Hand of Reason
Bio-Terrorism
The utilization of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by terrorist groups is one of the largest international security concerns of the 21st century. If terrorists were able to carry out an attack on a major city using biological weapons the casualties could number in the thousands. The delayed effects of these weapons and the fact [...]
Right-Wing Terrorism
Because of the recent July 2011 attack in Norway, right-wing terrorism is once again brought to the forefront of international media attention. This type of terrorism has been around for well over a century in the form of racist groups such as the Klu-Klux-Klan, however it is only relatively recently that this ideology has begun [...]
Eco-Terrorism
Our two previous posts in this series (Types of Terrorism and Causes of Terrorism) have broadly outlined the different kinds of terrorism and some of its causes. This post will focus on one kind specifically that the general media often overlook. Eco-terrorism is today one of the most threatening forms of terrorism that the United [...]
Causes of Terrorism
In our Types of Terrorism post we laid out the different kinds of terrorism that exist. Here we discuss the causes of terrorism, or more specifically, why people become terrorists. In order to combat terrorism, we must first understand the drivers of terrorism. Identifying these drivers allows policy makers to target terrorism at its root causes [...]
Types Of Terrorism
It is common today for people to hear the word terrorism and immediately think of al-Qaeda or other Islamic extremists. While Islamic extremism does contribute to certain types of terrorism, there are many other forms as well, all with their own characteristics and challenges for policy makers. These types commonly overlap to describe single terrorist [...]
Counterinsurgency Reading List
Note: This is very much a work in progress, there are numerous sources and material for those seeking to deepen their knowledge of counterinsurgency (COIN). The material I have included below merely reflects the sources I’m currently familiar with. For the moment, this list will be fairly informal and includes some speculation. Please feel free [...]
Other Recent Articles
-
Political Roots of China’s Degradation – Judith Shapiro
China’s Transformations is a collection of essays that cover many of the current debates surrounding China’s rise. This is our summary of the second essay within the book. Judith Shapiro explores the link between human suffering and environmental degradation while examining the Mao years (50). Shapiro also seeks to explore the political connections between human rights [...]
-
Trouble-Makers or Truth-Sayers – Martin Fackler
In the essay “Trouble-Makers or Truth-Sayers,” Martin Fackler recounts his time in China as a foreign journalist. While reporting on a nightclub fire in China, Fackler reveals the antagonistic relationship between the foreign press and the Chinese government as well as the characteristics of a state that is still struggling to adjust to a rising [...]
-
Social Experiments to Fight Poverty – Esther Duflo
Esther Duflo is a French economist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Specializing in development economics, Duflo focuses on the causes of poverty, as well as practical and effective solutions to eradicate it. In her most recent TED Talk, Duflo questions the impact of aid. While it is unlikely that we will ever [...]
-
Graceful Decline? The Surprising Success of Great Power Retrenchment – Paul MacDonald and Joseph Parent
MacDonald and Parent argue that decreased military spending and less ambitious foreign policy is the best course of action for a major power in decline. By following a policy of retrenchment, a state can mitigate the effects of its decline and, in some cases, even regain its former status. Retrenchment is defined as a policy [...]
-
Taxi to the Dark Side – The Story of American Torture
Taxi to the Dark Side is an in-depth look at the United States’ use of torture in the War on Terror that won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary. The film looks at the issue through the case of an Afghani taxi driver named Dilawar who died from treatment he received while in U.S. [...]
- Archives: