An interesting but very confused and biased article. Walden Bello seems to forget that total war exists in which there is no distinction between civilians and military. In fact, the ability to wage successfully a modern war depends on the ability to muster all resources in society, not just the military. Furthermore, in casually listing Allied and western bombing targets as sufficient examples of 'terrorist' crimes, he conveniently neglects to mention the carpet bombing of British, Polish, Czech and Spanish cities by Germany and of China by Japan in the 1930s/40s.

'The only response that will really contribute to global security and
peace is for Washington to address not the symptoms but the roots of
terrorism. It is for the United States to reexamine and substantially
change its policies in the Middle East and the Third World, supporting
for a change arrangements that will not stand in the way of the
achievement of equity, justice, and genuine national sovereignty for
currently marginalized peoples.'

Very true, but the elites of US society are hardly likely to do that are they? It's going to take a major change in the structure of the US to see any substantial change in it's foreign policy.

We'd really like to know. You make it sound SO easy. Like all we have to do to stop terrorism directed at us is to satisfy the demands for justice by folks in the Middle East. Of course that's going to have to be THEIR concept of what constitutes a just settlement.

Well since you're so experienced with managing to do this, please explain how you applied it to that island just to your west. Appears to me there you have TWO opposed parties both willing to use terrorism against you if you don't satisfy their demands for justice (as they see it). How many years have you been trying to get things calmed down?

I think if most USA citizens had any idea what their government had done with its foreign policy over the last ten or maybe twenty yrears they might well demand that it changed its ways.


I thought this was an interesting article although a bit disjointed. At an English person I think the USA should learn from our own mistakes in Ireland. The situation is by no means solved there but very much improved with far fewer victims to terrorist activity in recent years. This happened by talking and giving in a little and not my miltary action against the terrorists. The only way to stop terrorism is is to lessen, if not remove, the cause of the anger. Of course you can't keep everyone happy all the time - but anger that triggers such actions as the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon is extreme indeed and needs to be addressed not simply inflamed.