For many Americans, modern warfare has taken on the aspects of a video game. So what better video game to act as a metaphor for the conflict in Libya than the highly popular Angry Birds? Angry Birds is the most popular game for the iPhone, a great time waster, enjoyed by millions and me too. My homemade, animated GIF above, uses some of the graphics from this game.

The aerial assault that President Obama has unleashed upon Kaddafi is no video game, at least not from his point of view. Everyday, I walk across the parking lot, as similar warplanes, arc across the sky. Above the lot, their passing rumble sets off car alarms. I can only imagine what their unleashed force must seem like in a warzone. I have no doubt that the application of American airpower will allow the rag-tag rebel forces to take Tripoli. Every time Kaddafi moves a tank or fires a gun, it becomes a target to aerial retribution.

What made me take up this topic were two things. Obama’s address to the nation on Monday evening and my chance encounter with the following YouTube video. [Previously shared to Facebook] I first encountered this video on the website, The Daily Beast. Tuesday, at noon, it only had about 10,000 YouTube hits. At writing, its hits had climbed over 100,000; I can only image what the hit count will be after another day. This could be a problem, because the video uses a Disney soundtrack and Disney is notably protective of its intellectual property. So enjoy it while you can, it may not survive intact long.

Anne biked after work on Monday. I could have accompanied her, but I wanted to catch the President’s speech on Libya. Yeah, I am that way. Anne got 15 miles. I could have gone too, but the address was being televised at 6:30 CDT, instead of the usual seven. I found out later that his address was moved up a half hour to accommodate ABC. They didn’t want their hit TV show, Dancing with the Stars, preempted or even delayed. Apparently, having Kristie Alley shuffle across the dance floor is more important than anything that the leader of our country has to say, especially when he is trying to explain our fourth war.

That’s right people, four. The aerial assault upon Libya is America’s fourth war with the Muslim world. Enumerated, they are Iraq, Afghanistan, the War on Terror and now Libya. These are real wars, not just video games. I’m not saying whether you should be for or against them, but I am saying that you should be paying attention to them. They are being fought in your name, you will have to pay for them, and someone you know, may have to die in one of them.