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Terrorism in a Democratic Society By Guy E. Ferrone In the following review, I will be assessing the problem a free society has when the horror of Terrorism invades our way of life. The topic has and for the most part, will be for generations to come seen as a threat to everyone living in the entire world. During the past several months, Acts of terrorism have become synonymous with everything from traveling within our country and abroad to postal services and hospitals. We are now faced with the probability of living our lives as those people who abide by this act on a day-to-day basis. As America faces terrorism, domestic and international, at home and abroad, it is imperative, if we are to deal effectively with this threat, that we understand the root cause of it. As war is an extension of politics, so too, is terrorism. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror or unpredictable violence against governments, publics, or individuals to attain a political objective. As defined in the United States by the Code of Federal Regulations As: “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Terrorism Why do people resort to such violent acts as bombings, assassinations, and hi-jacking? How do individuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have emerged all over the world. Governments up to now have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues by which terrorism is used. A major difficulty in discussing terrorism, is establishing a general accepted definition. Terrorism can be defined as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain political, economical, or social goals. Due to its difficulty in definition, organizations like the United Nations have discovered great difficulty developing policies against terrorism. Terrorist actions may be committed by a single individual, a group, and in some instances entire governments. Many terrorists, unlike criminals, claim dedication to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. Some of the methods used by terrorists include threats, bombings, and the destruction of property, kidnapping, the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations. There are many reasons why political groups attempt to bring about radical change through terrorism. People are often frustrated with their position in society. They may feel in some way that they are persecuted or oppressed due to their race, religion, or by exploitation by a government. Groups that utilize terrorist actions have very complex and powerful reasons to engage in such activities. The use of terror to achieve goals is not a new idea in history. One early terrorist group emerged in the 12th and 13th century known as “the Assassins”. The assassins, used murder to dispose of their enemies. Their name has come to be used for ‘one who kills for political or religious reasons’. Government terrorism dates back to as least the period immediately after the French Revolution, in 1789. During this period, known as the “Reign of Terror”, the French Revolutionary executed thousands of citizens who were considered enemies of its rule. Individuals, or groups seeking national independence have committed acts of terrorism. One such act was the assassination of the Arch Duke of France in 1914. The assassination had sought to win Bosnia from Austrian rule. It failed and led to the outbreak of World War I. While many groups have engaged in terrorism throughout history, the Anarchist political groups in the 19th century are most remembered. These groups were especially strong in Italy, France, Spain, and the United States, but their roots lie within the Russian peoples movement. Anarchists believe that by nature people are good, and that under the appropriate circumstances people can live in peace. They are opposed to the centralized state, and believe it is an oppressive force that prevents people from cooperating with one another. Modern Terrorism retains some elements of terrorism from the past. At the same time, it differs due to having a wider extent in many of its methods. Today, terrorism posses a threat to innocent people, and are a serious threat to democratic forms of government. One of the more pronounced characteristics of the modern terrorist is their practice of taking hostages in order to force their demands upon a particular government. Unless demands are met, the hostages face the threat of death. Hi-jacking commercial airlines and holding the passengers and crews hostage has become a favored method among terrorist today. However, what we have witnessed recently with the Hi-jacking of four airliners and then not only holding the passengers and crew hostage. The feeling that comes over me thinking about those moments that the passengers and crew experienced, we as Americans shall never forget. Since acts of airline hi-jacking of times past, those unfortunate people must have retained hope that their episode with these terror inflictors would end in a safe and peaceful manner. We all know what became of those four airliners. The loss of life not only on the planes but also in the World Trade Center and Pentagon will live in our hearts forever. · Terrorism is a consequence of injustice perpetrated on the weak and underrepresented by the powerful and in control. · The terrorism directed at America emanates from the Arab / Israeli conflict, or more specifically, the takeover of Arab lands, and the oppression of Palestinians by Israel. It has changed and continues to change the face of America. · The American support of Israel, political, economic, and military, is what empowers Israel to pursue her course of usurpation of Arab lands, which fact is not lost on the Arab world, and is what justifies from their perspective, terrorist attacks on America. Many people believe that terrorism became global in its extent in the late 1960s. In 1970 over 300 acts of terrorism were recorded worldwide. By 1979 the number of terrorist incidents for one year increased to 3,700. Politically unstable countries offer frequent opportunities for terrorism. Lebanon, which has been torn by years with civil unrest, has been the sight of numerous terrorist attacks. The 21st century began on September 11, 2001. The attack on America that day will prove to be the precipitating moment of a new kind of war that will define a new century. This war will be fought in the shadows and the adversary will continue to target the innocent and defenseless. This threat is not directed solely against the United States – it is a threat directed against all countries that seek freedom, peace, and stability. The world’s response to terrorism will change not only international efforts with respect to terrorism; it will change geopolitics as countries take sides and see mutual interests where few were apparent before. These interests will include a desire to understand how states can combat an enemy who has no borders, no sovereignty, no government, no massed armies, and no inhibitions about violence against civilization and the rule of law. Terrorism’s public impact has been greatly magnified by the use of modern communications media. Any act of violence is certain to attract television coverage, which brings the event directly into millions of homes and exposes viewers to the terrorist’s demands, grievances, or political goals. Modern terrorism differs from that of the past because its victims are frequently innocent civilians who are selected at random or who merely happen into terrorist situations. Lacking a base of popular support, extremist substitute violent acts for legitimate political activities. Theory and Practice of Terrorism Terrorism is much misunderstood. Like any form of warfare it can have horrible results. However, the behavior of terrorists is not inexplicable. When a terrorist campaign is run well, there’s a purpose behind everything they do. Warfare itself is equally explicable, and also can be horrible. But wars don’t happen for any reason, and they do not always happen because of insanity. Sane and moral men can start a war if they believe that the alternative is even worse. A war is fought because one side in a conflict wants something and cannot get it by diplomacy. In the great aphorism attributed to Clausewitz, “War is diplomacy by other means.” But there are many ways in which a war can be fought; they’re not all just armies maneuvering on a battlefield. In particular, that kid of war is only really possible if the two sides are approximately comparable in military strength. In order to take on an opponent in that way when he is vastly more powerful than you, is just a fancy way to commit suicide. However, with the use of proper tactics, numerical inferiority doesn’t have to mean defeat. You can fight a guerilla war, or a terrorist action. Terrorism is the lowest form of warfare, requiring the least resources for the inferior side. Terrorism is war on the cheap. And terrorists can win.
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