Research
The Usual Suspects: Debunking the Myth About the aoCausesa of Terrorism
What Γ’β¬ΕcausesΓ’β¬Β terrorism? Myriad attempts have been made to categorize and explain the various causes of terrorism. Countless books and journal articles in every academic discipline imaginable have been published, associating terrorism with a litany of variables including poverty, illiteracy, inequality, democracy, authoritarianism and mental illnessΓ’β¬β’ to name just a few.
A Thorn by Any Other Name: Definitions, Typologies, and Various Explanations for Terrorism
An ancient Chinese parable tells of a poor young farmer who lost his only possession: the horse that he had inherited from his father. The members of the village visited the poor farmer and expressed their condolences for his loss. Γ’β¬ΕHow do you know that losing my horse was a misfortune?Γ’β¬Β Sure enough, about a week later the horse returned with a healthy young mare as its wife. The citizens of the village were shocked, and they all went to visit the farmer to congratulate him on his good fortune. Γ’β¬ΕHow do you know that gaining the mare is good fortune?Γ’β¬Β Again, the young farmerΓ’β¬β’s words rang true. About two weeks later, as he was breaking the mare, she threw him and he broke his leg. All the people of the village gathered around his bed to console him for his tragedy. Γ’β¬ΕHow do you know that breaking my leg was a tragedy?Γ’β¬Β Later that month, the Japanese invaded. The emperor sent emissaries to every village to find healthy young men. All the young men of the village were sent to the front except the young farmer whose leg had not yet healed. None of the young men returnedΓ’β¬Β¦all were killed in battle. And so it is with terrorism. We see violence on the news and just accept that it is what the mainstream media and politicians tell usΓ’β¬β’ never once considering that it may be something else entirely
