[Reader-list] the liberal response

[Rana Dasgupta]

thanks to Boud Roukema for very useful reply which
divided proper response to terrorist acts into
short-term and long-term strategies.

a couple of further questions.  

-with regard to your short term response, you say that
the US should adopt various guiding principles - e.g.
providing evidence of culpability to chosen targets,
not bypassing UN Security Council etc.  but we know
that conservative opinion in the US is impervious to
such bids for external auditing and control at the
best of times.  can we make better arguments to the US
government for adopting such principles than the three
you cited (ineffectiveness, human rights violations,
repression of justice movement) which have never moved
them much in the past.

-with regard to the following:

> (1) The best way to deal with terrorism is to
> address its root
> causes. Perhaps some terrorism would exist even if
> the
> grievances of the people of the Third World were
> dealt with
> -- grievances that lead to anger, despair,
> frustration,
> feelings of powerlessness, and hatred -- but
> certainly the
> ability of those who would commit terror without
> grievances
> to recruit others would be tremendously reduced. 

the 'root causes' you cite are very large indeed. 
there is much speculation about what precisely might
have motivated bin laden to declare war on the US -
the bombing of iraq from saudi bases; the continued
support of israel; the general enmity towards islam;
the ugliness and ungodliness of US culture; and the
mere fact that, with his money and resources, he can. 
what would your view be on this question?

R  

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