Can it be said that the increasing level of terrorism, social disorder, kidnapping and the likes is a product of social, economic and political subjugation of the poor by the rich, developing nations by the developed, the have-nots by the haves or are they negative externalities of civilization/advancement in science and technology?
Kalu,
I would strongly suggest that you read :
Do Artifacts Have Politics? by L Winner
While I do not totally agree with the analysis by Winner, it is must read for your question. My stance on the issue is that the Artifact is disconnected from the solution and technology is neutral on these issues. This difference in opinion from the author is due to my definition on how to analyze technology as an artifact and how do I assign social, ethical and psychological impact of technology on the individual and society.
On the science side I am of the view that science is totally passive in its endeavor and it is through its technological applications that it achieves its influence. it is my belief that at its core, science is also politically neutral.
Science and technology have adverse effects upon their embedding into particular circumstances of politics and socio economic instances. Once they are embedded into this background they have a profound impact capable of determining the outcome of the instance. While I do deny technological determinism, I absolutely believe in technological supremacy that provides a further divide on society by this unfair circumstance embedding.
In summary of my view: they are not the source but they are enablers of disparity that lead to the issues that you mention.
Arturo,
what I gather from your submission is that they are not direct causal factors rather their collateral effects arguably lead to the aforementioned issues. Thanks for your input
The word Assassin comes from Hashashein. This is an Arabic word for those who got high on Hashish (Marijuana). These people started out fighting Islamic rulers for failing to fight off the Crusaders. They used to get high and kill the local leaders and they got killed in turn while they were high. This way, their pain is minimized. This is how we got the world assassin. In ancient times, many other forms of terrorism occurred.
Terrorism and Violent Crimes, both are coming from Injustice, enslavement and robbery of the rights of others. Mainly this is due to many factors;
Faring away from religion, Governors the dictatorship, Political repression and ignorance. All those mentioned factors are abundance in developing countries.
Injustice, repression, religious extremism/bigotry have been added as causes of terrorism and violent crimes. Interestingly, Artur gives us a new line on the subject that it is "Terrorism is done by the rich to remind the poor ones to pay their tribute properly. Terrorism is a low level form of warfare".
Med Confl Surviv. 2006 Jan-Mar;22(1):13-25.
Terror breeds terrorists.
de Zulueta F1.
Author information
Abstract
Terrorism can be carried out by the state or by its citizens. The latter may be labelled 'freedom fighters' or 'terrorists' depending on the political context. One of the most important aetiological factors driving Islamic terrorists is the experience of alienation and shame. This sense of being made to feel totally invalidated, of feeling worthless in the eyes of the other, is at the root of rage and violent revenge, implying that the way the current 'War on Terror' is being fought by the United States and the United Kingdom can only lead to more terrorism and danger for our society.
PMID: 16594374 DOI: 10.1080/13623690500490022[Indexed for MEDLINE]
See my book "From Pain to violence" last chapter. On amazon
Felicity's point of political context cannot be overemphasized in this discussion. One man's liberator is another man's tyrant. It also highlights the care on how one interprets history based upon who wrote it.
Great post
Felicity, thanks for your submission but the book you referred us to is hardly accessible. Could you please send me a soft copy, i am quite interested in having a look at the chapter you mentioned. Thanks
They are interwoven.Technology broadcasts crime and unrest and teaches the unaware what is available and at an alarming speed. Technology helps spread crime and unrest.
Obianuju P. Umeji
Yes, Terrorism and violent crimes can be blamed on all because the distressing conditions often stem from poverty, persecution, lack of human rights, oppression, ideologies (such as secular beliefs), religion, and ethnic discrimination, While technological advancement, makes way for the application of diverse ammunitions and tricks.
Terrorism and violent crimes stem from a complex interplay of social, economic, political factors, and advancements in science and technology. While social, economic, and political subjugation can create fertile ground for extremism, technological advancements facilitate new methods for carrying out such acts. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that tackles underlying grievances while also regulating the misuse of technology.
Terrorism and violent crimes can have complex causes, including social, economic, political factors, as well as advancements in science and technology. It's often a combination of multiple factors rather than any single cause.
Terrorism and violent crimes can be influenced by social, economic, and political factors, but blaming them solely on advancements in science and technology oversimplifies complex societal issues.