What is interesting is that my own change seems to make me even more of a rebel than I was as a youngster. I have to admit that, when I was young, although my teachers thought me rebellious, I was surprisingly willing to accept claims by settled authority that it had the answers to the problems of the world; this acceptance has steadily faded away as I have grown older.

It used to be considered normal for individuals to become more conservative as their lives progressed, and that they would finally reach the point of supporting the strict maintenance of the settled order. For reasons which are hard for me to understand fully, I seem to have become more, rather than less, of a rebel against authoritarian governments and others.

The only explanation which occurs to me is that I have come to see through the flimsy veils which so many tyrants have, for centuries, used to cover their moves to reinforce their power. However, I have not become cynical, which could very easily be tacit admission that the rulers have won their battle to dominate us. Instead, I have come increasingly to see the need to speak out and oppose wrongdoing whenever and wherever I come across it. We all know that there is some good in humanity, as well as the evil which grows from greed for wealth and/or power. I do not myself seek power, and therefore cannot put myself in the place of those who do so to the exclusion of all enjoyment of the genuinely good things in life.

I do not find it difficult to condemn all terrorism or to recognise actions which constitute terrorism. I also condemn all those who excuse terrorist acts committed by persons or groups whom they consider to be their friends, while severely criticising identical acts committed by those whom they see as enemies.

We all know of examples of this when poltroons, such as Mr George W. Bush and his gang, make much of the need for what they call their "war against terror" while they are, at the same time, committing far worse acts themselves, acts which I would definitely, and unhestitatingly, classify as terrorism.

If my change is merely a sign that I have become more perspicacious and that my eyes have been opened, then it is a good thing. But my argument is that it is, for each of us, well worth our ensuring that we do, in fact, keep a careful watch on all in power and hold them to account for their acts.

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