Michael Barone, writing on his blog,  reproduces a blogospheric conversation between Oxford Prof. Timothy Garton Ash, Col. Austin Bay (Ret), and Richard Fernandez (Wretchard), writing for The Belmont Club.

As Barone observes, “Only in the blogosphere: an interchange between Oxford, San Antonio, and Sydney.”

Wretchard’s part of that conversation concludes:

The underlying reason why America is doing so poorly in the field of "information warfare" against the Jihad is that its traditional organs of articulation -- the academy, media, Hollywood -- are largely hostile to the War on Terror itself. It's conceivable that an Iranian might flee persecution only to be taught at a US university that he ought to embrace it by the many academic departments whose point of view is exactly that. In a fundamental sense, the War on Terror is twinned to the greatest single issue dividing the Left and Right, which is whether the United States, as a nation, is legitimate or whether, as some would maintain, it is Amerika: an abomination whose demise must be hastened by any means necessary.

A Commenter at the Belmont Club, Cannoneer #4  , notes:

Government is paralyzed. The traditional organs are hostile. If the job is to get done non-traditional organs must arise. There is a milbloggers conference next month. Milbloggers, bloggers, and commenters are a logical nucleus for a Civilian Information Militia / Information Warfare Volunteer Corps.

I know Mrs. Dadmanly isn’t too keen on me volunteering for anything these days, not after an 18 month activation and 10 months in Iraq, but… I am participating in the MILBLOG Conference Cannoneer #4 mentions. I am convinced that MILBLOGGERS         are an essential piece of the US Information Operations (IO) effort in the Global War on Terror.

I am sure efforts like the upcoming Conference will play an important role in further defining Missions, Strategy and War Plans for the Army of Davids.