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Quint Barber

English 102; Globalization Essay Final

23 Feb. 2017

Globalization Promotes Terrorism

Across the country and around the globe a movement has been stirring. It is known as

Globalization. Globalization is identified as the process of international integration arising from

the interchanging of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture (Paul 1). This

movement has grown remarkably within the last couple decades with the objective to blend

world concepts such as collective policies, procedures, views, and other things that the term

represents. As in many topics, there are people on both ends of the fence. Many people look at

this motion as having more detrimental effects than positive ones. One argument that sprouts

from this particular seed is the idea that the avenue of opportunities for terrorism that is

capitulated through the concepts of globalization is large enough to break down the arguments

that promote globalization. Throughout this analysis, this question will be answered: is this

deficiency significant enough to invalidate the pursuits of globalization?

First, there must be an entrenched and mutually agreed relationship between

Globalization and terrorism. Jonathan Matusitz established within Terrorism and

Communication; a critical introduction this premises before delving deeper in his topic: ...that

there is a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and media and that globalization has given

terrorism unprecedented ubiquity (1). Ubiquity meaning commonplace, or appearing more

frequently. It is worth noting Matusitz ideas after reflecting on how ambitions regarding the

ideas of Globalization and the iterations of terrorist activity have been maintaining a consistent

positive correlation for the last two decades. Matusitz point, interestingly, is primarily
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considering contemporary media accountable for promoting these globalist endeavors. What

other evidence or studies have been done in respect to the medias affiliation with this

undertaking? Christopher Walker, the vice president for studies and analysis at the National

Endowment for Democracy, has an interesting take on this question derived from a current

article in the Hoover Digest Journal:

A new global competition in soft power is under way between democracy and

autocracy, but only one side seems to be competing seriously. Many had assumed that the

era of globalization would give democracies a huge advantage in this sphere. The

argument is that a more open global political economy and the relentless flow of

information across borders will boost open societies over repressive ones. But it is the

undemocratic states that have been the nimblest at enhancing their influence.

Today dictators are cooperating with and learning from one another, sharing

know-how and technology across borders. This is visible, for instance, in the strategies

that China and Russia have adopted to stifle independent online voices. Within months of

each other, the authorities in both countries enacted similar regulations to target online

users with significant followings, with the aim of silencing the most influential

commentators on popular social-media platforms.

The authoritarians not only repress reform-minded voices at home but are seeking

to reshape international values and norms in order to limit the global ambit of democracy.

A key feature of today's authoritarian surge is the creation of lavishly funded international

media enterprises. China's CCTV and Russia's RT are the television outlets with the

highest profiles, but these are only one part of a more extensive, multidimensional global

effort to shape the media environment. (Walker 137)


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While this may seem ominous or dark to some, it is very real. Contemporary influences of media

are astronomical, so it is not unexpected that it would play some role in the movement of

globalization.

With that said, it is important to take a grain of salt with everything one reads in mass

media. Considering its power in the current day and age, it is easy for an author to incorporate a

bias and consequently manipulate a given audience to accept a perspective as truth. The mass

media is a matter that touches all our lives. Without cease, virtually every day since early

childhood, it has been playing an important role in forming our personality, enriching our

background knowledge, providing us with information of any kind (TRAVELING). The

media attempts to gain an audiences trust by introducing new possibilities or ideas that they

havent considered before, but may be open to exploring. Then, a comfortable environment is

achieved to encourage consumers to continue releasing information about themselves to the

media (How the Media Manipulates You Without You Knowing). An example may be the

advertisements one sees when surfing the web. It is not uncommon to notice redundancy or

reappearances of products that were recently viewed. This strategy, known as cookies, keeps

track of the products a particular client browses and shapes the advertisement filters to reflect

what the client is interested in. This is relevant when considering the dramatic evolution of

technology and the tools, such as cookies, that are becoming available to the media creating

simple ways to influence, market to, and even manipulate consumers on a global scale.

Globalization can easily be, and is already in the process of being, pushed by the media using

these abilities. In face value, there is not necessarily anything wrong with this. However, it is

important to note that anyone can use the media in many ways, including terrorist parties.

Terrorism is ISIS communications strategy of choice. Unfortunately, as it seeks to inform,


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Western media encourages terrorists through its choice of coverage and the language it uses. The

media has fallen into patterns of reportage of deadly incidents that convey a message other than

the intended one. This has the effect of encouraging terrorists (The Media Must Stop

Encouraging Terrorists). It is essential to be sensitive to this potential, and be wary of the things

one sees and hears of through sources of media.

On the surface level, globalization does not seem like much of a threat. However, after

considering the gap created through its concepts and the correlation of the media, globalization,

and terrorism, we notice trends and opportunities that point towards more and more potential for

the pursuits of terrorists. It is important not to denounce globalization in its entirety, but to be

cognisant of exactly how it will affect society on a day-to-day basis. Whether or not the threat of

terrorism that is carried with the pursuits of globalization is enough to nullify its necessity

ultimately comes down to individual interpretation. On the other hand, as stated by Martin

Luther King Jr., nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and

conscientious stupidity.

Work Cited:

Dean, Paul, and George Ritzer. "Globalization."

The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization, edited by George Ritzer, vol. 2,


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Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, pp. 849-860. Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedias in Social Science.

Gale Virtual Reference Library,

ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?

p=GVRL&sw=w&u=mcc_chandler&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CCX3700800233&asid=f426978e782183f0ba3f55ef5fec164a. Accessed 23 Feb.

2017.

Lutz, Brenda J., and James M. Lutz. "Economic, social and political globalization and

terrorism." The Journal of Social, Political and Economic Studies, vol. 39, no. 2, 2014, p.

186+. Academic OneFile, ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?

url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?

p=AONE&sw=w&u=mcc_chandler&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CA377861881&asid=6258afa7935ed87ac0b3e34782bb09b5. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.

Potvin, Kevin. "Globalization Promotes Terrorism." Globalization, edited by Louise I.

Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?

url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010382247/OVIC?
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u=mcc_chandler&xid=d6b56e0c. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017. Originally published as

"Globalization and Its Promoters Have Bred Terrorism," Republic of East Vancouver,

July-Aug. 2006.

Praet, Douglas Van. How the Media Manipulates You Without Your Knowing. Psychology

Today, Sussex Pulbishers, LLC, 7 Dec. 2012,

www.psychologytoday.com/blog/unconscious-branding/201212/how-the-media-

manipulates-you-without-your-knowing. Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.

Rudoy, Marty. The Media Must Stop Encouraging Terrorists.

The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 July 2016,

www.huffingtonpost.com/marty-rudoy/the-media-must-stop-encou_b_11043326.html.

Accessed 10 Apr. 2017.

"Terrorism and communication; a critical introduction." Reference & Research Book News,

Aug. 2013. Academic OneFile, ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?

url=http://go.galegroup.com.ez1.maricopa.edu/ps/i.do?

p=AONE&sw=w&u=mcc_chandler&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CA338399538&asid=f11b63c284f311eebf416a0b863fc771. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

TRAVELLING. The Power of the Media, EnglishTopics,

www.englishtopics.net/topicsmenu/4-topicshigh/100-the-power-of-the-media. Accessed

27 Mar. 2017.
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Walker, Christopher, et al. "Totalitarian spin: social media and the internet were supposed

to enable democracy to triumph around the world, but now despots are using tech as an

instrument of oppression." Hoover Digest, no. 3, 2016, p. 137+. Academic OneFile,

ez1.maricopa.edu:2048/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.ez1.maricopa.edu/ps/i.do?

p=AONE&sw=w&u=mcc_chandler&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE

%7CA465166162&asid=fabf5705930a22925d993e1b0215038a. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

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