Unlike the first point, this section is filled with examples which do grant the reader a rather elementary understanding of the subject. This section includes four insights into the subject drawn from Sociologist Paul Johnson, namely: Violence as a tactic, it may be committed by government/authority figures, democracies are more susceptible to it, and terrorism is simply a matter of definition. This final insight stipulates that one person’s terrorist may be another’s freedom fighter. Whilst these do help with the general notion of what terrorism is by definition, the characteristics were simplified and lacked thorough…
Violence is one of the cruelest acts in this world. From terror attacks, to bullying, violence is everywhere. Martin Luther once said, "Nothing good ever comes of violence." Luther was saying that whenever something bad happens that is violence related nothing good comes from it. We should have Peace not violence.…
Miller (2006) states that the word terrorism derives from the Latin word terrere which means to frighten. Merari and Friedman (see Victoroff 2005, p.3) claim that terrorism existed even before recorded history. This is echoed by Miller’s (2006) claim that terrorism is as old as civilization and has existed since people discovered that they could influence the majority by targeting a few people. Schmid (see Victoroff 2005 p. 4) has collected 109 definitions of terrorism and this suggests that it is a very broad topic and extremely hard to define. Two examples of relatively recent acts of terrorism are the Oklahoma City bombings in 1995 and the terrorist attacks upon the United States in 2001. This essay examines some of the psychological explanations as to why people commit such acts of terror and attempts to integrate some of these explanations in order to achieve a greater understanding.…
This social and political issue has plagued mankind for centuries, but has only recently come into the eyes of current world leaders. The events of September 11, 2001 brought this issue into the spotlight (What Is Terrorism? Pg. 1). Ladies and gentlemen, I am of course talking about the agonizing issue of terrorism. Although this issue has existed for centuries, the word "terrorism" has only begun being used in the second part of the 19th century (What Is Terrorism? Pg. 1). The earliest account of a terrorist act in the second part of the 19th century was in 1968 when a Palestinian terrorist hijacked an Israeli airliner (What Is Terrorism? Pg. 4). There are two other factors which aid terrorism: one being the media which informs the world of the attacks which strike fear into the hearts and minds of average civilians; and the other being the calculated attacks which produce the highest numbers of deaths and or injuries within the target area (What Is Terrorism? Pg. 4).…
Now at the turn of the two centuries the mankind comes to grips with the sharpest global problems of the modern world menacing to the existence of a civilization and even of the life on our planet.…
The subject of terrorism is both complicated and emotive. It is complex because it combines so many varied aspects of human experience, including arenas such as politics, social discourse, psychology, philosophy, military strategy, and history, to name a few. Terrorism is also emotive both because experiences of terrorist acts arouse tremendous feelings, and because those who see terrorists as justified often have strong feelings concerning the morality of the use of violence. Without a doubt, terrorism evokes strong feelings whenever it is discussed. Terrorism is a global phenomenon that is easily recognised yet difficult to define. Academics across the world describe it according to their political and socio-economic conditions; therefore…
“The most significant contribution of sociological thinking to our understanding of terrorism is the realization that it is a social construction” (Turk,2004:271). The sociologists like to believe that terrorism is a social construction. ‘Terrorism is not a ‘given’ in the real world; it is instead an interpretation of events and their presumed causes.’ (Yehuda, 1993) .There lies importance in the fact that how is terrorism being interpreted by the state or by the individual .There is a quote that seems to have caught attention of many sociologists i.e. ‘One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter’ (Janani Krishnaswamy,2012 :1). ‘The meaning of ‘terrorism’ varies depending on the context, available cultural resources, and combinations of people involved.’ (Stump, 2009) Terrorism does not exist outside our subjective understandings. According to the International Terrorism and Security Research, ‘there have been 3 perspectives of terrorism a)the terrorist’s b)the victim’s c) general public’. According to the terrorists, they necessarily do not see themselves as evil however those sympathetic towards terrorist cause suggest that for them violence is the only option available to them to draw attention to the aggrieved. However, all these comments re-endorse the point that terrorism is a social construct.…
Terrorism is the use of violence against innocent 's victim to bring about political change through fear. It is a combination of indoctrination and drama. With the aid of the present day media, acts of terrorism are now becoming designed to grasp the attention of the entire world and thrust the terrorist organisation 's message into the spotlight for the whole world to examine (Weimann and Winn 1994).…
There is a common saying that peace is never bad, war is never good. But if we look back in the history, a thing is clear. That there have been wars since prehistoric ages, they marked an important part of our evolutionary process, and today we still study them with great fascination.So yes, although I don't support war and violence, i have to admit the reality which it is that war and violence are an inevitable part of human nature. I have chosen this topic because war and conflict are a thing which rises an exclamation mark for me and I wanted to dig a little deeper into it.…
Throughout thousands of years mankind has developed and used different weapons to take out their enemies. Not until the last 100 years though, have these weapons been threats that can kill millions of people in seconds and decimate entire cities. With the development of weapons such as the atomic and hydrogen bombs and chemical and biological warfare, modern warfare has become a destructive force effecting not just one city but whole countries and hundreds of millions of people. With such terrible and destructive power is it possible that in the future weapons many times more dangerous will arise? And the bigger question, who will be in control of such great power and how can we prevent this technology from getting into the hands of others such as terrorist groups? The past has shown what man can do to one another, and the deadly aftermath of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) such as nuclear bombs can pollute an area with radioactive wastes that can last for centuries, such as the bombings of Japan during World War I. All in all weapons of mass destruction have been forceful weapons for those that possess them and a danger for everyone on earth.…
William Langewiesche, interviewed by James Marcus. "The Threat of Nuclear Proliferation Is Exaggerated." At Issue: What Is Humanity 's Greatest Challenge?.Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010.Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. GRANT COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIST 124. 11 Feb. 2013…
The dangers posed by weapons of mass destruction have come to occupy center stage in international politics. The term “weapon of mass destruction” (WMD) is used to characterize a variety of weapons that share two key features: their potential for large-scale destruction and the indiscriminate nature of their effects, notably against civilians. There are three major types of WMD: nuclear weapons, chemical warfare agents, and biological warfare agents. In addition, some analysts include radiological materials as well as missile technology and delivery systems such as aircraft and ballistic missiles. While the mass killing of…
“War never changes”, since our first ancestors discovered the power of rocks and bones, war has shaped our human civilization and changed it into an infernal cycle of death and destruction. The 21th century Man has not changed much compared to his caveman ancestor, he might be using more sophisticated devices to bring death and chaos, but he is still ignited by the same destructive flame. The human race has always based its development on war, from the Roman Empire to the post-modern globalized world, and such a fundamental element of the human nature can hardly be changed without radical measures.…
It’s not enough to stand around asking if world peace will ever happen because that won’t do anything. Actions speak louder than any words. If everyone starts living the peaceful, loving way, things will change. But someone has to start and lead by example. Mahatma Gandhi once said "You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”…
The twentieth century was the century of discovery for life . Dreadful diseases like diphtheria and leprosy were halted; sterile women have been given children; handicapped people were made a part of society. Numerous vaccines have been found to stop the most dangerous diseases. New technologies have enabled the creation of better conditions for life. International humanitarian organizations were felt all over the world where living conditions were not acceptable. Humanitarian aid have been sent many times where they were needed: Africa, Haiti, Pakistan, etc.. Under these conditions, feeding his superego with illusions, man has become complacent. He is gracious and fair. He is, finally, human. However, what ultimately is not understood is that violence, which has its roots deep infiltrated in human consciousness , cancels all these developments. For each cured disease , hundreds of ways to return it are invented. For every child saved in high-tech hospitals there are another hundred killed innocent children. Not a virus manages to disappear as we rush to replace it with another. Violence is everywhere. In this situation , the following idea needs to be understood : violence , in the common perception of this word, destroys everything we dream for. In this essay I will try to argue my thesis, demonstrating why each type of violence in part must be avoided.…