Introduction to Terrorism Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Terrorism Essay The paper would analyze the definitions for terrorism proposed by some authors deeply along with criticizing them and proposing a global definition of terrorism. Secondly, â€Å"the concept of ‘just war theory’ would also be evaluated by highlighting its limitations. And finally, just war theory concept would be applied on the recent military action in Afghanistan, whether it fits the scenario or not. Answer -1 There are hundreds of definitions of terrorism defined by many authors, journalists, and politicians. But the problem is that the idea or concept of what terrorism actually is, is vague and not perceived globally as a single concept. The definition proposed by Lawless revolves around three key words; violence political purpose, and non-state actor. It goes this way, â€Å"the unlawful threat or act of violence committed for a political purpose by a non-state actor† (Lawless, 2007). This definition seems to be quite rigid and inflexible because it says that terrorism happens only because of political purposes by the non-state actors. In fact, terrorism does not always take place due to political purposes; for instance, these days, countries themselves want to get rid of terrorism that is overwhelming them and worsening their relationships with other countries. There is no doubt that non-state actors are mostly involved in terrorism, but they usually do so for purposes such as, smuggling, harassing the legal authorities who try to resist them, and certain mafias or groups who want to take revenge of any injustice done to them before or being done. Secondly, the definition does not highlight the idea about the innocent people or victims. Terrorism for political purposes means that riots or revenges are taken for their own sake, purpose, and benefit. The global definition that I propose is that ‘any unlawful or illegal act done to hurt, damage, or overwhelm the party who is innocent and was not involved in any conspiracy or threatening act against the party who is hurting them’. See more: introduction paragraph example Answer – 2 Just war theory proposes the idea that lies between permissivism and pacifism. Permissivism suggests using arms as many as wanted and as the way the armed forces want to; whereas, pacifism says not to use arms against civilians or innocent people but to kill those who deserve to be killed. Therefore, just war theory says that war must be fought when it is fair or when there is a reason to be fought with the enemies or for a legitimate cause (Wilson, 2006). There are certain limitations of this theory such as, it does not define what a ‘legitimate’ cause actually is and when is it just or fair to attack the enemy (mtholyoke.edu, n.d). Therefore, countries or parties always think of their own interest and consider their cause as a legitimate one and considerable to attack the enemy, even they may be wrong at their side. Moreover, not killing civilians is just a saying; armed forces often kill and harass the civilians such as, kidnapping them, and smuggling them, etc. So, f rom here, the desire to take revenge arises in the other party and the issue never resolves, in fact it goes on. I think the idea of just war theory must be reconceptualized. Answer – 3 The recent military action against Afghanistan does not fit on the concept of just war theory because the American started the raid against them without having solid evidence against them. Moreover, they did not only killed the Afghan terrorists, but also took lives of thousands of innocent people including children, women, and aged ones. They brutally destroyed their houses, properties, lands, lives, and everything.

Hiding from Reality Essay -- Literary Analysis, Blanche Dubois

Why do people want to live in a perfect world? Everyone wants to live in their own fantasy world because that is where all their dreams are able to come true. No one wants a world of grief and sorrow. Life should be lived to its fullest. It should not be wasted. It should be embraced. When we are faced with agony, we must either make a choice between accepting it or hiding from it. In the play â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† by Tennessee Williams, the author mainly focuses on Blanche Dubois, a woman who moved to her sister’s house due to the loss of Belle Reve, her family home. She is a deceptive and selfish person, who cannot accept the occurrence of agony in her life. She mentally deteriorates due to the lost and rejection of love, and due to her selfishness. She chooses to hide from the truth. When an individual hides from reality, it will only result in them hurting themselves. At the beginning of the play, Blanche is already in a nervous breakdown as she was drinking wine that she found in Stella’s house. She was using it to calm her nerves. When Stanley came home from his bowling game, he had a conversation with her. At the end of the scene, he asks her about her husband. She started to break apart as she says â€Å"The boy – the boy died; [She sinks back down] I’m afraid I‘m - going to be sick! [Her head falls on her arms],† (p. 31). This represents that her husband’s death has resulted her to go into a depression. She is unstable whenever she is reminded of her husband. She had some memories with her husband that she cannot forget causing her to be really sad. It is later revealed in the play that her husband was with another man. He killed himself due her revulsion towards him. She states â€Å"by coming suddenly into a room that I tho... ...someone she is not. Everyone experiences hard times in their lifetime. The outcome will depend on how you face these obstacles. Blanche became shattered when her husband died, but she chose not to accept it, which why it resulted in her only hurting herself. She tried to find another love to cover up her empty heart, but in the end, she deluded him, and hurt herself even more. She tried to act like she was living the perfect life, and that she was better than everyone else, but that cause her a major downfall. Lies can never be hidden forever, and once hers were revealed, she could not hide anywhere and was forced to face the horrible consequences she has created. Dealing with reality can sometimes be challenging, but if you learn to face and overcome these challenges, reality will not be that terrible.

Age of Extremes Essay

The twentieth century was rich in events and outstanding personalities. In his book Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm provides an extensive review of what happened during the Twentieth Century and the impact of those events on human development. According to Hobsbawm, the Twentieth Century was both the Age of Catastrophe and the time of the extraordinary economic growth – a complex sandwich of events and developments that changed the human society â€Å"more profoundly than any other period of comparable brevity† (Hobsbawm, 1995). In the first two chapters of Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm (1995) tries to evaluate the social and historic legacy of the Twentieth Century and creates a brief picture of the events and accomplishments that took place between 1914 and 1991. The author is confident that human society cannot distance itself from the events of the past, because everyone on the globe, irrespective of their life history and personal background, went through more or less similar central experiences that affected them all (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) traces the evolution of the Twentieth Century from the First World War, which marked â€Å"the breakdown of the western civilization of the nineteenth century† (p. 6). The western civilization was characterized by capitalist economy, liberal constitutional structure, bourgeois image of the hegemonic class, and the glory of scientific, educational, technological, knowledge, and moral advance (Hobsbawm, 1995). The decades following the beginning of the First World War were the Age of Catastrophe: until the end of WWII, the society stumbled from one calamity to another and lived at the edge of survival (Hobsbawm, 1995). The failure of the major colonial empires and the economic crisis of unprecedented depth added their share of complexity to the state of world affairs (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) believes that the victory of the Soviet Union over Hitler was one of the most important events of the Twentieth Century. Without it, the whole Western world could have turned into set of variations on fascist themes (Hobsbawm, 1995). The rise of the socialist movements was the direct result of the weaknesses in the nineteenth-century bourgeois society (Hobsbawm, 1995). How and why the world threw itself into the Golden Age of capitalism between 1947 and 1973 remains one of basic historical puzzles; but the Golden Age could not be endless and the global crisis that followed affected all, irrespective of their political, social, and economic configurations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic crisis gradually extended to cover political issues – the collapse of the Soviet Union produced an enormous zone of political uncertainty and destroyed the stable system of international relations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic and political uncertainties were followed by the moral and social crisis – the crisis of beliefs, which humans had used over the course of the Twentieth Century to win their battle over the nineteenth century’s ideology (Hobsbawm, 1995). The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with a bang and a whimper, leaving the society in the midst of the moral, social, economic, and mental collapse (Hobsbawm, 1995). In Hobsbawm’s (1995) view, the Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and dramatic failures. The cyclical nature of evolution resulted in continuous instability and profound economic, social, and political shifts. For many countries, the Twentieth Century became the time of remarkable changes and the beginning of the new era of uncertainty and chaos. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well they can learn the lessons of the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century. Conclusion The Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and failures. The capitalization of the word combination â€Å"Twentieth Century† by Hobsbawm (1995) is not accidental. The author feels that the Twentieth Century reflected a unique paradox: the triumph of the material values and their absolute rejection at the end of the era. The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with the deep crisis of the moral and mental ideologies, leaving humanity in the midst of the social, economic, cultural, and moral collapse. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well people can learn from the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century.

Freedom Riders Rebels with a Cause - 1400 Words

Freedom Riders: Rebels with a Cause â€Å"If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Will there be a better day for it tomorrow or next year? Will it be less dangerous then? Will someone else’s children have to risk their lives instead of us risking ours?† -- John Lewis May 16, 1961, to other Nashville students considering joining the Freedom Rides John Lewis, a young black man who was born in the South, participated in the Freedom Rides. His statement rang true when Nashville students were faced with the decision of joining the Freedom Rides in their fight for civil rights. This historical event paved the way for racial equality throughout the United States. The Freedom Rides were a vital part of history because it set the foundation†¦show more content†¦The Rider’s cause was fortified by two recent Supreme Court rulings. In Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company, the Supreme Court declared that racial segregation was contrary to the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Act. Going even further, in a 1960 Supreme Court ruling, the case Boynton v. Virginia declared that segregation within interstate transportation violated the Interstate Commerce Act and was thereby illegal under federal law. The Court’s ruling deemed segregation in other public areas such as bus terminals, restaurant, and restrooms to be a vi olation of the Interstate Commerce Act as well. Despite these Supreme Court rulings, the Interstate Commerce Commission failed to enforce these decisions. It was apparent that the changes were to be brought about only if the issue was forced. With this in mind, the Freedom Rides took place. Thirteen riders boarded two buses for a journey that began in Washington D.C. and scheduled to end in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Freedom Rides were met with strong opposition, coming from the Riders’ families or from those who wanted to uphold segregation. 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