NCJ Number
139272
Date Published
1991
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This author examines what he sees as the origins of terrorism as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy.
Abstract
The historical antecedents for the use of indiscriminate political violence in Western societies lie in religion, geography, and a unique brand of metaphysics. In the development of secular modernism, marked by progress in science, technology, and industry, there arose the conviction that history and nature could be shaped to serve the cause of human advancement. One aspect of this evolution was the belief that the territorial State was absolute. As a result, there has been widespread cultural support for terroristic policies, justified on the grounds of State interests. The modern State has been able to retain its normative position through the appropriation of language dealing with terrorism; positive images of Western values and innocence as juxtaposed with the representation of challenging groups as evil and menacing. However, several factors, including U.S. global ascendancy, isolationism, and the creation of the national security State, have begun to tarnish the benign image the U.S. enjoyed prior to 1945. 32 notes