Effects of Terrorism on World Population - Essay Example

Part of the United States’ response was to wage a war on a terrorist-sponsoring state, Afghanistan, in an attempt to destroy the group responsible for the attack, which is another effect of terrorism. In addition to political effects, terrorism brings with it economic consequences, which will be made clearer with the September 11 example, and psychological consequences, which will be illustrated using other examples of terrorism from the past century. Overall, the effects of terrorism on a society are grievous and intentional, and they stem from that intentional, schematic use of aggression to inflict harm on civilian populations.

Politically, terrorism evokes war and the usual costs of war: military-related deaths (as evidenced by Operating Enduring Freedom), restrictions on personal liberties (as evidenced by the Patriot Act of 2001), and decreased trust in governments and public officials to provide safety and security to the nation. Since 2001 with the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, approximately 2,796 coalition fatalities have occurred, which is a significant impact on communities within the United States, Great Britain, and elsewhere (casualties).

The Patriot Act of 2001, which was passed as a means of intercepting and obstructing terrorism, allows federal law enforcement to intercept private communications between American citizens. In addition to restrictions on personal liberties, terrorism generally results in public distrust of governments and public officials. Distrust in government during a time of crisis is generally a source of social destabilization, a form of nihilism that is the ultimate goal of terrorism. Correspondingly, terrorism has definite economic consequences for the regions and countries suffering from its effects.

A primary measure of economic productivity, such as GDP, may provide an immediate perspective on how impactful terrorism is on a macroeconomy. According to one analysis, the September 11th attacks reduced real GDP growth in 2001 by 0.5%, and increased unemployment rate by 0.11% (or approximately 598,000 jobs) (Roberts). In addition, forecasted GDP growth for 2002 fell sharply because of the attacks, indicating a loss of consumer confidence as a result. Politically and economically, the cost of national defense skyrocketed after the terrorist attacks, which, as economic Paul Krugman notes, is a result of the “political program enabled by terrorism” (Balogun 115).

Sometimes, and ideally from the perspective of a terrorist, the actual attack will significantly influence economic targets. The World Trade Center, for instance, contained essential information for multinational corporations, which was completely lost in the attacks. In addition, the attacks occurred mainly in New York City, which houses the New York Stock Exchange that closed for a week following the attacks—a closure that represented the stoppage of the global economy. Lastly, at a more individual level, the psychological consequences of terrorism are equally severe.

All Americans were afflicted with a similar sort of paranoia (often fueled by race) in the days, weeks, and even months after the September 11 attacks.