The Terrorism Trap: September 11 and Beyond (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . .A richly informed and powerfully argued analysis of the deeper causes and meaning of September 11." -- Z Magazine, June 2002

"Parenti's information, logic, arguments and sentiments . . . provide a cohesion and language to make sense out of the events . . ." -- Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, July 2002

Product Description

A penetrating analysis of the hidden political, economic, and religious agendas behind the September 11 attacks and the war, with an emphasis on Afghanistan’s history and the U.S.-led globalization process that has impoverished and angered much of the world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: City Lights Publishers (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872864057
• ISBN-13: 978-0872864054
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #678,672 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pocket rocket of political perspective!, September 25, 2002

By	Quickhappy "quickhappy" (Big city, big country) - See all my reviews

This little book is a masterful creation. It's short, easy to read, and hard-hitting. Parenti explains in plain language why the American government is so despised around the world. He shows that the U.S. kills civilians elsewhere on a regular basis (e.g. 30,000 in Nicaragua during the Reagan years, 2 million in Vietnam), but makes no apology for it. He shows that the U.S. government cares about oil, money, and corporate profits far more than about global problems such as AIDS, hunger, or deforestation. His chapter on Afghanistan is particularly helpful, especially when showing that Afghan women were doing very well before the U.S. supported the Taliban and Osama bin Laden and fueled a war which killed 1.5 million Afghans.

As a college instructor, I will surely assign this to my students, who will enjoy debating Parenti's arguments. Highest recommendation!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping examination of the 9-11 tragedy...and much more, December 29, 2002

By	Josh Dougherty (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

I've only recently begun reading the works of Michael Parenti, but I can not recommend them enough to those uninitiated with his analysis of history and contemporarty American culture.

In particular, this work on the tragedies of 9-11 takes a very broad view, looking not only at the acts themselves or their immediate aftermath, but also at decades of preceding policies as well as the propaganda that accompanied them, AND how it relates to the ongoing and newly implemented policies of today.

Mr. Parenti is lesser known than many other social critics, and you won't often see or hear him on the commercial media, but I strongly suggest that you do yourself a favor by embarking on a google search for his writings and lectures. You'll find many of his talks available, in audio and text format (even some video), available free on the web. I've listened to many of them and found them to be entertaining, challenging and very informative.

So, please, if you're not familiar with Michael Parenti, don't take my word for it, listen or read for yourself. But I stronly suggest that you don't pass up the opportunity to hear his thoughts on these events. The book is short, very readable and thorougly enlightening. Do yourself a favor and listen to what he has to say.

Josh

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needed Context, April 23, 2002

By A Customer

This little booklet does economically what the President cravenly forbids us to do--put the events of Sept. 11 into historical context. In succinct fashion, Parenti shows how US-led elimination of progressives in Afghanistan paved the way for Muslim fundamentalism as the governing ideology and sole remaining resistance to globalization. He also demonstrates how the terror attack facilitates the right-wing agenda here at home, creating conditions ripe for Security State exploitation. I particlarly like his riff on that platitude about "a world changed forever". There is also a refreshing absence of breast-beating over the horrific nature of the attack, since American sponsored atrocities of similar scope are rather common fare in the rest of the world. And though much of the interventionist material is familiar to Parenti readers, reminders of those atrocities are required by context. Still and all, I wish he had deepened Chapter one, the most topical chapter, which could have used more detailed discussion of the immediate aftermath. Nonetheless, Sept. 11 cries out for those perspectives systematically filtered out of the media as too threatening to corporate rule. As always, Parenti's commentary remains an enlightening one, and deserves to be read by all, especially those well-meaning folks blinded by bumper stickers and the blur of red, white and blue.