&gt; The stated goal of Islamic State is to establish a caliphate across the world.<p>With a bit of our help they might just achieve that. Are you aware that IS is trying to establish itself in Pakistan?<p>&gt; The stated values and de facto policy of Islamic State is in opposition to Western values such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and association.<p>Yes, and why does this bother you?<p>The same goes for many other countries and I don&#x27;t see us bombing those.<p>&gt; Who gives a fuck what Islamic State wants us to do?<p>Well, I do. If my opponent wants me to make a certain move to further his own goals then the worst thing I can do is to give in to the temptation to act against my own interests and in his interests. That&#x27;s not &#x27;intellectually bankrupt&#x27;, that&#x27;s seeing two moves ahead and deciding that the outcome of the most tempting option is actually a net-negative for our side.<p>&gt; We need to do what is strategically sound.<p>Precisely.<p>&gt; If that happens to be what IS wants, why should that matter one iota beyond the strategic calculus?<p>Because the strategic calculus should involve the long term result of our actions and not taking that element into account will make matters <i>much</i> worse. This is how we got into this mess in the first place. Lots of things that seemed to be good ideas at the time with a very limited strategic horizon in mind and no long term plan.