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WAR AND TERRORISM Chapter 14 The Problem in Sociological Perspective Why is war common? Sociologists and anthropologists do not look within people. Conflicts always arise among people living nearby. What is significant are the norms that groups establish to deal with those conflicts. War is just one option, but not all societies offer this option. Why do some groups choose war? There are three essential conditions of war 1. 2. 3. Cultural tradition for war- people have attempted to resolve conflicts this way in the past An antagonistic situation in which states confront incompatible objectives- each country wants the same thing, such as oil reserves The “spark” that ignites the war- nations move from thinking about war to actually engaging in it Seven “sparks’ that set off war Get revenge Dictate one’s will Protect or enhance prestige Unite rival groups Protect or exalt the nation’s leaders Satisfy the national aspirations of ethnic groups Convert others to different religious and ideological beliefs The Scope of the Problem The U.S. is one of the most aggressive nations in the world Between 1850 and 1980 we have sent our troops to other parts of the world over 150 times Industrialization has increased our capacity to kill People continue to fight, despite more education and a more “advanced” state Symbolic Interactionsim Perceptions and the arms race United States and Soviet Union spent enormous amounts of money developing weaponry. Without valid data each had to guess what the other intended. Guessing game led to an arms race U.S. officials perceived Soviet plans a certain way Entire nuclear arms race based on symbolic interpretations of what each nation thought the other would do Symbolic Interactionism Perceptions and the “first strike” We’d like to think that we always act on facts alone We really act on our perceptions of “facts,” or how we think things “are” Isn’t it scary to think that our lives—and those of the world—depend on the correct interpretation of one another’s signals? Functionalism The functions of war Extension of territory Social integration Social change Economic gain (see table 14.4) Other functions Ideological Vengeance or punishment Increase credibility Military security No war serves a single function, and functions can change Functionalism Functions for individuals Soldiers and leaders Dysfunctions of war Defeat Destruction of cities Death of troops and citizens Fatherless or motherless children Decline in education Bitterness that can span generations Victor can grow dependent on the exploitation of subjugated peoples Conflict Theory Three reasons that nations go to war 1. To control resources Conflict theorists claim that central force in human history is struggle for control over society’s resources Bourgeoisie 2. 3. (the wealthy) Uses resources to keep itself in power and exploit less powerful (the poor, aka the proletariat) To expand markets in the name of capitalism The military machine brings prestige and power to the power elite Conflict theory and the military machine Conflict theorists stress that today’s military machine has increased the threat of war. The military machine, the power elite, and the globalization of capitalism Military has become a permanent institution. Power elite—top leaders of the military, business, and politics Today’s business leaders support a powerful military because it promotes global capitalism A strong military protects worldwide investments The Military-Industrial Complex The Military Industrial Complex A term that used to refer to the political alliance involving the federal government, the military and the defense industries The military as an economic force Those that specialize in armaments have become a powerful force in the U.S. Economy. War is profitable. Profit and employment make it easy to forget that military industries represent loss of human life. This week’s film, Why We Fight, is all about the Military Industrial Complex Research Findings What reduces war? Type of religion does not reduce warfare Type of government does not reduce warfare Prosperity does not reduce warfare Shared religion does not reduce warfare between nations Common language does not reduce warfare Education does not reduce warfare Being “neighbors” does not reduce warfare The Costs of War War takes a huge toll on humanity Material costs: the amount of money the U.S. spends on war is staggering Lost alternative purchases For price of one aircraft carrier, could build 12,000 high schools For price of one naval weapons plant, could build twenty-six 160-bed hospitals For price of one jet bomber, could provide school lunches for 1 million children a year For price of one new prototype bomber, could pay the annual salaries of 250,000 teachers What choice is there? Human Costs of War Human costs: dehumanization- this refers to seeing people as objects, not human beings Characteristics of dehumanization Increased emotional distance from others An emphasis on following procedures Diminished personal responsibility Consciences become so numbed that people can dissociate killing—even torture—from their “normal self” Human costs of war Human costs: combat fatigue and PTSD Combat stress reaction or shell shock Term used to describe the emotional and physical reaction a soldier faces immediately after combat Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Describes the long-term emotional distress a soldier experiences after combat According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, approximately 29% of Vietnam veterans, 11% of Gulf War veterans, and 14% of Iraq War veterans have experienced PTSD The Possibility of Accidental War What are the chances? How might it happen? Computer failure or human error- the threat of nuclear attack comes not only from dictators and terrorists. There’s the possibility missiles will be unleashed accidentally Nuclear accidents- the unintended detonation of a nuclear weapon could signal the end of human civilization. Nuclear sabotage- the U.S. Government has assured us and the world that a missile cannot be launched without proper authorization. Is this foolproof? A growing danger Availability of nuclear weapons in the hands of a single individual or a small group Nuclear proliferation increases likelihood of nuclear weapons use Terrorism Terrorism involves the use of threats of war— intimidation, coercion, and violence—to achieve objectives Revolutionary terrorism- enemies of the state (country) use terrorism in an attempt to overthrow the government Causes of revolutionary terrorism Existence of a segregated, ethnic, cultural, or religious minority Perceptions of being deprived or oppressed Higher-than-average unemployment or inflation External encouragement A historical “them” Frustrated elites who provide leadership and justify ideological violence Goals of revolutionary terrorism Publicize the group and its grievances Demonstrate the government’s vulnerability Force political and social change Political theater- to attract media attention, such as with 9/11 September 11 Targets of terrorist attacks were selected carefully World trade center symbolizes the US dominance in global capitalism Pentagon symbolizes the US military A sense of morality Using neutralization techniques, terrorists, such as al-Queda, appeal to a higher morality in justifying their actions. Read Why They Hate us on pages 486-487 Repressive terrorism is waged by a government against its own citizens In the late 1970’s the Khmer Rouge (Cambodia) killed over 2 million of it’s own citizens Communist Russia was also known to practice repressive terrorism State-sponsored terrorism A government finances, trains, and arms terrorists, as in Libya under Gadhafi Criminal terrorism Criminals use terrorism to attain their objectives; i.e. the Mafia Nuclear and biological terrorism Nuclear terrorism 212 tons of plutonium currently missing from U.S. nuclear facilities Safeguards remain inadequate Because damage from nuclear attack would be unimaginably destructive, nuclear terrorists could hold major governments, including the U.S., captive Biological terrorism Greater threat Components for anthrax, smallpox, and plague are cheaper to obtain than nuclear weapons Social Policy Political Terrorism The overarching principle in social policy: “Don’t give in to their demands, for this encourages further terrorism.” Giving in to terrorists’ demands only escalates terrorism Ten basic policies Promise anything during negotiations Make no distinction between terrorists and their state sponsors Use economic and political sanctions Treat terrorists as war criminals Discourage media coverage Establish international extradition and prosecution agreements Develop an international organization to combat terrorism Offer large rewards Cut the funding of terrorist organizations Infiltrate terrorist organizations Social Policy Application of social policies Consistently viewing others as potential terrorists is controversial Targeted killings Responsible or suspected terrorists placed on “hit list” and marked for assassination Nuclear Warfare and the Elusive Path to Peace Mutual deterrence Threats and the fear of mutual destruction prevents “the other” from striking first Three potential policies for peace Disarmament- eliminating nuclear, chemical and biological weapons Developing interlocking networks of mutual interest- the more we depend on one another-in a global economy- the less likely we’ll be to destroy one another International law, that countries adhere to, would promote world peace The Future of the Problem Troubling as it is, it appears that war and terrorism will continue We must promote social policies that prevent or limit the use of “weapons of mass destruction” We must question WHY we are going to war and find alternatives We must be informed and vote for politicians that support our views!
