Democracy, Politics and Terrorism - America's Quest for Security in the Age of Insecurity

De: Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

There is no denying that terrorism has become an important phenomenon in our time and needs to be eradicated. Nothing can justify an act of terrorism, whether it is committed by hate groups, religious or ideological fundamentalists, private militia - or whether it is dressed up as a war of retaliation by a recognized government. However, a major flaw to find a way out of this spiraling morass of terror and brutality has been in our failure to agree to the definition of "terrorism". Thus, while we blame others for their acts of terrorism, we often ignore the fact that our very acts may sometimes trigger such acts. 9/11 has brought the Muslim world against USA and the West on a collision course of "clash of civilizations." Under the pretext of Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), President Bush has replaced the Taliban government in Afghanistan and invaded Iraq, and subsequently hanged Saddam Hussein. However, the GWOT is viewed outside America as a smokescreen for establishing America's hegemony in the Muslim world, and is probably not sustainable on the long term. At home, Americans are rudely awakened by the revelation that the Bush Administration had no problem in creating a secret propaganda campaign to manufacture a false case for war against Iraq. They ask: how could this happen in this age of information technology? Congressman Dennis Kucinich has introduced a new impeachment resolution (H. Res 1345) that alleges that President Bush falsely told the nation that it had no other choice to go to war because Iraq was an imminent threat in possession of weapons of mass destruction, and that the President had repeatedly implied that Iraq had abetted al Qaeda in its devastating attack of 9/11. What also came out loud and clear through all these experiences in the post-9/11 period is the overarching influence of Israel Lobby, war party and the industrial military complex on American politics. We also learnt that most of the media analysts on war and terrorism have ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air. Is America oblivious of the warning of President Eisenhower? These are some of the worrisome developments in American politics today. In this book, some of the important issues of our time, especially in the aftermath of 9/11, are being debated. These are: 1. Is democracy becoming a joke around the world, especially in the USA? Is it for sale? What direction is America heading to? What lessons can America draw from the Athenian democracy? 2. Is war the only solution that America can think about when dealing with contentious issues? 3. How vast is the influence of some of the movers and shakers of American foreign policy? Can their undue influence be curbed? 4. What is terrorism and who are the terrorists? What factors create and sustain terrorism? Can this menace be defeated? How? 5. How can America preserve her national security without appearing to be an arrogant power? The book is divided into five parts. The first two parts deal with Democracy and American politics. The third part deals with terrorism and provides much information on both state terrorism perpetrated by some major players in our time and other non-state form of terrorism. It also discusses dynamics of terrorism and suggests practical means to defeat terrorism. The fourth part deals with American national security concerns and presidential doctrines. It also deals with nuclear proliferation issue, esp., Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology for energy, which is perceived in the West as being a cover for making nuclear bombs. The last part is a closure on the above subjects, and deals with President Bush's GWOT, and how it can be won, especially, in the Muslim world. The book also provides some 345 citations to support discussion on all these issues. After reading this book, the readers would have a better understanding of the rather complex world that they live in and choices they have.