The name of the article is called, “Blowback: U.S. Actions Abroad Have Repeatedly Led to Unintended Indefensible Consequences” by Chalmers Johnson. After reading the article by Johnson I have to say I can easily understand where the writer of the article is coming from. The article is pretty much about how the United States constantly has to deal with consequences because of their actions. The CIA described it as “blowback.”An example the writer used to support this was using the September 11 attack this is one of the most recent incidents talked about in the article. As well as, its an incident that caused a period in time when the majority of the general public actually trusted the government. This attack occurred because of the United …show more content…
was targeted because it's seen as “a beacon for freedom” and the people who attacked were evil (Johnson 2).” Honestly, I believe that some of kind of attack should’ve of been expected because of the U.S. continued presence in the Middle East and their support of Israel. The reason is some countries in the Middle East feel as though that the U.S. presence is unnecessary and wants to get rid of them, as well as, they don’t like how they support Israel. This caused some countries in the Middle East to have some kind of hostility against the U.S. This is some of the reasons why the U.S. was targeted during the 9/11 attack. However, I’m not saying that the 9/11 attack was justified but simply stating that some of kind of attack should’ve be anticipated. I also agreed with the author they said the U.S. should pull their troops out of the Middle East since there are other ways to get along with them. Additionally, do an, “...analysis...of our “forward deployed” troops, refurbished our diplomatic capabilities, reassured the world that we are not unilateralist…., then we might assess what we can do against “terrorism (Johnson 4).” In other words, by doing the analysis, fixing their diplomatic capabilities, show the world they aren’t going to disregard the other party than they can really assess the issue of
I am reading Bomb by Steve Sheinkin. At the beginning of the book, Oppenheimer, who is the main chemical scientist in the novel, sees the effects of the Great Depression on his pupils when they cannot buy chemistry textbooks. During Oppenheimer’s time as a professor, the Nazis discovered the splitting of the uranium atom. When Albert Einstein found out that about the discovery the Nazis did, he informs President Roosevelt about how the Nazis plan to develop atomic weapons. Harry Gold who is a Communist spy, starts to work with the KGB. And starts to steal ideas and projects from the American Uranium Committee.
Before the events of 9/11 the US had been attacked before and we were aware of possible threats. However, these threats, specifically those of Al-Qaeda were not taken seriously by American foreign policy makers or regular Americans alike, so on September 11, 2001 Americans were truly shocked by the scale of devastation and loss of life that occurred. The effect these attacks had on America was incredible. In the years that followed Americans became fearful and discriminatory of religious groups; the government created the Department of Homeland Security and enacted stricter search and seizure laws, and America’s foreign policy became defined by unilateral decision making and preemptive war.
The article that I will be summarizing is “Half of Teens Think They’re Addicted to Their Smartphones” written by Kelly Wallace. This article is about how teens are addicted to their smartphones and how it is becoming a problem. The text is stating facts about how many teens and adults use their smartphones. Teens depend on their phone greatly which can make it hard to get off of it. This does worry people. Teens also say they check their phone hourly, so they also feel that they need to respond to texts and social networking messages immediately. Teens are not the only ones that are addicted though. Even parents have trouble getting off the phone to enjoy life. If you have this trouble and feel like you want to get on
Jeffrey David Simon, The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience with Terrorism, 2nd ed. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001), 188-89.
Following the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the Unites States found itself in a search for answers and revenge against those that had brought about this atrocity. The attack that has been compared to that of Pearl-Harbor elevated the tracking and collecting of terrorism from barely a priority, to the forefront of the American radar. I honestly believe that terrorism as the #1 priority is destined to remain at the top for the foreseeable future. The elemental thoughts on almost all American minds following the attacks were who had the strength and capability to could carry out such an attack on a country with the world’s strongest military and what led to their focus to attack the Untied States: In short, who attacked us, and why do they hate us? The Untied States formed a bi-partisan 9/11 Commission was formed to trace the roots of Al-Qa’ida, investigate the history of the 19 hijackers, examine missed opportunities of law enforcement officials to avert the disaster, and make recommendations to clean up the faulty incoherent intelligence-gathering operation. The 500+ page 9/11 Commission Report contained thirteen chapters of historical narratives, analysis and recommendations. All ten members of the bi-partisan commission signed off on the report, which has arguably become a national historical document. Just as the 9/11 Commission was created to find answers and recommend necessary follow steps to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, Lawrence Wright sought answers as to why 3000 American lives were lost in the attacks on September 11th. An experienced traveler to the region, Lawrence Wright endeavored to do his own investigative study into the history, ideology and circumstances behind this large-...
Host: On September the 11th 2001, the notorious terror organisation known as Al-Qaeda struck at the very heart of the United States. The death count was approximately 3,000; a nation was left in panic. To this day, counterterrorism experts and historians alike regard the event surrounding 9/11 as a turning point in US foreign relations. Outraged and fearful of radical terrorism from the middle-east, President Bush declared that in 2001 that it was a matter of freedoms; that “our very freedom has come under attack”. In his eyes, America was simply targeted because of its democratic and western values (CNN News, 2001). In the 14 years following this pivotal declaration, an aggressive, pre-emptive approach to terrorism replaced the traditional
Chapter six of Blown to Bits by Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis focuses on the availability of bits via the internet and how easily they can be stolen. They discuss how companies attempt to combat this issue and potential issues that this can present. Throughout the chapter, the authors contemplate the effects that the internet has had on copyright infringement and legislation surrounding that. They discuss authorized use and rulings surrounding it. The overarching theme of the chapter seems to be that the internet was made to share information, however; in that process, information can be stolen easily, and that issue is not easy to combat.
...ay from other matters with more promise of making the country a better place” (Chapman & Harris, para. 9). Both seem to believe that we, as the American people, make ourselves look like the victims because of how the media portrays the incidents that are related to terrorism. There are many other incidents across the globe that are killing more and more people every day. There are more people who die from car crashes then there are people who have died due to some sort of terrorism related death. We, as Americans should not make this mistake of letting a tragic incident scare us and divert our attention elsewhere. As Chapman and Harris states, “we seem to have all begun to think of ourselves as terrorist targets, but, in fact, reason tells us we are in much greater danger from our friends and neighbors behind the wheels of their cars.” (Chapman & Harris, para. 9).
As seen by the terrorist attacks of September 11th and afterwards this is not an easy approach, if even possible, and it asks for a unreserved commitment, the clear definition of interests within the international system, it asks for the use of force if necessary as well as the clear distinction when not, and it asks for a transformation of institutions and policies. Since this was not done early on, the examples provide the reasons of failure as well as a demonstration of a slow learning process in U.S. foreign Policy.
25.Griffin, David Ray The New Pearl Harbor Revisited: 9/11, the Cover-Up, and the Exposé 2008, Olive Branch Press
Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States came together with a staunch promise to “never forget” that day’s atrocities. Congressmen from opposing parties reached across the aisle and stood arm in arm at the Capitol to show their commitment to this pledge. But,when another terrorist attack had stunned New York City a century earlier, this promise did not exist. In 1920, a bombing on Wall Street rattled the city’s financial core and earned the title as the city’s worst terrorist attack until 2001. The assault came merely two years after the US debuted as a global superpower with World War 1’s end. Despite the attack on this newfound American identity, the bombing never found closure for proving for the first time that the US was not invincible.
Historical Significance: The September 11th, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, orchestrated by Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, were the events that launched the U.S. War on Terrorism. Al-Qaeda’s attack on the United States was carried out by members of radicalized Islamic groups, whose objective was to spread jihad against the secular influence of the West. This tragic event provided the historical b...
...he United States itself inflicts a great deal of terror on the targeted nation, harming innocent people as well.
In “A Brief Encounter with the Enemy” by Said Sayrafiezadeh, Luke, a pessimistic soldier, walks down memory lane as he travels the path to get to the hill during his last recon. He remembers appreciating nature, encountering and writing to Becky, the first time he’d shot a gun, and Christmas leave. Luke identifies the moment when he realizes that he had joined the army for the wrong reason, after crossing the bridge his team built in order to cross the valley, and at the same time dreading the return to his former office job. Boredom and nothingness destroy him mentally as he waits for enemies to appear. When the enemies finally appear, he shoots them down and goes home the next day. Sayrafiezadeh proposes that expectations don’t always equate
On September 11 2001, one of the worst terrorist attacks hit the United States when American airlines were hijacked by members of Al Qaeda and flown into the World Trade Center in New York City killing thousands of civilians. But what some people may not know is that the terrorist attacks are not just one way, rather they are reciprocated between the two countries. Ron Paul, a former American congressman argues that America is part of the reason this attack occurred and how we motivated it to happen. At a campaign that took place almost ten years after 9/11, so 2011, a man asked Paul how terrorist groups would react if the U.S. removed its military presence in Middle Eastern nations and he responded by saying “I don’t see Islam as our enemy, I see that motivation is occupation and those who hate us and would like to kill us, they are motivated by our invasion of their land, the support of their dictators that they hate.” In this quote he is saying with Americans being stationed in their home state, they feel threatened and dishonored by the United States. This is an example of an American citizen who is part of the government claiming that it is not one minded. Another example is the new terrorist group called ISIS, or the Islamic state. Although many people believe this