Add a Comment   Return to Previous Page

Just 15 Years?

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.

There are no comments for this entry.

You can leave comments about this entry using this form.

Enter your name (optional):
Enter your email address (optional):
Enter the number shown here:
Enter the comment:

To add a comment: enter a name and email (optional), type the number shown, enter a comment, click Add.
Note that you can leave the name blank if you want to remain anonymous.
Enter your email address to receive notifications of replies and updates to this entry.
The comment should appear immediately because the authorisation system is currently inactive.

I do podcasts too! You can listen to my latest podcast, here: OJB's Podcast 2026-04-14 How Far is that Star?: How would we really know how big the universe is? Or subscribe to my podcast RSS feed, on my RSS Feeds page.

If you're not sure what to view from the thousands of pages on my site, here are some suggestions: My Latest Airshow Report (photos and movies from Warbirds Over Wanaka, 2026), My Favourite Wines and Beers (tasting notes for some of my favourites), An Interesting Astronomical Observation (learn a bit about astronomy from these observing notes), See Some Photos (A short rail journey through the Taieri Gorge), Read Some Mac Tips (Learn about how to use your Mac, and fix some problems).

Latest Site News and Notifications (Desktop): You are currently viewing OJB's web site, version 2.4 which has some major changes, and possibly errors! Please report any problems to ojb@mac.com.