Chapter 18

War and Terrorism

War and Peace : Basic Definitions

• War-violent conflict among nations or organized groups

• Peace-absence of violent conflict• Wars have always been part of human

history• Twentieth century – thirteen major

conflicts

The Increasing Destruction of War

• War has been common throughout human history

• Level and destructive nature of war(weaponry) has increased over time

• The twentieth century and weapons of mass destruction-weapons that have the destructive capacity to kill many thousands of people at the same time

Causes of War

• Seven factors the promote the outbreak of war

• 1.Perceived threats• 2.Cultural and religious differences• 3.Political objectives• 4.Moral objectives• 5.Wealth and power• 6.Social problems• 7.Absence of alternatives

The Costs of Militarism

• Global military spending exceeds $1 trillion annually

• U.S. defense budget for 2000 was $291 billion or about $2,000 for each person in the United States

• Factors underlying military spending »The cold war era»Post cold war and the world is

still a dangerous place

The Costs of Militarism

• Factors underlying military spending• Military-industrial complex-political

alliance involving the federal government the military and the defense industries

The Economic Costs of War

• Military spending• Destruction of the infrastructure of a

society»Homes»Workplace»Water systems»Electrical and communication

network»Other…

The Human Costs of War

• Developments related to war in the twentieth century

• Loss of human life has increased with the level of military technology

• Total war-deadly conflict that targets population centers as well as military targets

• Concentration camps-internment centers for prisoners confined for purposes of state security, exploitation, punishment, or execution

The Human Costs of War

• War Crimes-offense against the law of war as established by international agreements and international law

• WW II and the Geneva Convention an three categories of war crimes

• 1.Crimes against peace»-starting or preparing to go to

war against another nation

The Human Costs of War

• WW II and the Geneva Convention an three categories of war crimes

• 2. Conventional war crimes»-murder, rape, torture or ill

treatment of people in any occupied territory

• 3.Crimes against humanity»-genocide

The Human Costs of War

• War and Children-»Loss life»Orphaned

• War-Related Disabilities• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)• Illness and disability

War in the Nuclear Age

• Nuclear weapons-bombs that use nuclear reactions to generate enormous destructive force

• The Increase and Spread of Nuclear Weapons

• Major nuclear powers»United States»Soviet Union

War in the Nuclear Age

• The Increase and Spread of Nuclear Weapons

• Other countries with nuclear weapons»Britain»France»China

War in the Nuclear Age

• Nuclear proliferation-acquisition of nuclear weapons technology by more nations

»Israel»India»Pakistan

War in the Nuclear Age

• Countries in the development process of nuclear weapons

»Iran»Iraq»North Korea»Libya

War in the Nuclear Age

• The Effects of Nuclear War• Destruction of human life• Nuclear winter and the destruction of

the ecosystem»Decline in temperature»Semidarkness

Strategies for Peace

• Deterrence-strategy to keep peace based on the threat of retaliation

»-MAD-mutual assured destruction• High-Technology Defense-the use of

high technology, including satellites and ground installations, to shield the United States from attack

»-SDI-strategic defense initiative

Strategies for Peace

• Arms Control-international agreements to limit the development, testing, production, and deployment of weapons

» -SALT-(1970’s)strategic arms limitation talks

» -START-(1991)strategic arms reduction talk

• Resolving Underlying Conflicts» -Diplomacy and peace negotiations

Terrorism

• Terrorism-unlawful and typically random acts of violence or the threat of such violence employed by an individual, group, or government to achieve a political goal

• State sponsored terrorism-one government provides money, weapons, and training for terrorists who engage in violence in another nation

Terrorism

• Repressive state terrorism-government use of ruthless violence within its own borders to eliminate political opposition

The Extent of Terrorism

• Terrorism:Global Perspective• Terrorism around the world • Irish Republican Army (IRA)• Post WWII and the Militant faction of the

Zionist movement• Current terrorism is directed towards

the U.S.interests

The Extent of Terrorism

• Terrorism in the United States• Post slavery and the Ku Klux Klan• Employers and the labor movement• Industrial Workers of the World• Weather Underground group of the 1960’s• Islamic fundamentalist(1993) group and

the world trade center• Timothy McVeigh

Costs of Terrorism

• Loss of life»-20,000 a year are harmed

around the world on an annual basis

• Psychological cost• Financial cost

Strategies for Dealing with Terrorism

• Make no concessions• -giving in only produces more terrorism• Prosecute terrorists• Apply economic sanctions• -against nations that sponsor terrorism• Use Military Force• Defend against terrorism

Strategies for Dealing with Terrorism

• Address the root causes of terrorism»-examine the causes of

terrorism and propose solutions

Explaining War: Biological Theories

• Konrad Lorenz»-resort to violence to protect

territory»-instinctual matter of survival

• Edward O. Wilson-war results from the innate tendency of aggression and competition

Structural-Functional Analysis: The Functions of

Conflict• Functions of war• Establishing political boundaries• Uniting a population against a common

enemy• Improving the status of minorities

Symbolic-Interaction Analysis: The Meanings of

Conflict• Meanings that people attach to war and

conflict• The use of symbols and meanings to

mobilize a population to war• Symbols to define the nature of war and

enemy

Social-Conflict Analysis: Inequality and Conflict

• War is a function of the struggle for power and wealth

»-Haves and have nots• War evolves out of conflict or

competition between groups or nations

Conservatives: The Need for Strength

• Strong military»-Increase military spending

• Hard line against terrorists-bring them to justice

»-military response

Liberals: The Need for Justice

• Necessary military force and spending to defend national interests

• Impact of military spending on the society

• Diplomacy

Radicals: The Need for Justice

• Radicals on the left-root cause of war is inequality

»-Change the status of the poor people’s around the world

• Move towards social justice around the world