Democracies versus Terror Groups. The Case of America’s Forgotten Terrorists

Democracies versus Terror Groups. The Case of America’s Forgotten Terrorists
Author: David Ngila
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 17
Release: 2015-09-24
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3668052808

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - Region: USA, , language: English, abstract: Terrorist groups have been prevalent in democracies across continents, and the basis of their proliferation has been associated with the dynamics existent in democratic institutions. As Chenoweth (2006) articulates, the fact that democracies offer non-violent approaches to conflict resolution provides the avenue for the rise of terrorist organizations. Additionally, civil and political liberties correlate positively with terrorism as the democratic permissiveness allows for terrorist groups to act against their own or foreign governments. In essence, terrorist groups find that democracies provide the right environment or have the opportunity structure for them to thrive. Regardless of the reason for the formation of any terrorist group, terrorist organizations in any democracy pull back on the development and progress in these democracies and infringe on human rights. The United States is considered as the very definition of democracy, and it has had to deal with the ripples caused by foreign or local terrorist organizations. In the country’s history lies the dark past of the Ku Klux Klan, regarded as one of the oldest terrorist organization in the country. The report that follows analyzes the profile of the Ku Klux Klan over the years, with a focus on how terrorist organizations grow in democracies and how governments intervene for the sake of democracy.

Democracies Versus Terror Groups. The Case of America's Forgotten Terrorists

Democracies Versus Terror Groups. The Case of America's Forgotten Terrorists
Author: David Ngila
Publisher:
Total Pages: 20
Release: 2015-09-28
Genre:
ISBN: 9783668052819

Seminar paper from the year 2015 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: USA, language: English, abstract: Terrorist groups have been prevalent in democracies across continents, and the basis of their proliferation has been associated with the dynamics existent in democratic institutions. As Chenoweth (2006) articulates, the fact that democracies offer non-violent approaches to conflict resolution provides the avenue for the rise of terrorist organizations. Additionally, civil and political liberties correlate positively with terrorism as the democratic permissiveness allows for terrorist groups to act against their own or foreign governments. In essence, terrorist groups find that democracies provide the right environment or have the opportunity structure for them to thrive. Regardless of the reason for the formation of any terrorist group, terrorist organizations in any democracy pull back on the development and progress in these democracies and infringe on human rights. The United States is considered as the very definition of democracy, and it has had to deal with the ripples caused by foreign or local terrorist organizations. In the country's history lies the dark past of the Ku Klux Klan, regarded as one of the oldest terrorist organization in the country. The report that follows analyzes the profile of the Ku Klux Klan over the years, with a focus on how terrorist organizations grow in democracies and how governments intervene for the sake of democracy.

America's Forgotten Terrorists

America's Forgotten Terrorists
Author: Jeffrey D. Simon
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2022-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1640125310

Though largely forgotten today, one of the most destructive terrorist groups in the United States was the Galleanists, a fiery band of Italian anarchists active during the early 1900s. In America’s Forgotten Terrorists, Jeffrey D. Simon shows how alienation and frustration among segments of a community were transformed into a militant extremist movement. Luigi Galleani, a gifted writer and speaker, tapped into widespread disappointment among Italian immigrants concerning their lives in America. Unemployment, low wages, long working hours, discrimination, and a poor quality of life made many Italian immigrants receptive to his words. The Galleanists introduced terrorist tactics and strategies that are still used today: they were the first group to send package bombs across the country and to exploit the media for their own advantage. One of their members is also suspected of launching the first vehicle bomb in the United States in 1920, considered the worst act of domestic terrorism until the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The story of the Galleanists is a chilling journey through a volatile period in American history, including labor-management conflicts, World War I, and the Red Scare. An expert in terrorism, Simon offers striking insights into the Galleanist era and some of its eerie connections to modern America, calling us to recognize the risks of repeating our history. How the Galleanists operated and how the U.S. government responded hold lessons for today as we continue to deal with the threat of terrorism.

Crimes Committed by Terrorist Groups

Crimes Committed by Terrorist Groups
Author: Mark S. Hamm
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2011
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1437929591

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Examines terrorists¿ involvement in a variety of crimes ranging from motor vehicle violations, immigration fraud, and mfg. illegal firearms to counterfeiting, armed bank robbery, and smuggling weapons of mass destruction. There are 3 parts: (1) Compares the criminality of internat. jihad groups with domestic right-wing groups. (2) Six case studies of crimes includes trial transcripts, official reports, previous scholarship, and interviews with law enforce. officials and former terrorists are used to explore skills that made crimes possible; or events and lack of skill that the prevented crimes. Includes brief bio. of the terrorists along with descriptions of their org., strategies, and plots. (3) Analysis of the themes in closing arguments of the transcripts in Part 2. Illus.

How America Lost Its Mind

How America Lost Its Mind
Author: Thomas E. Patterson
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2019-10-03
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0806165685

Americans are losing touch with reality. On virtually every issue, from climate change to immigration, tens of millions of Americans have opinions and beliefs wildly at odds with fact, rendering them unable to think sensibly about politics. In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson explains the rise of a world of “alternative facts” and the slow-motion cultural and political calamity unfolding around us. We don’t have to search far for the forces that are misleading us and tearing us apart: politicians for whom division is a strategy; talk show hosts who have made an industry of outrage; news outlets that wield conflict as a marketing tool; and partisan organizations and foreign agents who spew disinformation to advance a cause, make a buck, or simply amuse themselves. The consequences are severe. How America Lost Its Mind maps a political landscape convulsed with distrust, gridlock, brinksmanship, petty feuding, and deceptive messaging. As dire as this picture is, and as unlikely as immediate relief might be, Patterson sees a way forward and underscores its urgency. A call to action, his book encourages us to wrest institutional power from ideologues and disruptors and entrust it to sensible citizens and leaders, to restore our commitment to mutual tolerance and restraint, to cleanse the Internet of fake news and disinformation, and to demand a steady supply of trustworthy and relevant information from our news sources. As philosopher Hannah Arendt wrote decades ago, the rise of demagogues is abetted by “people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.” In How America Lost Its Mind, Thomas E. Patterson makes a passionate case for fully and fiercely engaging on the side of truth and mutual respect in our present arms race between fact and fake, unity and division, civility and incivility.

Psychology of Terrorism

Psychology of Terrorism
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN:

In compiling this annotated bibliography on the psychology of terrorism, the author has defined terrorism as "acts of violence intentionally perpetrated on civilian noncombatants with the goal of furthering some ideological, religious or political objective." The principal focus is on nonstate actors. The task was to identify and analyze the scientific and professional social science literature pertaining to the psychological and/or behavioral dimensions of terrorist behavior (not on victimization or effects). The objectives were to explore what questions pertaining to terrorist groups and behavior had been asked by social science researchers; to identify the main findings from that research; and attempt to distill and summarize them within a framework of operationally relevant questions. To identify the relevant social science literature, the author began by searching a series of major academic databases using a systematic, iterative keyword strategy, mapping, where possible, onto existing subject headings. The focus was on locating professional social science literature published in major books or in peer-reviewed journals. Searches were conducted of the following databases October 2003: Sociofile/Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts (CJ Abstracts), Criminal Justice Periodical Index (CJPI), National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts (NCJRS), PsycInfo, Medline, and Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). Three types of annotations were provided for works in this bibliography: Author's Abstract -- this is the abstract of the work as provided (and often published) by the author; Editor's Annotation -- this is an annotation written by the editor of this bibliography; and Key Quote Summary -- this is an annotation composed of "key quotes" from the original work, edited to provide a cogent overview of its main points.

The Case For Democracy

The Case For Democracy
Author: Natan Sharansky
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2009-02-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0786737069

Natan Sharansky believes that the truest expression of democracy is the ability to stand in the middle of a town square and express one's views without fear of imprisonment. He should know. A dissident in the USSR, Sharansky was jailed for nine years for challenging Soviet policies. During that time he reinforced his moral conviction that democracy is essential to both protecting human rights and maintaining global peace and security. Sharansky was catapulted onto the Israeli political stage in 1996. In the last eight years, he has served as a minister in four different Israeli cabinets, including a stint as Deputy Prime Minister, playing a key role in government decision making from the peace negotiations at Wye to the war against Palestinian terror. In his views, he has been as consistent as he has been stubborn: Tyranny, whether in the Soviet Union or the Middle East, must always be made to bow before democracy. Drawing on a lifetime of experience of democracy and its absence, Sharansky believes that only democracy can safeguard the well-being of societies. For Sharansky, when it comes to democracy, politics is not a matter of left and right, but right and wrong. This is a passionately argued book from a man who carries supreme moral authority to make the case he does here: that the spread of democracy everywhere is not only possible, but also essential to the survival of our civilization. His argument is sure to stir controversy on all sides; this is arguably the great issue of our times.

Against All Enemies

Against All Enemies
Author: Richard A. Clarke
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2008-12-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 184737588X

Richard Clarke has been one of America's foremost experts on counterterrorism measures for more than two decades. He has served under four presidents from both parties, beginning in Ronald Reagan's State Department becoming America's first Counter-terrorism Czar under Bill Clinton and remaining for the first two years of George W. Bush's administration. He has seen every piece of intelligence on Al-Qaeda from the beginning; he was in the Situation Room on September 11th and he knows exactly what has taken place under the United State's new Department of Homeland Security. Through gripping, thriller-like scenes, he tells the full story for the first time and explains what the Bush Administration are doing.

Taking Liberties

Taking Liberties
Author: Susan N. Herman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2011-10-03
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0199911983

In this eye-opening work, the president of the ACLU takes a hard look at the human and social costs of the War on Terror. A decade after 9/11, it is far from clear that the government's hastily adopted antiterrorist tactics--such as the Patriot Act--are keeping us safe, but it is increasingly clear that these emergency measures in fact have the potential to ravage our lives--and have already done just that to countless Americans. From the Oregon lawyer falsely suspected of involvement with terrorism in Spain to the former University of Idaho football player arrested on the pretext that he was needed as a "material witness" (though he was never called to testify), this book is filled with unsettling stories of ordinary people caught in the government's dragnet. These are not just isolated mistakes in an otherwise sound program, but demonstrations of what can happen when our constitutional protections against government abuse are abandoned. Whether it's running a chat room, contributing to a charity, or even urging a terrorist group to forego its violent tactics, activities that should be protected by the First Amendment can now lead to prosecution. Blacklists and watchlists keep people grounded at airports and strand American citizens abroad, even though these lists are rife with errors--errors that cannot be challenged. National Security Letters allow the FBI to demand records about innocent people from libraries, financial institutions, and internet service providers without ever going to court. Government databanks now brim with information about every aspect of our private lives, while efforts to mount legal challenges to these measures have been stymied. Barack Obama, like George W. Bush, relies on secrecy and exaggerated claims of presidential prerogative to keep the courts and Congress from fully examining whether these laws and policies are constitutional, effective, or even counterproductive. Democracy itself is undermined. This book is a wake-up call for all Americans, who remain largely unaware of the post-9/11 surveillance regime's insidious and continuing growth.

Terrorism Versus Democracy

Terrorism Versus Democracy
Author: Paul Wilkinson
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2011-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1136835466

Examines global terrorist networks and discusses the long-term future of terrorism.