In recent years, attention to terrorism has increased tremendously. However, there is no reason to justify that terrorism will cease to exist in the future. The key aspect of dealing with terrorism is to understand its trigger and root causes. Researchers believe that it is important to consider the forces that attract people to violence. In his research, Post argues that terrorists are driven by psychological forces that attract people to violence while Crenshaw argues that terrorism is a rationale choice made to achieve the goals of the group (Reich, 1998). This essay supports Crenshaw point of view, which affirm that the trigger cause of terrorism is to achieve the goals of the group.
Crenshaw emphasizes that terrorism is the product of political choice, which provide opportunities for violence to happen. The author believes that people engage in terrorism in the name of group based on the religion, ideology, ethnicity, and nationalism. Some also engage in terrorism because of human motivations on social-psychological and economic dimensions. In essence, Crenshaw argument does not only provide insights on what causes terrorism, but expands on the elements of group that motivates people to such behaviours. The author’s findings highlight that the patterns and cycles of terrorism may be as a result of a strategic conceptions instead of a common condition or circumstance. Although Post discusses about the psychological research of what trigger terrorism, he lacks explanations and arguments of the activities that causes terrorism. Post believes that political terrorists are driven by psychological forces that compel people to commit the act. However, the author fails to recognize that there are other reasons or activities that push people to commit terrorism such as defending religion, ethnicity, or a nation. Thus, Crenshaw’s argument seems more valid because it discusses that terrorism is the product of political choice that psychologically affects people to do the act.
Reference
Reich, W. (1998). Origins of terrorism: Psychologies, ideologies, theologies, states of mind. Washington, DC: Woodrow Wilson Center Press.
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