America's war on Terror - Essay Example

America’s war on terror It would not be a mistake to suggest that one of the most notable movements that can be witnessed in the twenty first century is the war on terror that is waged by the United States of America. The proponents of it argue that by pursuing this goal America is making the world a safer place (Heazle 111). Indeed, if there are no terrorists, there will be no terroristic acts. In addition to that, those who support the above mentioned idea point out that having a common enemy increases cooperation between the countries and allows them to reinforce the ties which contributes to the stability of the world.

Speaking of the values that referred to by the proponents of America’s war on terror, it is extremely important to mention the following one. To begin with, terrorists are often thought to be enemies of the civilized world since they heavily rely on aggression and violence – something that is banned in a developed social environment. In addition to that, the war on terror allows other countries to redefine their position in many different aspects of foreign politics which ultimately leads towards creation of global community which is extremely beneficial to human beings.

Nevertheless, there are numerous people who argue that war on terror is a rather negative phenomenon that should be put to an end. They provide the following arguments. First of all, war on terrorist involves killing people: whether they are armed terrorists or unarmed civilians who die as retaliation from the terrorists. Secondly, the opponents of war on terror point out that the United States of America tend to promote liberty and democracy in countries that have considerable amount of oil in possession (Rubin 183).

In other words, the above mentioned war is nothing but a way to conceal the desire to acquire this scarce resource.The opponents of this aspect of foreign policy of America often involve different values to support their position. For example, these people ask why the government that kills other people is better than terrorists who kill other people. Although some reservations should be made, in the long run both parties are engaged in massive killing which is something that is opposite to peaceful nature of humans.

In addition to that, the economic interest behind the war on terror is obvious. Thus, terroristic acts are performed not only by the Arab Muslims, but by Africans or Europeans as well. Nevertheless, the United States of America tend to fight terrorist in one part of the world only. There is no coincidence that it also holds big amount of oil that later might be exported to the US at low prices. The way to reconcile the two positions should incorporate the shared values, namely the respect for the civilized society and the desire not to follow the path of terrorists.

For example, the government might use non lethal weapon in order to ensure that terrorists are not killed, but are given mercy according to humanitarian principles of a truly developed society. Works CitedHeazle, Michael. Beyond the Iraq War: The Promises, Pitfalls, and Perils of External Interventionism. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2006. Print.Rubin, Barnett R. Afghanistan from the Cold War through the War on Terror. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.