Question

What would a constructivist say about the interconnectedness among terrorism, environmental problems, and humanitarian crises? And what a connection among how this ideology feels?

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) If one takes a look at the history of terror attacks, it can be noticed that it is the developing nations that attack the developed nations. In other words, it is the poor that attack the rich. Perhaps, this is indicative of how much responsibility the developed nations exert over the developing nations.

When a nation is in a state of privilege or is considered amongst the first world nations, it means that the national income and the purchasing power of that nation are relatively higher. These are nations that can afford basic necessities like food, shelter, education, healthcare etc.

For a developing nation, it might be only the richer people who can afford basic necessities. When the majority of the people in such nations cannot afford the basics, they are left scared, angry, aggressive and even illiterate to understand the problems and find a solution. Such individuals are easily brainwashed into joining terrorist organisation by dynamic leaders.

When terror attacks are conducted, they might be in the form of explosives and other arsenals. These weapons not only destroy human lives but, also the ecological balance of the environment. Considering that the people who might indulge in such attacks are unaware and even too disturbed by their poor conditions to bother about the environment, these attacks are irresponsible on the environment.

A constructivist would believe that a person would become a terrorist because they are poor, they have been sold to an organisation by parents who have no means to survive and parents were promised their child would be cared for. Furthermore, a terrorist would easily fall for the preaching of a dynamic leader because they have no education to help them rationalise what they are told. These are people who are easily brainwashed because of the lack of education and resources.

On the other hand, a person from a developed nation might be living in a two-room house with enough of food, a substantial education and a news channel that broadcasts how the terrorists hate them for no reason other than religious convictions. The person sitting on the couch would believe the news programmes and further hate the terrorists, their country and their religious beliefs without ever observing the true conditions of their lives in a dilapidated hovel.

If humanitarian efforts were the priority of most nations, as opposed to merely increasing their national income, it would be possible that aids to such nations in an organised operation might actually help. It would not only be the developing nation that is helped but, also that the developed nations would have fewer terror attacks.