Seeking a Safer Society: America's Anxiety in the War on Terror

• NCJ Number: 215812
• Journal: Security Journal Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: 2006 Pages: 93-109
• Author(s): Michael Welch
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This article analyzes the popular and political responses to threats of terror, focusing particularly on the nature of public anxiety and the role of the media during crisis events.

Abstract

The main argument is that the war on terror has become increasingly politicized and coopted by special interests resulting in an increasingly cynical American public whose fear of terrorism has been replaced by anxiety and skepticism. The analysis relies on moral panic theory to explain this shift in the American consciousness. Moral panics are triggered when the political and media machinery manipulate public worries that are already present. Although political figures may instigate moral panics for political purposes, the media shares a central role in the creation of moral panic by sensationalizing news to inflame the public fear. On the other hand, sociologists have found that media can play a reassuring role in the midst of a “hot crisis” by investigating claims and events. The author illustrates how the media helped to contain public fear during a “hot crisis” in New York City on October 6, 2005 when city leaders were warned of an imminent attack on the city’s subway system. Rather than sensationalizing the threat, the media critically analyzed the threat, which helped to contain public fear. It is through these mechanisms that the fear of terrorism has slowly changed into a growing cynicism over the government’s handling of terrorists threats. The author describes the creation of the homeland security-industrial complex which emerged in the wake of the terrorist attacks and has resulted in major spikes in spending for the military as well as for public and private security. More importantly, the author argues that this homeland security-industrial complex has formed a union of various key public and private players who are covertly influencing the course of policy and spending to their own advantage. As the American public’s skepticism grows, the government can be expected to deny culpability and engage in diversion tactics that ultimately undermine America’s security. References