Worlds in Collision [antikvár]

Preface Another book about the events and aftermath of September 11 needs no justification. For years to come, if not decades, the 'war on terrorism' will be the defining paradigm in the struggle for global order. There are other and arguably more crucial issues in world historical terms - the growing disparity between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' and the deterioration of the global environment - but when the victim of terror attacks of spectacular horror happens to be the greatest power on earth, the agenda is set. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, every well-known writer joined in the global attempt to try to understand the meaning of that shocking and terrifying morning. Longer pieces then started appearing, and more recently books. What almost all of this analysis and imagining revealed was a sense not only that one historical era had ended, but that something of truly epic significance had occurred which would affect the human international political consciousness with the same impact as the dropping of the atomic bombs, the First World War or the Thirty Years War: the 'events' of that day will become hard-wired into the world historical memory. Six months later, the pictures and sounds of that morning are no less shocking; so shocking, indeed, that one still hopes it is a dream and that in the next re-run the planes will miss their targets. We have learned over these past months how different states and groups chose to respond to the global crisis. What we do not know, and cannot know, is how it will end. This is one of the most powerful lessons we should all take from the experience: September 11 should have taught us that we cannot assume, for the foreseeable future, that tomorrow will be like today. The global order is being recast, and the twists and turns will surprise us. To help us think about the importance of these events, both on specific issues and the broadest canvas, we have assembled an outstanding group of academics and public intellectuals from a variety of countries, all expert on questions relating to terror, force, law, ethics and global order. Many of the contributors live and work in the United States, and we make no apology for this, given that the terrorist attacks were aimed at the heart of America. The volume gives voice to a