Question

Historically, democracies are more vulnerable than autocracies to terrorism committed by non-state movements and groups against perceived enemies ("dissident terrorism"). Totalitarian states, which are less vulnerable to dissident terrorism, are more prone to perpetrate state-sponsored and state terrorism. Why? Please substantiate your argument with at least two historical references from the 21st Century.

Answer 1

Terrorism is expounded to mean illegal approaches like violence or threat of violence by organized groups aiming to enhance their political goals. The unsuccessful political groups may adopt alternative strategies like military coups, civil wars, intra-elite maneuverings, and rebellions to air their grievances (Ghatak et al., 451). Therefore terrorism provides a better avenue to achieve their goals; the terrorists may be both non-governmental participants in some instances. The illegal activities adopted by terrorists mainly target audiences who are majorly civilians.

The West African nations like Liberia, Zaire, and Sierra Leone and the Middle East like Palestine and Iraq are greatly affected by terrorism activities.  However, democratic states are noted to be affected by terrorism compared to totalitarian states; this results from open avenues and competitive aspects of democratic governments. Totalitarian governments are less affected by terrorism since they have advanced mechanisms to track dissidents located abroad; they threaten family members to extreme extents intending to obtain essential information and adopt intensive interrogation methods (Bernholz, Peter, 2017). In contrast, democratic regimes are vulnerable to terrorist activities compared to totalitarian states.

 Democratic states are more exposed to illegal attacks in attempts to incorporate all persons in governance. Minimal surveillance, restrictions, and investigations are enhanced by police pre-empt attacks before the actualization stages. Democratic governments are also considered weak due to lengthy consultation procedures, even on the verge of risks; this presents ex-and-in-filtration opportunities. Immigration policies in democratic nations like the United States and Western Europe nation's result in threats of attacks by terrorists pretending to be immigrants. The US faced terrorist attacks in 1997 and September 2005; this amounted to 178 terrorist attacks ever encountered in the US (Ghatak et al., 453).  The constitution provides limitations on individual interrogation; this results in fair trials of the suspects. Others are let free when evidence is wrongly presented or considered inadequate, hence slowing the anti-terrorism fight in democratic states.

 

Terrorism is expounded to mean illegal approaches like violence or threat of violence by organized groups aiming to enhance their political goals.