The Islamic State is getting exactly what it wants, it seems, with all the war talk from France’s President Francois Hollande. According to some notion of “international law,” it seems that according to those laws a state of war can only officially exist between two sovereign states. That is exactly what the Islamic State wants. It wants to carve out a chunk of Syria and a chunk of Iraq and become its own country.

In that way, it will have a legitimate base from which to launch its fundamentalist Islamic holy war on whoever in the world happens to be displeasing them at the time, according to The Los Angeles Times. What the bombings in Beirut, Paris and Mali have really done is given First World governments the excuse to crack down on freedoms at home. France has already extended its governmental decree of no more gatherings in public. Seems freedom of assembly has made a last gasp in France.

Of course, freedom of assembly and speech are under attack everywhere, not just in France. The challenge rests with the citizenry. Once an actual war has begun, it is impossible for the citizens of a country to control the actions of the bureaucrats and politicians. They have carte blanche to do anything they want.

The fact remains that such a war with the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq will not be won by the West without sending in thousands and thousands of soldiers. Despite all of the ridiculous rhetoric and ignorant statements pouring from the mouths of politicians and would-be presidential candidates, the vast majority of Americans do not have the stomach for another ten year war commitment like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most Americans side with the president who has said he will not commit ground troops.

Hollande, like all politicians addicted to wealth and power, has begun the process of changing his country’s constitution so that it makes it far easier for him to enact certain “special powers” so that he can pretty much do what he wants.