Terrorism Essay- Basic Guidelines

As Lacquer writes in his book that terrorism is a process that is randomly used to create an environment of instability and uncertainty, by “political organizations with both rightist and leftist objectives, by nationalistic and ethnic groups, by revolutionaries, and by the armies and secret police of governments themselves”. It is thus a violent and unpredictable method to create fear and disharmony amongst the common people, for achieving further gains. A terrorism essay will deal with this topic of violence and anarchy.

Terrorism is not a new phenomena of the twentieth century. History has time and again shown us how terrorism has been used by various rulers and dictators, as an instrument to oppress and subjugate. The word has in fact come from the ‘reign of terror’ unleashed during the French revolution, a period of complete anarchy and bloodbath. Under the garb of revolution, Robespierre and other leaders went for a mass murder of all aristocrats.

Again we see terrorism during Spanish inquisition where random torture and execution was made the order of the day to send out a message against non-Christians and non-believers. Colonial terrorism under the English, French, Portuguese and Spanish rulers will also figure prominently in the list. A look at more modern times will bring forth the rule of terror by Adolf Hitler during the Second World war. This is indicated in figures which shows that around 11 million innocent people (6 million of of these were Jews ) were tortured and killed in concentration camps during Holocaust.

More examples of terrorism can be found when the USSR was under Stalin, Uganda under Ida Amin, and Ethiopia came under the rule of Mengistu Hailemariam. Terrorism can be implemented by the ruling government to suppress its people, like what Stalin did, or it may also arise from political opponents trying to topple the ruling government. It may also arise from misplaced and wrong ideologies, like we see in the modern day terrorism arising from Islamic fundamentalists, trying to create a reign of terror in the name of god.

Modern day terrorism is mostly related to technological warfare, and thus with more terrifying effects. With one press of a button the modern day terrorist has the capacity to kill hundreds. The main aim of terrorism from time immemorial has been to strike at innocent people who all are defenseless, and thus unleash the wave of terror in the minds of these common people. It would coerce the common man into believing in their twisted ideologies, what ever that may be. Thus we find terrorism is the instrument of the cowards and those with distorted minds. Killing scores of innocents can never be a method to bring about positive revolution and change.

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