Terrorism and War

Terrorism and War, Howard Zinn, Seven Stories Press, 2002

This book, written in interview format, gives Zinn's perspective on the events of September 11 and its aftermath. Zinn is the author of "A People's History of the United States".

When announcing the bombing of Afghanistan, George Bush said that Americans are a peaceful people. Tell that to the people of Iran, Guatemala, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama and Iraq. If America is serious about shutting down terrorist training camps, it should start with the School of the Americas in Georgia. Any discussion of US foreign policy, let alone criticism, is seen by some as supposedly justifying the attacks.

The Defense Department has spent a lot of time saying that they are being as humane as possible in their bombing, and that military, not civilian, targets are being bombed. From 30,000 feet, it is impossible to see just what you are bombing; all that can be seen are flashes on the ground (Zinn was a bombardier during World War II). During the Gulf War, over 70 percent of US bombs missed their targets. A number of reports have come out of Afghanistan of civilian casualties caused by American bombs.

When interest in the war begins to fade, and Bush's 90 percent approval rating starts to drop, people will begin to see the failure of the capitalist system to solve basic problems. Put the extra $48 billion for the Pentagon together with the $70 billion "economic stimulus package" and the $1.3 trillion tax cut in an economy that's struggling, and things like Medicare and aid to the poor will be cut before, for instance, corporate subsidies.

This book is excellent. It's short, very easy to read and presents a rarely-heard perspective in terms that anyone can understand. Those who are unsatisfied with the "official" view of the war would do very well to read this.