Some of the most recognized voices in American writing and academia
contribute to this provocative forum concerning the terrorist crisis and
its causes. Moderated by Lewis Lapham, this timely debate features
conversations with noted author and vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy,
Gore Vidal; historian Barton Bernstein of Stanford University; economist
and historian Robert Higgs of the Independent Institute; and Thomas Gale
Moore of the Hoover Institution. Voicing opinions counter to those
espoused by the present administration and seldom heard in mainstream
media, they discuss the definition of terrorism, the impact of U.S.
foreign policy on the terrorist crisis, and the long-term significance
of the September 11 attacks. Also examined are the potential curtailment
of basic civil liberties, the effects of a global U.S. military
presence, and alternatives that would lessen the terrorist threat.