The Culture of Terrorism

"The Culture of Terrorism" describes the historical and political events of 1986, which marked the peak of the Reagan era, and their consequences for those interested in understanding American society. It addresses the involvement of the American government in overt and covert acts of supreme terror, presenting a case study of great relevance today, whose lessons must not be forgotten. These scandals caused turmoil and setbacks, discrediting some of the most violent policies to which state planners and their ideologists were partly exposed.

The most important conclusion to draw from these events is that, once again, they demonstrate that even in a largely depoliticized society like the United States of America, without political parties or press pressure beyond the narrow spectrum of consensus dominated by business, popular action can have a significant impact on politics, albeit indirectly. This was an important lesson drawn from the Indochina wars, which was also underlined once again by the experience of 1980 in Central America. And this must be remembered for the future.