CHAPTER SEVEN: Terrorism and the World after 9/11
Study
For realist scholars the rise of terrorism was caused by an imbalance of power, where small powers seek an alternate distribution of power. Liberal scholars argue that it has, instead, to do with unresolved grievances and lack of economic development at the local and regional levels. Identity scholars argue that terrorism is a result of national, religious, and ethnic identities that view one another as enemies.
Ethnic, religious, and national conflicts are a common occurrence in today's world, and how we view their causes largely determines what we will suggest as the best possible solution. Realists, for example, often claim that ethnic conflicts are the result of hard-wired cognitive or situational needs. Since these are enduring features, realist perspectives often suggest that partition and a stable balance of power are the only ways to end these struggles. Liberals, meanwhile, often see elite manipulation as a source of ethnic conflict and subsequently suggest federalism as the best solution. Identity perspectives, finally, see ethnic, religious, and national conflict as ideationally constructed and believe that the creation of new norms—like tolerance and democracy—can provide solutions to these problems.
Study Questions
- How do liberal perspectives view ethnic conflict, and based on this, what type of solution would they likely propose?
- What is nationalism? What would realist perspectives propose when dealing with nationalist conflicts?
- What is the basis for the China-Taiwan conflict, and what type of conflict is it?
- How are political reform and economic development related to terrorism, according to the identity and liberal perspectives?