Month: September 2001

One moment before the Sons of Light wage war on the Sons of Darkness, when the former are purported to be “the Judeo-Christian Culture,” whereas the latter, “the Arab-Moslem Culture,” is identified with suicide bombers as its inherent, constitutive trait, let us commemorate the first suicide bomber, who prayed to God to die killing thousands. … Continue reading “Dancing in the Streets”

I now have received over a thousand emails in response to my articles on the terrorist attacks. I regret that I can’t reply individually to them. Nor is it possible even to reply in print to many of the thoughtful suggestions, complaints, or proposals that readers have offered. But there is one common theme I … Continue reading “The Overlooked Flaw in Retaliation”

So many impressions crowd against one another as the war clouds gather. Perhaps it is a blessing that the Bush administration seems to be going about the business of planning reprisals or attacks with a fair amount of deliberation. There might be time to sort through the blizzard of information to develop a coherent attitude. … Continue reading “Impressions Amid the Winds of War”

A few hours after the disaster on the 11th, Chinese CCTV was carrying the news. The Twin Towers burned, people fled and gaped and planes blew up against the side of the buildings over and over – in slow motion and at normal speed. My Taiwanese friend Ol’ Vic chided CCTV for being late and … Continue reading “Watching the Disaster”

In my previous article, I pointed out that killing innocent people is terrorism, no matter who does it – freelance terrorists, an international conspiracy, a foreign government, or our government. It would be wrong for our government to respond to this week’s tragedy by committing further acts of terrorism against innocent foreign people. Find the … Continue reading “Retribution”

My article last Tuesday "When Will We Learn?" provoked more controversy than anything I’ve ever written. In case there was any misunderstanding, here is what I believe: The terrorist attack was a horrible tragedy and I feel enormous sympathy for those who were personally affected by it. I wrote my article hoping that, however unlikely, … Continue reading “The Cycle of Violence”

It has not gone un-remarked in these pages that there seems to be a logical, institutional relationship between those who wish to aggrandize the state at home and those who wish do so abroad. These worthies make up the social reformers, on the one hand, and the Jingoes, or militarists, on the other. Others have … Continue reading “The Jingoes and the Social Reformers”

The terrorist attacks against America comprise a horrible tragedy. But they shouldn’t be a surprise. It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth – that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda. But sanity was a prior casualty: it was the loss of sanity that led to war in the … Continue reading “When Will We Learn?”

"We’re going to go about our daily lives and carry on: this will show that terrorism is not going to stop American democracy." These were the brave words of New York City major Rudolph Giuliani at a news conference held hours after the World Trade Center attack. The next question came from a reporter who … Continue reading “IMPERIAL PARALYSIS”

Editors Note: Antiwar.com first published this guest column by Mr. Utley on August 16, 2001. On Tuesday morning, September 11, unknown persons attacked various targets in Manhattan and Washington, DC, in what many are already calling the most deadly terrorist (that is, non-state) attack in world history. We are republishing this piece in the hope … Continue reading “American Interventionism and The Terrorist Threat”