Terrorism – How
should we deal with it?
Option One – Direct an Expanded Assault on Terrorism
Arguments For:
- Acting
alone speeds up the process and cuts out countries that don’t agree with
you
- We can
only prevent imminent threats by acting preemptively
- By
getting indigenous (local) forces to fight the terrorists, we will save
American lives (like in Afghanistan)
Arguments Against:
- Acting
alone will increase anti-American sentiment
- We
need other countries to break up terrorist networks worldwide…if we act without
regard for their concerns, we will lose their support
- We may
be pulled into helping out indigenous forces in the long term if we rely
on their help in the short term
- We
can’t afford to waste our resources in going after countries that don’t
pose an immediate threat
- This
response does not address the underlying cause of terrorism
- Military
action overseas takes away resources needed for protection here at home
- Using
the military against other countries will inevitably result in civilian
deaths
Option Two – Support U.N. Leadership to Fight Terrorism
Arguments For:
- International
cooperation will result in a truly international response
- International
cooperation brings together the financial, diplomatic, and intelligence
tools necessary to address international terrorism
- Shared
leadership will result in a response that takes all perspectives and
interests into account
- We
cannot afford further isolation from the international community
Arguments Against:
- The
U.S. has the right to defend our interests with or without the support of
the international community
- The
U.S. will lead the international coalition anyway
- The
U.N. already has laws and procedures to deal with terrorism…but they
haven’t worked so far…why should they now?
- The
U.N. is too slow, too weak, and too indecisive to make a real difference
- Still
does not address the root causes of terrorism
- Accommodating
the interests of other countries will force us to compromise on the things
that are important to us
Option Three – Defend Our Homeland
Arguments For:
- Most of the trouble in
the world is caused by a small group of individuals…we must be prepared
for any type of attack here in the U.S.
- By limiting any
response only to those who directly threaten us, we will avoid needlessly
drawing the wrath of a wider circle of terrorist organizations
- Taking sides in other
nations’ conflicts only increases our own vulnerability…the less involved
we are with other nations, the more secure we will be
- Resources saved from
international involvement can be redirected to promote enhanced security
at home
Arguments Against:
- Terrorism is global…we
need other members of the international community to gather intelligence
worldwide
- Withdrawing from the
international community will not protect us from terrorism.
- Still does not address
the root causes of terrorism
- Putting more strict
security measures in place here at home will inevitably take away the
civil liberties that we stand for
- The threats to our
security are not only here in the US…they are worldwide
- We need oil…and we need
the oil from the Middle East
Option Four – Address the Underlying Causes of Terrorism
Arguments For:
- We have no choice but
to address worldwide poverty, injustice, powerlessness, hatred, and in
some cases U.S. policy, we risk feeding anti-American rage
- Taking a leadership
role in addressing humanitarian needs of populations in failing states
will reduce animosity toward the U.S.
- In order to be a
credible force in addressing terrorism, we must demonstrate that we
understand the causes of terrorism and are committed to taking action to
address them
- We will not trample on
our civil liberties if we address the underlying causes of terrorism
Arguments Against:
- This approach will take
time while we are still open to more attacks…we must act now to stop
terrorist attacks at their source
- Neither the U.S. nor
the international community has the resources to address all of the
underlying causes of terrorism
- We cannot afford to
spend our budget overseas…we need to put security measures in place here
at home
- If we focus on
long-term solutions, we will allow terrorist to act with immediate
consequences…which will invite more attacks
- There will always be
hatred and violence. No amount of
foreign aid will change this. We
have no real control over anything but our own security
- Terrorists are angry
people who hate the United States and the West for ideological and
political reasons. The origins of
terrorism have little to do with perceived economic and social justice.