Our way of life

From the letters page of today's Independent. It makes a point better than I could have.

The high price of our way of life

Sir: Although, like many people, I had been expecting that at some point London would be attacked, it did not lessen the shock of last Thursday. In no way would I ever condone the use of violence. My heart goes out to those who have suffered a loss. But again and again I hear the same message from our leaders. George Bush said it, Tony Blair said it. The Queen gave a version of it in her speech on Sunday. We will not allow terrorists to destroy "our way of life"; we have to defend "our way of life".

The G8 talks ended with little to offer the poor of this world except the promises that they have heard before. We will not cancel all the debt, without conditions, because of our way of life. We will not act on climate change because of our way of life. We will not alter our trade practices because of our way of life. Ultimately, we will not stop invading and bombing to further our way of life. But our way of life is destroying the lives of countless others on this planet; it also, out of injustice, creates anger.

In the past, no terrorism has been defeated through force of arms. It takes dialogue, negotiation, the willingness to change, to concede, to compromise, to agree to have less so that others can have more. When will we be big enough to start that dialogue?

Lesley Docksey

Buckland Newton, Dorest