Letter: Trial by jury

Rupert Lee
Thursday 20 May 1999 00:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Letter: Trial by jury

Sir: In 1908, H G Wells published The War in the Air, a novel predicting a future war which the world's major powers tried to wage entirely by bombing, without using ground troops at all.

This strategy caused immense destruction, but brought no decisive outcome. No nation would ever acknowledge defeat. Governments and people continued to defy the bombers as civilisation collapsed around them.

In the many bombing campaigns of the 20th century, Wells's prediction has been repeatedly proved right for all to see - or, it would seem, all except Nato's strategists. As Wells himself wrote in the preface to the book's 1941 edition: "I told you so. You damned fools."

RUPERT LEE

Brookmans Park, Hertfordshire

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in