualism and self-reliance are the bedrocks of American exceptionalism. When you do these things, you are defeating our enemies.

Cross-posted at Conservative Compendium.