ABSTRACT
None of these scenarios need ever materialize. They are presented as a warning of how fragile is the
barrier which holds back the flood. Totalitarian countries are largely free from terrorism because
terrorists can expect no publicity, and they know that they can be arrested secretly and disappear
without trace. In pluralist societies, however, terrorism is very easy. Anyone can plant a bomb,
provided that they do not mind if it kills people indiscriminately as well as their intended target, and
provided that they are not really afraid of the likelihood or consequences of being caught. If pluralist
societies do not act firmly, casualties from terrorism could quite suddenly reach alarming levels.
