searching for a metaphor

"The Center for American Progress and Foreign Policy magazine released their third edition of the Terrorism Index in August 2007. The survey of over 100 national security experts from across the ideological spectrum found that an overwhelming 84 percent disagreed with the statement that 'the United States is winning the war on terror.' The persistent threat of Al Qaeda seven years after 9/11, as shown in the State Department’s report and by other U.S. government professionals, only reinforces these opinions. The Bush administration has failed to advance comprehensive strategies for preserving American power, security, and leadership in the world and eliminating the real terrorist threats we face in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in Iraq, and in the broader counterterrorism mission."

A metaphor for our war on terror and its failure: the United States a dog attacked by fleas. The dog's solution is to scratch itself raw, bite at itself until it is exhausted. The fleas are encouraged by the dog's futile efforts, continue to breed and multiply. For every flea killed a half-dozen spring up to take its place. The dog is finally driven mad by the itching, proceeds to eviscerate itself.