The Need For Violence: Genocide And Terrorism

Genocide is an act committed by an individual with the intent to destroy an ethnicity, culture, religion or as a whole. In Geneva, the Islamic State committed genocide by killing some Yazidi minorities in Syria and Iraq. Women, Men, and Children were exterminated if they were not fully committed to convert to their Islam beliefs. Terrorism is a criminal act committed by individuals or groups to indulge in their ideological beliefs. Terrorism is influenced by cultural factors. Why do people kill? Are the deaths of innocent people really necessary?

Violence plays an important role in many countries who suffer in poverty. Mass violence leads to a rational choice because those who commit the act see violence as a guide to help them achieve their long term goals. Many people kill others due to the influence the government has on them, which makes them believe if they get rid of a certain group in their country the economy will rise. In third world countries, government leaders manipulate the people (their followers) which play a role in genocide today. Individuals and groups who commit terrorism are taught from a young age what is expected from them to achieve their political goal. The acts committed are to either stop democracy or capitalism from forming in their country or spread to other countries. They do not care how many innocent lives they destroy because terrorists believe they are doing the killing for a political purpose; the greater good for their country. For genocide, the government may not be the one killing but they are gaining something in return. The fewer people in a country, the more the government can gain in profit. Leaders are only self-interested, while they are the ones making the decisions that impact the decision and loyalty from their followers. The leaders who decide to commit genocide or terrorism are self-interested actors, but their followers influenced by culture. The need for genocide and terrorism are self-interested choices committed from rational actors that are influenced by a cultural shift using structure and organized ideas.

In collective political violence, culture influences the behaviors of individuals, communities, groups, and politics. ISIS is an example of cultural terrorism. The actions committed by ISIS organizations against the U. S. military in 2017-2018 were seen as savage and barbaric violence. These people are taught from a young age to become killers. The reason behind genocide crimes is not only for cost-benefit or self interesting choices, but an ideology that leaders have that makes them believe for a better future a “utopia”. A place where there are no problems and only the “chosen” ones deserve. In other's words, a made believed place known as the “perfect society or world”. ISIS's ideology of following Al Qaeda's rules have spread to Africa. Al Qaeda believed in creating a strong relationship with local neighbors to achieve creating an influence on how they should work. That is how Islam and Syria managed to cooperate and build this new form of terrorism. They are willing to do anything to make sure they gain their support and loyalty. The Islamic State in West Africa decided to offer loans to their young working-class and do not require them to pay back their debt by money rather than their loyalty and services to their war. This event is a perfect example of a rational decision this terrorist organization made for their benefit. The military has difficulty figuring out who is part of the organization because they all blend into the rest of society. The way this West Africa’s terrorist organization works is by getting a young fighter willing to give their loyalty by finding them in communities where they lack the basic need for living or assistance. The more groups, the terrorist group attacks bring in new resources. Most of these fighters are from Nigeria; a state in need of finance, health resources and the basic needs for survival. Rationalists may argue that these individuals who decide to commit destruction have a reasonable reason behind why they choose this dark path other than self-interest requires some influences from their culture.

The decisions made from genocide and terrorist leaders are started from self-interested decisions that lead to a culture effect to make sure those political goals are achieved. An example is Islamic suicide bombers, all though they are rational actors the reason behind their attacks are from a culture perspective. They believe if they decide to perform any type of bombing attack, it is to make sure the future generations will have more wealth if the sacrifices are made early. The bombing attack of 1983 showed the potential effect of terrorism when Hezbollah terrorist attack military troops that were in Lebanon who were carrying two trucks of French and American marines. This attack caused President Raegan to withdraw military troops from Lebanon. Lebanon leaders believed that terrorism leads to political changes by force. Hezbollah militants were acting under the influence of Iran. The suicide bomber dove a truck towards the building using a remote control denotator. Al Qaeda was influenced by this new method of terrorism that helps fight against Western power. Over the past 30 years, this new method of terrorism has influenced other terrorist groups to carry on and aim for a bigger target from global to regional objectives. Corruption plays another role in why people decide to take this action. Genocide occurs when the government or a group influences the people. In Geneva, ISIS culture is to convince the minority group to convert to the Islam religion or death.

Genocide does not only occur in third world countries but all around the world. Followers are part of a cultural factor from the influences they gain from their leaders. The choices these individuals choose are self interesting, but the ideology and customs shown to them are from their leaders and government. For those who have an authoritarian position, their primary goal is to stay in power just like any other political leader. Under stressful conditions; leaders order a mass killing of a minority group because they are seen as a direct threat to them. Genocide leaders believe if they get rid of those groups they will make sure they stay in power or will benefit the economy. Genocide leads to more of a psychological effect on the killer because its different from a terrorist act where its just an explosive compared to a slaughter. The question we must ask is why do they go through with it? Is it because they are psychotic or the reason behind their act is under influence? The Salvadoran Civil War fought between government military and rebels was a good example of genocide. The military was willing to enter villages, take the family out by force and execute them savagely. In 1981 in El Mozote, a massacre occurred in El Salvador lead by the military who killed more than 800 innocent people. The reason behind the massacre of these innocent lives falls deeper than just corruption in the government. FMLN the rebellious group influenced people to fight back against the military to oppress their power; however, many lives were taken away by false accusations causing the military to believe they were helping the rebels. FMLN's main priority was to gain more than they have and oppress the rich because many people lived in poverty; in other words the government inside corruption. The Culture shift influenced many people to join the rebels and others decided to bandwagon and stay out of the conflict which leads to many innocent lives be taken away. Military Culture leads to recruiting 12-year-old boys to be a part of the military to fight back. Many mothers were devastated seeing their child be taken by force from the government because they aimed for one political purpose to get rid of any threat that would bring down the government. The government was allowed to prosecute any criminal or rebel who was willing to fight back against them. El Salvador's military was very well organized and structured because of the cooperation and military aid the United States offered them.

What makes Terrorism different from Genocide? Both aim for a political goal; however, their ideology and strategy are different. When genocide occurs, rationalist does not aim for an extreme decision to make rather than the violence is their last choice. Leaders tend to aim for genocide when most of their other policies they have tried to implement over the country have failed. Leaders know if they commit such inhuman actions; they can get away with it and blame it as a “political decision” that had to be made to prosper the country. On the other hand, Leaders of terrorist groups have limited options. To plan a terrorist act it requires to be planned very well and thorough to execute successfully. There have been other terrorist acts that have failed because it was not planned very well. To the bomber or attacker may not make sense to give up their lives but from the perspective of a leader, it does make sense because they are trying to fight for a political goal. Rationalist agrees that both of these crimes committed are coming to the leader's final resort because perhaps their political activists have failed to protest, and the government keeps on ignoring them. Terrorist acts are tended to attract the government's attention by showing some type of resistance against the military or another specific group. Terrorist Leaders aim to gain more power while genocide leaders aim to make sure they stay in power.

The rise of suicide terrorism rose from Islamic Culture after the 9/11 attack. Culture is not affected even if they both use their power for self-interested purposes. An example in the history of the greatest genocide ever committed was the Holocaust. Any type of belief, tradition, rules, or cultures can change at any time throughout history whether it is implemented or not. Adolf Hitler used fear by implementing mass murders to maintain Germany’s power, to keep Jews under control, and prevented sabotage from enemies. Hitler’s ideology was to make sure Germany did not turn Communist. He knew as long as he was promoted or achieved higher positions in the military he was certain he was going to stay in power. His purpose was to maintain his soldiers satisfied, so they do not fear war. German soldiers would kill women, men, children and the elderly. Nazis were very well organized and structured when it came to invading villages. The method Hitler used to make sure he stayed in power was the well-organized plan of using propaganda to his advantage. They had this ideology for every soldier wounded or killed; they would kill more enemies including hostages and the innocent who were seen as a threat to Germany. Nazis soldier's methods of exterminating Jews and Polish were cold-blooded. Their methods were cruel, such as murdering them by flames, bullets, gas (toxic) to letting their prisoners starve or die from hypothermia. Their actions were all planned and organized but influenced by Hitler's ideology. The influence Aldof Hitler had on his massive army of soldiers was astonishing because every single one of his soldiers was loyal and willing to fight for his cause.

What makes Terrorism and Genocide Similar? They both commit dehumanizing actions. Genocide and Terrorism actions would not be successful if it were only leaders and no followers to carry out the attack. Genocide and Terrorist followers, on the other hand, would not know where to begin if they did not have the leaders to guide them. For these dehumanizing actions, both factors need one another to properly function and are successful. Structural choices play a small portion as to why these crimes are committed and are the last reason that terrorism and genocide leaders decide. These terrorist acts from the Middle East to the West have been organized violence. The structuralist analysis would argue that poverty is not the only reason that leads to terrorism or genocide. Most actors are neither poor nor rich, but at least have some type of political education. The reason behind these acts committed is more simple than you think; the reason is the economy. Many Eastern terrorists are like this because they fail the fundamentals of capitalism which is the market system. Structuralists have argued that capitalism is a motive of power to gain control over the rest of the world. The Middle East believes Capitalism will help them maintain power or gain more, which will make them more powerful than the United States. The Middle East has been a target for the United States over the past decade. Western government and leaders have tried to spread their ideology towards the eastern side of the world over the past decade. For many of these other countries, they have difficult challenges to have a healthy, social and political relationship because developing countries have to send out a huge amount of money to the rich countries for their help. An example was how Jamaica borrowed some money from the United States after they gained their freedom to rebuild the country. To this day, they still lack structure and economically. Another example is Islam, the reason why they have difficulty trying to embrace the Western ideology is because of their economy; they still feel the need to stay with Capitalism for their market-based system. Many Muslims want democracy but feel as the United States is not setting a good example because of the conflicts and invasions in certain parts of Iraq and Afghanistan. The reason that leads back to this conflict is religion. Culture is the central idea of why these actors choose to do what they do. However, to carry out this plan it must be organized and structured very well to succeed. Eastern values and attitudes are completely different from the western ideology. An example is the view of women’s rights are that women have more rights and freedom in the West compared to parts of the East. Many women in Afghanistan have norms that they cannot be seen open, but must have a Baghdad; clothing that is covered. Parts of Eastern countries such as Iraq, Arab, and Afghanistan have structured their people to what men can do and what women can do or obey. The structure has to lead to why terrorism and culture are very similar. Genocide and Terrorism actors commit these crimes because of their self-interest, but their surroundings and culture influence them to follow through. With that being said, the economy is from a structure tradition that leads them to execute successfully. They have difficulty understanding whether democracy or capitalism for their market system will benefit them. Most Eastern countries are influenced by capitalism because that is what they have been taught from their government or political education.

Both of these acts are mostly rational base off from a cultural shift to execute successfully, so the country can prosper. These crimes are not only committed in third world countries but all around the world from South America to Eastern parts. Many of these country's actions were based on self-interest choices that were influenced and very well structured and organized by the government or leaders. It might not be the same for every country but their main objective is the same, their political goal is achieved by using violence and fear as their tool. For terrorist or genocide leaders to follow through their plan with violence are rational decisions based off on a strategic point that is carefully planned, which is influenced by culture.