Every day, a new gunman attacks. Every day, a new bomber schemes. Every day, we write a new hashtag; #PrayFor and we fill in the blank. The world sends its prayers to the growing count of casualties through a new platform: social media. We change our Facebook profile pictures to the affected nation’s flag, and the next day, a new attack arises. Every day, the world mourns the new group of people under attack, and reaffirms the growing trepidation over terrorism.
These blatant news story is evident in all medias, whether it be through Twitter and Facebook timelines or through official news sources. While effective for mass communication, this new, more casual way of spreading the news of tragedy has desensitized the world to violence. All too often, we hear about another shooting. The reality is that people begin to lose track of what is really happening. Most citizens, through their social media feeds, may know of the recent bombings, but not of the Syrian Crisis. Attacks in Germany, Nice, Japan, and America have received a great deal of news coverage, but prior to all these attacks, the most televised stories were about the attacks in France with protesters holding signs of “Je Suis Charlie.” The world quickly forgets about the past, and although it comes together with hopeful ambitions of ending the age of terrorism, it still, for the most part, watches it unfold passively. Attacks in Munich, Bastille Day in France, a radical gunman in Japan, and an ISIS affiliated shooting at a Gay night club are all recent events that prove the growing number of attacks and media coverage.
We try to avoid the fact that these events do not occur in isolation. One event will influence numerous others, and while not all of the recent tragedies were executed by the same parties, the regularity of the events have made such extreme crimes against humanity accepted as a common occurrence . Nations slowly fumble to create more cohesive policies to retaliate against terrorism, and it’s this vulnerability that gives radicals the opportunity to attack. Has the world forgotten how to deal with terrorism?
As a result, nations will feel that isolating is the better option. This gives terrorist organizations and opposing nations the ability to threaten the world with fear tactics. The strongest weapon is fear, and through that, organizations can foment proxy-wars because of the isolationist fervor. They can desensitize the global community thus creating a new Cold War. By pushing nations to the point of desperation, isolation may be the better option. This fear could escalate out of control, forcing countries to acquire arms and threaten nuclear destruction.
Terrorists act through the divide-and-conquer approach. It is easier to achieve a coup d’etat and destroy centuries-old governments when they are decentralized and alone, especially when the issue requires international involvement. Fortunately, terrorist organizations face an obstacle called the media, which binds the morality of the world. These news forums bring them attention, but also motivates the people to fight back. So long that the world continues to mourn, may the loss of life be a reminder for the necessity of greater international protection. International alliances such as NATO and the EU show that the world can stand together. And so long as the aforesaid alliances exist, no terrorist organization can win. Even if it is desensitized, the words in media still stand. #PrayForTheWorld