CHAPTER 14 WAR AND TERRORISM

KEY TERMS Environmental Destruction International Terrorism Marxist Military Party War

WAR, CIVIL WAR, AND TERRORISM Since 9/11, war and terrorism have been, and continue to be, considered a more important problem than many other issues facing the nation. Only economic concerns and health legislation ranked higher. Present day wars are more likely to be civil wars or wars of terrorism than ways where armies from two opposing nations clash with one another. The New Face of War The Extent of the Problem Wars and Civil Wars Terrorism

THE NEW FACE OF WAR Modern warfare is not confined; it can take many shapes and forms, such as civil war and terrorism. Civil war is rebellion by dissident groups within a nation. International terrorism is politically motivated violence against citizens of political entities different from those of the perpetrators in order to coerce and intimidate others into accepting the perpetrators’ goals.

WARS AND CIVIL WARS At any point in time, the world experiences a large number of armed conflicts, including both wars and minor armed conflicts. War is defined as a major armed conflict between nations or between organized groups within a nation in which a thousand or more people are killed. Most wars in recent decades involve the developing nations of the world. We live in a world that is never free of war or the threat of war. The bloodiest wars in recent years have been civil wars and wars involving just two nations.

TERRORISM Until 9/11, Americans considered terrorism something that was a problem elsewhere. The September 11 attack was the worst terrorist attack ever in terms of the number killed. Americans have suffered far fewer attacks and far fewer casualties than the rest of the world. The main purpose of terrorism is not to kill; it is to use the killings and the destruction to dramatize a condition that the terrorists find unacceptable. It is unlikely that terrorist attacks will decline significantly in the near future because there is no single group or cause involved. There is a concern that more destructive forms of terrorism, including biological terrorism, will emerge.

WAR, TERRORISM, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE It is not possible to fully capture in writing or lecture the impact of war and terrorism. Human Destruction and Injury Psychological and Interpersonal Disruption and Dehumanization The Trauma for Civilians The Trauma for Combatants Terrorism and Trauma Environmental Destruction The Economic Costs War, Terrorism, and Civil Liberties

HUMAN DESTRUCTION AND INJURY Human destruction reaches a peak in war. 20 th century was bloodiest in human history Civilians are the main victims of war through a combination of direct injuries, starvation, and disease. Civilians are also the main victims in terrorist attacks. Children are increasingly the likely victims of war and terrorism. Various factors account for the human destruction in war: weaponry, land mines, inhumane treatment, governments acting in ways that harm their own people Increased destruction in war accounted for by changed nature of war and the increasingly sophisticated nature of military technology. The destructiveness of war goes beyond weaponry to include criminal violence and the production and storage of weapons of war.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND INTERPERSONAL DISRUPTION AND DEHUMANIZATION Psychological and interpersonal disruption and dehumanization occur during and after war and terrorist attacks – both of which are disruptive for military and civilian personnel. Issues include: The Trauma for Civilians The Trauma for Combatants Terrorism and Trauma The bottom line is that no one escapes the trauma of war and terrorist attacks.

THE TRAUMA FOR CIVILIANS Civilian trauma of the severest kind followed the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Survivors used drugs to escape reality. Survivors experienced survivor’s guilt for surviving when so many had died. Children, as well as adults, are traumatized by war. Many children and young people in the Middle East have never experienced an extended time of peace.

THE TRAUMA FOR COMBATANTS Because of the horror of battle, there is a high rate of posttraumatic stress disorder, major depression, and drug abuse among veterans. It is possible that the rate of traumatization among combatants is increasing. Psychological problems vary in their severity but affect a substantial number of veterans. Veterans experience a variety of interpersonal problems, including decreased satisfaction with relationships, increased sexual dissatisfaction, higher rates of divorce, a diminished capacity to work once they return to civilian life. Military personnel may be traumatized and dehumanized by their own acts. Soldiers who perform such acts may have serious psychological problems once they reflect on what they have done.

TERRORISM AND TRAUMA Terrorist acts also generate emotional trauma. Research shows an increase in smoking and in alcohol and marijuana use after 9/11. Studies of other nations also find various kinds of trauma resulting from exposure to terrorist acts.

ENVIRONMENAL DESTRUCTION A precarious balance exists between natural resources and the growing demand for energy. Conservation of natural resources throughout the world is essential, but there is a contradiction between this need and the willingness of people to engage in war. Environmental destruction involves alterations in the environment that make it less habitable or useful for people or other living things. The longer warfare lasts, the more severe the environmental consequences. Although much environmental destruction results from intensive bombing, evidence suggests that bombing contributes little to winning a war. The years of preparation and years following a war also have deadly consequences for the environment.

THE ECONOMIC COSTS War is one of the greatest devourers of economic resources. The cost of all the wars between 9/11 and the end of 2010 amounted to $1.15 trillion. Stockpiling weaponry and preparing for possible wars is also costly. National defense spending continues to increase. One reason for the high cost of preparedness is the technological advances made in the weaponry, which cost considerably more than weapons of the past. Nations are frantically trying to gain military parity if not military superiority. Military parity is equality or equivalence in military strength. Indirect economic costs include money spent to combat emotional and physical problems, the cost of terrorism, and additional costs to the government.

WAR, TERRORISM, AND CIVIL LIBERTIES A contradiction exists between the right of free speech and the perceived need for consensus and security during a war and in the face of terrorism. In the US, both citizens and government officials have participated in the suppression of civil liberties during wartime. If a war is considered legitimate or if terrorism is considered an imminent danger by the majority of people, they may passively or even gladly accept restrictions on their civil liberties. Terrorism poses as severe a threat to civil liberties as does war, but not everyone is concerned about the violations of civil liberties that have occurred since 2001.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS War and terrorism are complex, combining a human need for aggression with cultural values and patterns. Contributing structural factors include: The Economics of War and Terrorism The Politics of War: Militarism The Politics of Terrorism: Autonomy Contributing psychological factors include: Attitudes War, Terrorism, and Ideology

THE ECONOMICS OF WAR AND TERRORISM Wars have an economic cause. The Marxist view is that war is a mechanism for maintaining inequalities Marxism pertains to the system of thought developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, particularly emphasizing materialism, class struggle, and the progress of humanity toward communism. Economic factors are probably always at work in war and in preparations for war. Economic factors are also at work in civil wars and terrorism. These racial, ethnic, or religious divisions may form the basis for civil war or terrorist activities.

THE POLITICS OF WAR: MILITARISM From a political point of view, there are advantages to both militarism and war. In the international arena, a strong military gives a nation higher status and more power. Militarism is seen not only in foreign policy, but also in the resources allocated to defense. The maintenance of high level of arms in other nations is an issue of concern because Anti-American sentiment worldwide is at a high level, and a number of nations continue to build up their weaponry.

THE POLITICS OF TERRORISM: AUTONOMY The lack of political autonomy is a major factor in terrorism. A careful analysis of every suicide terrorist attack in the world from 1980 through the early 2000s concludes that suicide bombers are not primarily the result of Islamic fundamentalism, but are instead campaigns that strive to get rid of foreign military forces from territory that the terrorists regard as their own. Some agree that suicide bombers are driven primarily by the conviction that only through such desperate tactics as killing themselves in order to kill and instill fear into the enemy can their people achieve the political ends that are needed for their well-being. Sometimes governments get involved in helping terrorists, which means they are state sponsors of terrorism.

ATTITUDES Militarism and war are legitimated by a number of attitudes. The concept of a “just war.” A just war has a just cause, is sought after all peaceful alternatives have been exhausted, and is supported fully by the people. The attitude that the US has a mission to be “number one” in the world International misperception Six forms of misperceptions: Diabolical-enemy image Virile self-image Moral self-image Selective inattention Absence of empathy Military overconfidence

WAR, TERRORISM, AND IDEOLOGY Ideologies support militarism and war Ideology about national security to which every president since 1945 has subscribed. Four assertions: The world needs to avoid chaos through order. Only the US has the necessary power and resources to create and maintain global order. Only the US is capable of identifying the principles (American principles) that are valid for a proper global order. Most of the world understands and accepts this role for the US

PUBLIC POLICY AND PRIVATE ACTION Inequalities of wealth and power among nations and between groups within nations, political and ideological conflicts, and economic factors all contribute to the likelihood of war and terrorism. Negotiate treaties that reduced weaponry and armaments in the world. Reduce military spending US foreign policy reflects more a determination to protect what political leaders define as the nation’s self-interest than a desire to be a leader in the construction of world peace.

PUBLIC POLICY AND PRIVATE ACTION US needs to stop the ongoing sale of arms to nations throughout the world. Curbing availability of arms is important because Arms proliferation tends to gain a momentum of its own If arms are readily available, nations will more likely rely on them than on diplomacy and negotiations to settle their disputes. When arms are readily available, the ensuing hostilities are likely to be far more devastating than they would be otherwise.