“The Terrorist’s Tacit Message,”

According to Laurie Calhoun in her essay “The Terrorist’s Tacit Message,” the just wars theory approach to terrorism is like a gun for hire that is available to everyone. Terrorists do not use a logical approach to war because according to them, they are warriors of justice. Laurie Calhoun’s arguments are justified because although democratic countries condemn terrorism, they fail to take the appropriate measures and strategies that will help to stop terrorism. They see terrorism as just a war and fail to understand that terrorists are innovative, and they develop new fighting strategies that they implement in their “fight for justice.” This in turn escalates conflicts and in some cases terrorists tend to overpower several countries because they have all the strategies to conduct their activities while the attacked countries do not have the required strategies that can help to stop them.

When terrorists attack a country, they cause destruction to properties and deaths of some of the citizens. Most governments state that they cannot “negotiate with terrorists” but in some instances, it is important to establish communication with the terrorists (White 32). Through dialogue, it is possible to understand why the terrorists engage in their actions, and this may help to formulate a way forward that will enable the end of terrorism. Governments should avoid the mentality that terrorism is “just war” and understand that measures can be taken to end it, and negotiation can be used as a means.

According to Laurie Calhoun, governments condemn terrorist activities and insist that violent attacks should not be used against individuals or nations. The “just war’ theory applied by terrorist indicate that they do not understand the logical implications of their actions. When governments, on the other hand, use the “just war” approach, they should understand the implications of the terrorism activities and affect their citizens and destroy their properties. When countries are affected innocent lives are lost, and this should not be condoned.

The just war theory can also be considered as a gun for hire that is available for everyone because when countries assume that terrorism is just war, they will engage in activities that will cause the terror activities to increase. When terrorists attack countries, they expect the government to retaliate and when the government sees the action as “just war” and fights back, they give the terrorists an opportunity to intensify their attacks. Because of this, the terror activities will not stop, and terrorist will attack countries on a regular basis. Governments should not expect to fight terrorists and expect that they will not attack them. If the government uses the “just war” approach to fighting terrorism, the terrorists should also be allowed to adopt the same tactic. Terrorists are not affected by their actions, and when they engage in activities that kill innocent civilians, they have nothing to lose as they believe that they have accomplished the mission that they were set to achieve. For the terrorists, they believe that when they kill people, they have accomplished their mission.

The view that the “just war” approach according to is like a gun for hire that is available to everyone by Laurie Calhoun is justified because the approach makes countries that fight against terrorist activities the same as the terrorists. Countries fight terrorists by dropping bombs and using the military that mostly kill innocent people (White 34). This does not make the countries any better than the terrorists because their activities also have the same effect as those of the terrorists. To avoid this, countries can engage in more diplomatic methods that can be used to stop the terrorism activities. The lives of people should not be lost during terror activities, and there is no excuse that justifies these actions. Terrorists believe that by their actions are “just war”, and they engage in it until a solution is found to the causes of terrorism.

In conclusion, it is clear that the “just war” approach to terrorism is more destructive that productive. When countries engage the terrorists in activities that cause the destruction of property and death of innocent people, they give them the motivation to continue with their operations. While terrorists have nothing to lose through their activities, democratic governments are affected as the attacks can lead to poor growth of the economy. People do not want to invest in countries that are at war with the terrorist groups, and this leads to the stagnation of the economy. It is important for countries to find amicable solutions that will help to end the terrorism activities. This can include dialogue with the leaders of the terror groups. The leaders play a significant role in the actions of their groups. When governments attack the terrorists, they find a reason to attack back, and this will happen until an amicable solution is established. Governments should refrain from condemning the terrorists and participate in activities that cause them to be more aggressive. Terrorists continue to advance their strategies by developing equipment and means that they can use to attack countries. When they are attacked continuously, they continue to innovate strategies to ensure destruction of properties and loss of lives in different countries. It is, therefore, important for countries to desist from adopting the “just war” theory because it is like a gun for hire that is available to everyone.

Works Cited

White, James. Contemporary Moral Problems. USA: Cengage Learning, 2009.

White, James. Contemporary Moral Problems: War, Terrorism, and Torture. USA: Thomson

            Wordsworth, 2008.