Entry 570, on 2007-07-09 at 16:23:58 (Rating 3, Politics)
According to the UK's new security minister, Alan West, the fight against terror could take at least 15 years to achieve. He has introduced a new campaign to try to change people's perceptions of the issue in the hope that the public will make it harder for terrorists to recruit locals and to operate in Britain.
OK, so this fight could take up to 15 years to achieve. What does this statement really mean? That's right. Nothing. OK, it could take that long, but maybe not. And it could take up to that time, but it might take less. And this "fight" is what exactly? And how do we know when this amorphous task is actually achieved?
What he's really saying is something like: "we've really got ourselves into trouble over this one and we will probably never get out of it now that its started." But saying that wouldn't be quite as positive, would it.
There is no way of telling what will happen in the area of terrorism in the future. The so-called war on (or fight against) terror doesn't really exist as such. Its an element of propaganda invented by the American administration so that they can justify whatever draconian measures suit them at the time. Attack Afghanistan: war against terror. Invade Iraq: war against terror. Introduce new laws to limit the freedom of their own people: war against terror.
And the terminology subtly changes to encompass a gradually greater group of activities. First it was a war against al Qaeda, then it was a war against terrorism, then a war on terror, now a fight against terror. What's next? Maybe "a set of corrupt political maneuvers to advance any cause the current political administration deems worthy". If the war against terror is extended to suit the current political expediency it will never end. Not even in 15 years.
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