Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, Vice President Dick Cheney aggressively ridiculed Sen. John Kerry. Here is one of his well-quoted lines: "He talks about leading a more sensitive war on terror, as though al-Qaida will be impressed with our softer side.'' No doubt Mr. Cheney is trying to show with his aggressive rhetoric how aggressive tactics are what will win the campaign and win the war on terror. After all, look at the smashing successes they've had so far: They've toppled Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, and they have weakened al-Qaida by capturing many of its operatives. According to President Bush, "we are winning the war on terror. And we will win."

But look a little more closely. How many boys and girls in the Middle East are growing up hating the United States? Aggressive tactics may take out the leaders of al-Qaida now, but does anyone doubt others will step up to fill their shoes? Can this hatred and determination be defused by military might alone? I wonder what the Bush administration has to say about these questions. And I have to ask: In the war for hearts and minds, are we winning?

America has never been more hated in the Middle East and around the world. If you think this does not matter, think again. True strength, the kind of strength required to make a lasting difference, does not come from having power. It comes from knowing how to use power wisely, and this requires sensitivity to the complex dynamics of the world. Sensitivity lends strength, not softness, as Mr. Cheney suggests. Mr. Cheney is right about one thing: al-Qaida will not be impressed if we lead a more sensitive war on terror. But our children, along with the rest of the world, just might be.

Cynthia Wei
zoology graduate student