Democracy and Education after September 11

Millions of words written in the wake of the horrific terror of September 11, 2001 appear to reinforce the feelings of despair at the current state of the world politics. Most analyses seem to offer little hope for the prospects of peace. Indeed, if the so-called 'war on terror' is designed to achieve peace then it is difficult to see how it could be won in any determinate sense, yet the popular media and others in the position of influence seem reluctant to explore alternatives to war. In this essay I argue that many of the current analyses of September 11 and discourses of national security are incapable of delivering the cosmopolitan resources of hope we need to have a better chance of securing peace. I maintain that these resources of hope will not be located in the austere and intrusive regimes of national security; rather, they are more likely to be found in the possibilities of transnational democracy and education.