The United States is engaged in a war of intimidation—as both victim of and avenging angel for the events of 11 September. As the price of security, Americans must be prepared to cashier some freedoms, much treasure, and many lives. Terrorists have declared a perpetual war on the United States; the United States must place itself on a permanent war footing with them.
Thousands were killed in the September attacks, but tens and hundreds of thousands of lives may be forfeit absent bold (but measured), visionary (but timely) action. Anticipating retaliation to current military actions, the West must be prepared to institutionalize a passport society, suffer racial profiling, federalize security for airlines, expand search and seizure, and permit extremes in the interrogation of suspected terrorists. Later, it may be necessary to militarize labor, the borders, and civil society in general, and to practice armed retaliation against suspected terrorists and their safe havens. Americans are understandably loath to suspend their social liberties, but after this terrorist attack, they may be more amenable.
Reliance on small, elite units to penetrate terrorist cells and the establishment of nuclear, chemical, and biological “hit squads” are now the irresistible, if detestable, orders of the day. Similarly, assassination of active and notorious terrorists and their sponsors, seizure of assets for the same, zero tolerance for trafficking in terror, and changing the governmental and social culture of the nation to put security before business are all the fate of a properly wary United States. Wholesale adoption (and even expansion of) counterterrorist methodologies adopted by terror-seasoned states such as Israel are almost a foregone conclusion.
Defending against terrorism is a permanent societal posture. The only historically effective short-term solution to terrorism is to deal with its symptoms terroristically. For the long term, state-sponsored, institutionalized terrorism must witness its breeding grounds defoliated by a process of expanding social and economic justice. When common people, in whose behalf the terrorist acts, can renounce violence and dare to hope for a better future, terrorism withers away. In navigating a complex, interdependent, yet economically polarized world full of apocalyptic weapons, this is the only road to a peaceful, survivable, and just tomorrow.
J. Michael Brower is a 15-year civil servant, an Air Guard officer, and a freelance writer. He worked for the Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence and for the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller).
Cashiering Freedom for Security
By J. Michael Brower