War: what happens when this word suddenly reemerges without any clear meaning and is accompanied by enthusiasm, not horror? What is war, actually, as the word spoken amidst the lively prattle in Californian cafes, shouted out on the dusty streets of Islamabad, or pronounced in the crowded mosques of Kabul?

The CNN channel on your TV might bear a banner that reads, "America’s New War", with an American flag attached at the bottom, and you