Thought-Provoker: why the terrorists are winning

For Nationalists, System Justifiers, and Conservatives/Rightists generally, the fear of Islamist-Terrorism is amplified. Often, such Right-Wingers aren't as aghast at the injuries and deaths that might accompany an Islamist-Terrorist attack as they are about the audacity of an assault on their precious culture---the political and social structures and processes, symbols, traditions and values etc. This is tragic because the real concern should be about any loss of life or injury sustained.

Right-Wingers are more fearful of attacks on what they deem to be culturally important. This is because their personal and collective self-esteem, need for structure and security and sense of meaningful existence is inextricably wrapped up in their broader national and cultural identity: an attack on their culture is akin to an attack on key aspects of the self.

The fear messages propagated by government and media though can also shift not only Centrists on the ideological spectrum toward a similar mindset, but also relatively Progressive persons. This shift is becoming more commonplace as time goes by. Indeed, even Progressives are getting on the bandwagon; calling for more surveillance, increased spending on military and police and providing them with greater powers etc.

Islamist-Terrorists are astute enough to launch attacks on culturally important landmarks and institutions and on key dates etc. believing such targets provide greater 'hurt' value. Indeed, the bombing of a Christian church on a Christmas morning by a radicalized Islamist is going to be particularly hurtful to a Western Rightist. The same attack perpetrated by a radicalized Christian however, might not be perceived to be as venomous or appalling to that same Western Rightist.

Political leaders and media go on and on about how Islamist-Terrorist attacks are assaults on our cultural identity, values, democracy and freedoms. And perhaps most importantly, how we will not yield to their desire to instil fear. After an attack, the rhetoric calls for people to be vigilant but still go about their usual business (i.e., focus on work, spending, and other culturally prescribed pursuits). And multitudes of people are asked to gather at attack sights and hold candlelight vigils--- by doing so they are said to show solidarity and defiance in this time of crisis. We might also see benefit concerts.....something deemed culturally important to an entertainment industry focused society. So we see that we are meant to more strongly embrace culturally important traditions, symbols, and institutions at this time---it reinforces our cultural identity you see.

Somehow all this is meant to show Islamist-Terrorists that we won't succumb to their demands to make us fearful. However, a more thoughtful analysis of the above paints a very different view of such practices and how they might be interpreted by perpetrators and would be perpetrators of such attacks.

Mass gatherings at attack sights, emotional interviews with survivors, knee-jerk reactions by politicians, and mass media coverage actually work to show terrorists, and potential terrorists, how fearful people are of terror attacks (and their mere threat) and indeed how much an attack does impact a given populace. To be clear, what key people, institutions and the general public do after an attack, needs to be more clearly contained and thought out. Current responses very much send messages that the attack was successful and suggests perpetual weakness of the target population to those who would contemplate such atrocities.

And of course a common knee-jerk reaction by authorities is to further reduce our precious freedoms. There is increasing surveillance and intrusion into our lives by authorities as a result of attacks. Because of the fear propaganda, the general populace accepts increasing, oppressive surveillance and intrusion by authorities as necessary. This is perhaps the biggest win that the 'threat of terrorism' has achieved.

We are not winning the war on Islamist-Terrorism---any terrorist 'worth his or her salt' would be rubbing their hands together in glee knowing they've already won. This is because the casualty count isn't the focus; it's about instilling fear and 'cultural hurt', and curbing the freedoms of those they target. This then is the way terrorism works to impact and change the values, beliefs, norms and behaviors of the targeted populace---the very demands we ostensibly were never going to succumb to........