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.