Social Problems - Essay Example

Social Problems EssayWe all agree with the view that the study of social problems is pertinent and it requires greater attention than the previous times. The social problems today are tremendous and we most often fail to recognize significant issues. The studies in this cannot ever be value-free. One of the most significant social issues in the twenty-first century, undoubtedly, is terrorism. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the discussions on social problems related to terrorism have been a prime focus for all countries.

The war on terrorism that started since then has been strengthened to an unfathomable proportion. Terrorism may be understood as “a methodology of using violence to gain political objectives” or as a “Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.” (Eitzen and Zinn). Towards the final section of the eighteenth chapter Eitzen and Baca Zinn proposes six strategies on how to win the war on terrorism. The suggestions include “A little modesty,” “National Review of What Our Nation is Doing in the World,” “Multilateralism and Promoting Democracy” and “Solving World Poverty to Win the War on Terror” whereas they reject “Unbounded Militarism” and “a fortress society.

” In a fight against terrorism, it is essential that we consider these recommendations as they are based on a realistic view of the actual issues related to the problem of terrorism. In spite of the superiority of the US Military, the war on terrorism is not successful in many respects. There have been so many criticisms leveled against the approach adopted by the US in checking the world terrorism. The nation has claimed the right to undertake a preventive war and now it is the self-accepted duty of the US to see that they achieve success.

There have been many reasons why our attempts to fight global terrorism fail to get universal acclaim. It is high time we made a reflection on what goes wrong in our serious war on terrorism, and why it fails to bring the desired outcomes.In this context, the strategies put forward by Eitzen and Baca Zinn have great significance. On the whole, the proposals seem to be the outcome of much-reflected thought on the question of terrorism and the efforts of the US to counter it. This is clear from the realistic and fact-based nature of the suggestions.

As opposed to the popular notion that militarism is the final answer to the questions related to terrorism, the strategies dare to limit the scope of such an excessive use of military force. The immediate result of the activities that we have at our hands emphasizes the validity of this suggestion. They also claim that a fortress society, which “defends itself by creating barriers to block outside threats while expanding pathways for desired business and commerce across its borders at the same time” is to be discarded.

(Eitzen and Zinn). This is one of the major reasons why other nations do not approve the strategies adopted by the US. The citizens of the US also feel the discomforts of living in a fortress society and its complete denial has become the requirement of the day. Among the strategies put forward, the most convincing seems to be the first one as the arrogant ways of the military methods do not take us not to ultimate solutions but to the weakness of our policies. Modesty can be an alternative to the arrogant military superiority that we establish over the world nations.

The role of our nation in the entire world needs to be analyzed and only a national review would get us the opinion of the mass population on the issue. As a world power, the US should concentrate on the elimination of world poverty, thereby gain access to the joint effort of the world nations in a fight against terrorism. Multilateralism and promotion of democracy in the world can work out for the benefit of the nation in its war on terror. Thus, the strategies suggested by Eitzen and Baca Zinn, though not the only solutions, can be crucial in winning the war on terror.

Works citedEitzen and Zinn, Baca. Social Problems. Ch. 8. 10th Ed.