The War on Terror
Terrorism, until the 9/11 attacks on the Untied States, has remained a dormant issue in the media.
Although it has been around for centuries, the organized use of violence to target non-combatants for political purposes is one of the most effective ways to gain media attention.
Mainly used by extremist groups in the hopes of gaining recognition for their cause (whether it is religious, political or otherwise.) Several attacks on the US have made headlines The attack on the USS Cole (October 12, 2000), US Embassy bombings in Kenya + Tanzania (August 7, 1998), Oklahoma City bombing (April 19, 1995) and finally the World Trade Centre bombing on February 27 1993. There were all overt threats made to the US government regarding these attacks but most were dismissed as hoaxes.
What we need to recognize about terrorism is its message. Attacks are always perfectly planned and precise, almost showing that they could do better.
The most recent attack on America has been on the WTC and Pentagon. Thousands of innocent people died because the terrorists flew 3 passenger aircraft planes into both World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon building in Washington D.C., the USAs best-guarded facility. Hopefully these deaths were not in vein; now other countries have joined President George Bush in the war against terrorism and launched repeated strikes on Afghanistan and Iraq.
They hope that these attacks will prevent any further events from happening and result in the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Perhaps America should have been more cautious and handled the threats more carefully. Maybe they were being too proud and this is why the Bin Laden believed it was justifiable to attack the United States.
In 2002, the world changed forever.
Anthrax, a biological weapon was released into the postal system and a commercial aircraft was turned into a 1000 ton missile. War will have a new face; it will not be against enemy firing missiles, but instead, an invisible, deadly network of shadows attacking miscellaneous targets in random locations. This is why if we dont act quickly; the world could be cast into turmoil.
So how do other people feel about this topic? This is how I think an Egoist would feel.
The word egoist means that you are only concerned with things that may affect you in the long run. Terrorism definitely affects everyone in some way; whether you are a soldier or a shopkeeper. It may be economic, emotional, physical or political you will notice a difference in the world. If he/she were attacking they would benefit from the land over-run. But if he/she were being terrorized he would be at a disadvantage and they would be against it.
If he/she were an arms manufacturer, they would profit therefore it would be good for them. If the attack were in a far off country they probably wouldnt care. There are many variables that can alter a persons views on terrorism, one of which is whether you are dealing it or receiving it. A Kantians views rely very heavily on this factor. If he/she were attacking a country, firstly, they would need a good reason. Then they would need to decide whether it was their duty to help their country fight for their cause.
If he were receiving the attacks he would need to choose whether to not retaliate or to do his duty and fight back.
A Utilitarian makes decisions according to the greatest amount of happiness or the least amount of unhappiness produced. Terrorism never achieves anything except media coverage, hate and retaliation. A Utilitarian would study both sides of the fight and see what is being fought over.
He/she would sacrifice their life if it would cause more happiness so they would not be bias to one side. In the case of Bin Laden vs. United States they would back the US because there was insufficient reason to take all those lives. Although the Bin Laden would be unhappy with the US, the US had more innocent people die than the Bin Laden has unhappy terrorists.
In conclusion I would like to say that terrorism is a one-way road to destruction. It ultimately achieves nothing.
As for fighting it, its been around since the dawn of time, cavemen probably terrorized each other. I feel that America should keep fighting the War on Terrorism. Our country was founded on beliefs, beliefs that we are a free nation and we fight for these beliefs against anyone who doesnt allow their people to be free. We have allies in other parts of the world that need our help. I am for a peaceful world, but to obtain that we have along road in front of us. A road of destruction and killings, but I believe that in the end the world can live in peace without worrying about people blowing up the building you work in.
Resources:
www.cnn.com
www.theatlantic.com/issues/90sep/rage.htm
Britannica Encyclopedia
Encarta Encyclopedia
Herald Sun Newspaper
www.newsweek.com
www.wallstreetjournal.com
