How Technology has Transformed Globalization and Terrorism

18 Years Later: How Technology has Transformed Globalization and Terrorism Across the globe viewers watched in despair as the twin towers collapsed, huddled around televisions and calling their loved ones when Al-qaeda attacked. Nearly ten years later, millions witnessed Osama Bin Laden’s downfall across the globe; “The infamous videotape bears no date, but experts estimate that the recording was made less than two weeks before it was broadcast. The timing of its release appears to have been carefully planned to achieve the maximum effect on the day the United States” (2). Since the attacks of 9/11, terrorism has drastically changed along with the ever-changing dynamic of globalization: with social media and livestreams available the world is stepping into the unknown as the war on terror continues. To understand how technological developments have changed the way we communicate, first it is essential to discuss the undeniable link between globalizatoin and terrorism. Henwood in 2001 states; “... terrorism is the product of marginalization and poverty, and marginalization and poverty, the products of globalization”. Essentially, globalization in a form has caused groups to feel repressed which in some instances can lead to terror. Take Saudi Arabia compared to Afghanistan for example. Saudi Arabia’s GDP in 2017 1,773.5 billion (USD), ranking 15th in the world, and mainly dependent on oil/natural gas, this nation has rank and a say in global discussions. Afghanistan’s national GDP lags behind at 20.82 billion (USD), this lack of validity in the global market leads to repression, which has been linked to developing resergency/terror groups. Globalization and trade has led Afghanistan to feel excluded and marginalized in the world community. “Suddenly, such technologies became affordable, even for low-income consumers. By the turn of the century, Al-Jazeera broadcasts could be watched around the clock on all five continents … cooperation among these sprawling news networks had become so efficient that CNN acquired and broadcast a copy of Osama bin Laden [in the compound] only a few hours after it had been delivered to the AlJazeera office in Kabul” (4-5). With changes in the way we as individuals and communities communicate with one another, news and information is able to spread more efficiently, increasing the effects of globalization. Ambassador Taylor in 2002 states, “In this new age, ‘globalization’ refers to the web of connections - including commercial, communications, or cultural -- that bind our world together. Since the end of the Cold War, the spread of open societies and new technologies has greatly accelerated the pace of globalization”. With the development of social media and live streaming, groups such as ISIL and Boko Haram have utilized global communication for recruitment to scare tactics. From the television networks that broadcast 9/11 to the Facebook live streams that document terror, modern technology has drastically changed globalization and terrorism. Moving into the future, we are unable to predict how technology with change, but it will play an increasingly large role in the way our world interacts. How do you think technology will change globalization and terrorism in the future? Works Cited Steger, Manfred B.Globalization : A Very Short Introduction . Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2013. Harrington, John. “From Bahrain to Qatar: These Are the 25 Richest Countries in the World.” USA TODAY, WLST, 28 Nov. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/11/28/richest-countries-world-2018-top-25/38429481/ . https://www.thenation.com/authors. “Terrorism and Globalization.” The Nation, 29 June 2015, www.thenation.com/article/terrorism-and-globalization/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2019. “The Global War Against Terrorism: The Way Ahead.” State.Gov, 2019, 20012009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rm/14570.html.