How Has Terrorism Changed? Discussion Chapter

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Terrorism

Define and discuss terrorism. Who chooses to participate in a terrorist campaign, and why? Evaluate such mitigating factors as politics, nationalism, and religion.

'Failed states' are defined as states that can no "longer perform basic functions such as education, security, or governance, usually due to fractious violence or extreme poverty" (Failed states, 2012, Global Policy). This has potentially disastrous consequences not simply for the residents of the state itself but for all nation-states. "Within this power vacuum, people fall victim to competing factions and crime" such as terrorism (Failed states, 2012, Global Policy). The beliefs of terrorists can be linked in some instances to the mentality spawned by a failed state -- that personal accomplishments are meaningless and the only hope can be found in the hereafter.

I would define terrorism as violent actions outside of the context of the conventional rules of war that specifically target civilians or defenseless persons as a way of instilling fear in the hearts of a populace. The purpose of terrorism is literally to create terror and horror not to achieve a strategic objective. Amongst the common characteristics of terrorists, these include a feeling of anger, alienation, and disenfranchisement; a belief that "their current political involvement does not give them the power to effect real change;" and a belief in the legitimacy of violence in defending a just cause (DeAngelis 2009).

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Although it is often assumed that politically and economically disempowered persons are primarily attracted to terrorism that is not always the case: terrorists have been drawn in many instances from highly educated classes or people with 'legitimate' and stable jobs as was the case with the leadership of Al-Qaida. Political scientists have called terrorism "the warfare of the weak -- the means by which groups that lack material or political power fight what they see as oppressive forces" but that hardly explains all terrorist motivations (DeAngelis 2009).

Another explanation for terrorism is a fear of cultural (and perhaps subliminally personal) annihilation combined with a strong sense of group as opposed to personal identity. "Surveys of thousands of people in 15 Arab and other countries found that Muslims who have a more collectivistic mentality are more likely to support terrorist attacks against Americans than those with more individualistic leanings… Being part of a collectivist cause has always been a hallmark of people willing to undergo personal sacrifices" (DeAngelis 2009). While this collective impetus can have positive aspects, it can also be profoundly negative when channeled towards violent ends.

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