Terrorism

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 USA's 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 don't 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 wouldn't care. There are many variables that can alter a person's views on terrorism, one of which is whether you are dealing it or receiving it. A Kantian's views rely very heavily on this factor. If he/she were attacking a country, firstly, they would need a good reason. Then they