Civilization Through War

The war on terror is no less than the "struggle for civilization," U.S. President George W. Bush said Monday night on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"America did not ask for this war, and every American wishes it were over, and so do I," Bush said. "But the war is not over - and it will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious."

One question: What would it mean to "emerge victorious" in this "war"? Unless there is an answer, what this "war" really is is a blank cheque for Bush and co.- an open-ended license for them to do anything they like in the name of "fighting the war on terror."

Throughout history, the people who've talked about spreading and safeguarding "civilization" have tended to be imperialists. Bush is therefore part of a long tradition- his discourse is nothing new, although the incompetence and sheer corruption of his administration is something to behold.

In the late afternoon of an earlier empire, Indian nationalist activist Mahatma Ghandi was asked what he thought of western civilization. "I think it would be a good idea", he replied.