terrorism

People or non-government groups opposed to society's politics can make physical or psychological attacks on society's people or equipment {terrorism}|.

causes

People can perceive previous society or government actions as being unjust, showing disrespect, causing suffering, or arousing opposition. Outside control, desecration, exploitation, immorality, corruption, and/or political tricks can cause frustration, aggression, and terrorism.

Current terrorism has grown from frustrations, perceived desecrations, actual corruption, and Western political machinations, including Israel creation, propping up corrupt and immoral leaders, and profiting from oil, that have wrenched Middle East.

purposes

Terrorism intends to inflict pain and suffering as punishments for perceived crimes. Terrorism intends to disrupt and lessen government power and show opposition power. Terrorism can be politics. Terrorism can be revenge on societies for past actions. Terrorism hopes to cause reactions and thus further polarization and emotion, leading to more power, money, and participation on terrorist's side.

nature: war

Terror acts are war acts against societies by non-governmental entities. As non-governmental entities, terrorist tactics are like guerilla war. Like war, terrorism feeds on success to gather more power, money, and participation. Unlike war, terrorism does not significantly reduce population, decrease resources, capture territory, threaten government overthrow, or subjugate people. Unlike war, terrorism originates from within society or society subcultures, not from other geographic regions. Unlike war, terrorism has few resources compared to society.

nature: occurrence

Because they originate within society, terrorist attacks can happen at all locations and times, by many means. Terrorist preparations vary little from everyday activities.

nature: attitudes

Attitudes toward death are also different than in war. To terrorists, death can be victory.

nature: attack types

War rules do not constrain terrorism, which can involve toxins, poisons, and radioactive agents dispersed in air or water.

tactics against

Countries cannot defeat terrorism in same ways as in wars. Because opponents are unknown and have no location, armies cannot face them directly or surround them. Unlike war, states cannot impose defeat or surrender but only encourage it. Before defeat, terrorists can move to locations outside society's jurisdiction.

tactics against: money and time

Societies must spend money and time for offense. This accomplishes terrorist goals.

tactics against: reduce individual rights

Defense against terrorism can require monitoring all activities and individuals. Defense can require that society's interest be above individual rights. Defense reduces privacy and freedom. This accomplishes terrorist goals.

tactics against: force

Offense against terrorism can require ability to strike with strong force at all locations and times. Police and army must be everywhere and obvious. Societies are more like police states. This accomplishes terrorist goals.

tactics against: courage

Alternative responses to terrorist attacks can be courage against fear, stoicism about loss, rationality about decisions, resolution to rebuild and replace, determination to return society to normal, slowness to revenge, and readiness to correct economic, political, and social injustices. Societies can have no fear and no appeal to lower emotions. The best strategy is to minimize number of people, groups, and nations with grievances and to minimize opportunities through economic, financial, legal, political, and social means. Military means are for commensurate defense only. Such responses do not accomplish terrorist goals and cause no increase in violence.

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Social Sciences>Political Science>International Relations>Power>Aggression

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Date Modified: 2022.0224