Introduction
All over the globe, we have different types or systems of government. Every form of government is based on a certain type of principles. These principles arise from the type of the political culture in existence as well as the type of the process of political socialization. The United States is a federal republic while on the other side Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy. A decent man by definition is somebody who is well formed or one who is said to conform to standards or morally upright. Depending with the laws in existence a person may be decent in one nation but he or she might be viewed as being indecent in another state.
Different governments have different laws. Depending on the nature of the government, these laws may be in light with the views of the majority or not. From time to time especially during times of war, many government policies may not be favored by the people.
Modern governments were born from the developments of the Greek city-states. The structures of government were developed from these states. Governments have many roles and thus it is quite difficult to be ashamed of the whole government but instead different policies of the government.
Governments are created with different purposes. The main function of a government is to maintain internal law and order so that the subjects can go about their daily businesses without fear. Some scholars have defined the government as the social organization that has the monopoly of use of instruments of power. As thus, governments are supposed to guarantee happiness to the greatest number or majority of the population.
In order to achieve their duties effectively governments are usually divided into three main bodies, which are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Ideally these branches are supposed to have the same powers but history has shown that the executive branch often tend to overpower the rest. This is what prompted the introduction of the separation of powers doctrines. There are different types or forms of government in existence today.
These include
- Monarchy – this is the type of government where the leadership is hereditary and the current leaders expect to be succeeded by their heirs.
- Despotism –in this type of leadership there is only one ruler who considers the subjects as his/ her slaves.
- Dictatorship –this is also called autocracy. It is a government where we have a leader who exercises control over all his citizens.
- Oligarchy – this type of leadership involve Rule by a small group of persons who share family relations or similar interests.
- Plutocracy – this is a government that is composed of the wealthy class.
- Democracy – this is a type of government where the citizens as a whole wield the power. It is sometimes exercised by them (direct democracy), or sometimes through representatives chosen by them (representative democracy).
- Theocracy – this is Rule by religious elite as is the case in Iran.
- Anarchy – this is a complete lack of government.
These different forms of governments usually hove other functions apart from the basic functions mentioned above. Some of these diverse functions are part of those roles that we usually sometimes like or hate. Every government is charged with the role of protecting its citizens from external aggressors. This role is carried out through the creation and maintenance of a military. Sometimes due to the nature of a nation’s enemy, some governments sign defense pacts with other nations in order for these nations to help them in times of war. For example, the Middle East has been known to have different defense pacts. At one time the Arab league had a defense pact to protect each other incase any of those nations was attacked by Israel.
Governments are also charged with the role of maintaining economic security. Incase this fails many citizens usually feel ashamed of their current governments. For example, the stock market crash of 1982 in Kuwait was met with much criticisms of the existing regime. This marked the first step towards having a directly elected prime minister within the state. Formerly the prime ministers position was reserved for a crown prince.
The government of the United States is very different from that in existence in Kuwait and many other Middle East countries. Whereas the Kuwaiti government is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, the United States is a representative democracy. Because of this difference, it is much easier for people in Kuwait to be more ashamed of their government than people in the United States will be. This is mainly because if people in the United States are disappointed with their president they can go ahead and remove him from power constitutionally through impeachment. On the other side, if the citizens of Kuwait are disappointed with the emir it becomes impossible since the seat is hereditary and the citizens do not directly elect their president.
It is unjustifiable to claim that the decent members of a government feel ashamed of it. This is mainly because these decent members are the ones who promote the process of political socialization, political culture and civic education. Many decent members of the United States are actually very proud of their government. This is because the countries political processes are deeply rooted within the nation’s political culture based on the declaration of independence and the American constitution.
These bases have helped form one of the world’s best representative democracies. On the other side, many countries in the Persian Gulf are constitutional monarchies. As a result, they are much more likely to be manipulated by the state unlike like what would happen in their western counterparts. Whereas most Americans above the age of 18 could vote freely since the 1960s regardless of religion or race, prior to 2005 only about 15% of Kuwaitis could vote. This meant that there was a huge possibility for persons in Kuwait to be living under sundial conditions since they could not have the chance to elect their leaders. Such instances cannot make us generalize and say that decent people are ashamed of their governments.
In addition, it is necessary to note that the nature of the government and its foundations go a very long way in determining whether the majority of the people will be satisfied with the form of the government.
To realize this we need to look at some of the foundations of the American political culture as well as the Kuwaiti political culture. After that, we shall look at some different dimensions of the roles of government that may cause dissatisfaction within the populace.
The United States constitution is the highest governing document or the republics supreme law of the United States. It was adopted as the supreme law in 17th September 1787 by the constitutional convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was later to be ratified by the people of the republic in all the constituent states to start with the phrase “we the people”. Since its drafting, ratification and subsequent amendments it has withstood the tests of time to end up being one of the best constitutions in the world today.
The relation of the American Revolution to the constitution
The American Revolution or the American revolutionary war for independence was the rebellion wars involving the American colonies against the Britons that led to the attainment of American independence of the states in 1776. Since the main aim for the American Revolution was to free the American colonies from foreign or British rule, the American constitution sought to set up a framework that would ensure total freedom for all American citizens.
Thus, the constitution was drafted, in such a way that it would make it very difficult or impossible for any other person or group of persons to deny the people of America their freedom. Thus, no one would be able to impose their will bon the American people without their approval or consent.
In order to make the constitution people based there was need to have it ratified in order to portray the togetherness of the American people the preamble to the American constitution was changed to start with the phrase “we the people…”.
Unlike the United States, the history of Kuwait can be traced from 1613. This was because of many tribes from the Middle East coming together and forming a state. After the end of the First World War Kuwait became a British protectorate and attained independence from Britain in 1961. Just like many other former British colonies, the independent constitution was not created by the local people, as was the case with the United States.
As a result, the country could not create a constitution that would protect human rights as those of the United States. This is clearly indicated by recent developments within the country for the parliament to pass laws that have helped highly to restrict the freedom of speech. In addition we have witnessed news writers sent to court for criticizing the government based on the recently created media law.
Unlike Kuwait, the United States military has been widely deployed on a global scale. As a result, there have been numerous criticisms to United States military deployments. The Kuwaiti government and population are small as compared to that of the United States. Unlike the United States Kuwait has been involved in around three major disputes. The main disputes being the first and second gulf wars. The second gulf war was the one that destroyed the Kuwaiti economy most significantly. After this crisis, Kuwait has remained a major United States ally in the Persian Gulf to date.
Although the government has been keen on defending itself, there are instances where the role of the military has been questionable.
From the year, 1777 to date the United States military has been deployed on different occasions. The deployment of United States troops whether the naval forces or the ground forces has been done for various reasons. In addition to this, the deployment has been either within the domestic arena or externally mainly to quell uprisings.
The first real deployment of the United States was during the year 1775. During this involvement with French forces on what was commonly referred to as the quasi war. This deployment had been authorized by congress through a series of statutes. This military involvement involved the United States naval forces engaging the French forces even in territories of the Dominican Republic. This involvement was part of the American revolutionary war, or Americas war for independence.
Such deployment of troops for a national objective is viewed as necessary since it was not an act of aggression but rather an act of fighting for a nation’s sovereignty. By the time, the American war of independence was over the united states emerged victorious and declared independence soon later on.
After this involvement, the united state army has been deployed severally since then. The next major deployment was during the American civil war of 1861-1865. This war was between the United States, then referred to as the union against some eleven southern, ‘confederate states of America’ slave states. This war can justify the end although not necessarily the means of the war. This is because the deployment of the troops preserved the status of a country that has come to be the world’s largest economy as well as being the only single military super power.
After this involvement, there have been many other military deployments especially during the first and second world wars. In many other instances, the United States military has been deployed on covert missions especially under the mandate or in pursuit of the United Nations resolutions.
Some of these major deployments in pursuit of United Nations resolutions include the following. Firstly, the United States military was deployed in the Korean peninsula after North Korea invaded its southern counterpart. This deployment saw an active force averaging around 300000 during the entire period of the involvement from 1950 to 1953. The deployment led to the declaration of a demilitarized zone on the border of the two states.
The second major deployment of United States troops under the mandate of the United Nations Security Council mandates was during the gulf war. During this time, the American forces led a coalition of United Nations backed force in operation desert shield and operation desert storm. This involvement is justified since it was intended to protect not only Kuwait sovereignty but also to protect the interests of Iraqis Kurdistan minority ethnic group.
After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, there has been a new realization that has set in that no one is safe in this global community. This realization has caused many to agree to the fact that the perpetrators of such acts must be brought to justice. However, every one knows that these perpetrators do not have real identities or territories where they can be found. Indeed, they are nowhere and everywhere. This state of affairs has caused the president of the United States to increase the official deployments off United States troops overseas in order to try to reduce the power of these terrorists through pre-emptive strikes.
These covert missions that are because of this war on terrorism, has led to loss of many lives, but this is the price we have to pay to achieve universal peace.
As the worlds only remaining super power, the United States military has to play the role of a global watchdog. Since every state would like to be a super power one time the United States military has to ensure that any military developments that take place anywhere are not intended for destructive purposes.
If in deed the United States military feels insecure due to military developments in a certain region of the world then it needs to act to protect not only its interests but also the interests of minority groups or countries that might be at risk. This is why the united states military is actively involved in the affairs of countries like south Korea, Taiwan and Israel since the united states feels insecure too if these countries are not protected from rogue states like Iraq, Iran and north Korea.
We cannot be ashamed of the role our governments play especially in these times of increased globalization. With the current trends of developments, instances of terrorism have arisen. As a result, we expect our governments to protect us.
Terrorism is a term used to describe violence or other harmful acts directed to a certain society/group. Terrorism is a broad term and the only general characteristic generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat to use violence in order to instill fear within the society. Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts, which are intended to create fear or “terror”, and are mostly perpetrated for an ideological goal and deliberately target “non-combatants”.
Terrorism is a form of Unconventional warfare. Unconventional warfare is the opposite of conventional warfare. Where conventional warfare seeks to reduce an opponent’s military capability, unconventional warfare is an attempt to achieve military victory through acquiescence, capitulation, or clandestine support for one side of an existing conflict. On the surface, Unconventional warfare contrasts with conventional warfare in that: forces or objectives are covert or not well defined, tactics and weapons intensify environments of subversion or intimidation, and the general or long-term goals are coercive or subversive to a political body.
Terrorism is perpetrated by different individuals. Perpetrators of terrorism either work independently or in organized groups. These groups sometimes and usually are involved in organized crimes especially drug trafficking that they use to finance their operations.
The type of conflict varies widely; historical examples include:
- Secession of a territory in order to form a new sovereign state. This form of terrorism is usually limited to a certain geographical area although it can become widespread if other actors either state or non-state actors become involved.
- Dominance of territory or resources by various ethnic groups. This form of terrorism is usually directed at the perceived beneficiaries of the resources. This form has been very common in oil rich areas especially in Nigeria and Iraq.
- Imposition of a particular form of government, such as democracy or anarchy. in Afghanistan the Taliban are still fighting the allied forces just like the way Muslim islamists are waging war in Iraq and Somalia these so called terrorists are against the imposition of democratic governments that they presume don’t represent their views and or beliefs.
- Religious/sectarian terrorism this form of terrorism is usually directed at a specific religious group in Diaspora. This is the kind of terrorism that has been waged against Israelis. It is the same form that has led to increased tensions between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Iraq.
Global terrorism is the form of terrorism exercised on a global scale. This form of terror is indiscriminate and anyone can be a victim. It is indiscriminate in the sense that the target can be anywhere. Some incidences of global terror within the last decade include:
- The US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998.
- The Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland (August 15, 1998).
- The August 31 – September 22: Russian Apartment Bombings that killed about 300 people, leading Russia into Second Chechen War.
- The September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, and Washington D.C.
- The 2001 Indian Parliament attack on December 13, 2001.
- The Passover Massacre on March 27, 2002 in Netanya, Israel.
- The Moscow theatre siege and the Beslan school siege in Russia.
- The Bali bombing in October 2002.
- The March 11, 2004 attacks in Madrid.
- The July 7, 2005 bombings in London.
- The Mumbai train bombings on 11 July 2006.
Such acts of global terrorism can only be dealt with successfully by the international community. talking after the September 11th attacks former united nations secretary general koffi annan said” The international community is defined not only by what it is for, but by what and whom it is against. The United Nations must have the courage to recognize that just as there are common aims, there are common enemies. To defeat them, all nations must join forces in an effort encompassing every aspect of the open, free global system so wickedly exploited by the perpetrators of last week’s atrocities. Terrorism threatens every society.
As the world takes action against it, we have all been reminded of the need to address the conditions that permit the growth of such hatred and depravity. We must confront violence, bigotry and hatred even more resolutely. The United Nations’ work must continue as we address the ills of conflict, ignorance, poverty and disease…
Doing so will not remove every source of hatred or prevent every act of violence. There are those who will hate and who will kill even if every injustice is ended. But if the world can show that it will carry on, that it will persevere in creating a stronger, more just, and more benevolent and more genuine international community across all lines of religion and race, then terrorism will have failed.”
Global terrorism is not different from other forms of terrorism only that it is complicated by both state and non-state actors on the global stage. It has been widely made dangerous by acts of state sponsored terrorism. A state can sponsor terrorism by funding a terrorist organization, harboring terrorism, and also using state resources, such as the military, to directly perform acts of terrorism. When states provide funding for groups considered by some to be terrorist cells, they rarely acknowledge them as such. Some states that have been widely accused of sponsoring terrorism include Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Sudan.
Global terrorism can either be ideological, religious, economic or political.
Perpetrators of global terrorism usually want to achieve their goals by causing
Psychological impact and fear – Their attacks are planned and carried out in such a way as to maximize the severity and length of the psychological impact. Each act of terrorism is a “performance,” a product of internal logic, devised to have an impact on many large audiences. Terrorists also attack national symbols to show their power and to shake the foundation of the country or society they are opposed to. This may negatively affect a government’s legitimacy, while increasing the legitimacy of the given terrorist organization and/or ideology behind a terrorist act.
Political/religious change – Something all terrorist attacks have in common is their perpetration for a political purpose. Terrorism is a political tactic, not unlike letter writing or protesting, that is used by activists when they believe no other means will affect the kind of change they desire. The change is desired so badly that failure is seen as a worse outcome than the deaths of civilians. This is often where the interrelationship between terrorism and religion occurs. When a political struggle is integrated into the framework of a religious or “cosmic” struggle, such as over the control of an ancestral homeland or holy site such as Israel and Jerusalem, failing in the political goal (nationalism) becomes equated with spiritual failure, which, for the highly committed, is worse than their own death or the deaths of innocent civilians.
Deliberate victimization of non-combatants – It is commonly held that the distinctive nature of terrorism lies in its intentional and specific selection of civilians as direct targets. Much of the time, the victims of terrorism are targeted not because they are threats, but because they are specific “symbols, tools, animals or corrupt beings” that tie into a specific view of the world that the terrorist possess. Their suffering accomplishes the terrorists’ goals of instilling fear, getting a message out to an audience, or otherwise accomplishing their political end.
Conclusion
There are many times that governments have been our friends or enemies. A government may exalt one person while at the same time oppressing another. Just as I have discussed above on issues of terrorism many countries have been accused from time to time to sponsor terrorist activities. These have included Libya, Iran, Iraq and North Korea. Such regimes may be viewed as good by their subjects while the international community may brand them as being evil. There are times when governments may align themselves on a religious basis, ethnic basis, or economic perspective. In cases like these, the services offered by the government will be acceptable to only certain members of the citizenry.
References
Bill Yenne. 2005. Indian Wars: The Campaign for the American West. Westholme.
Ellen C. Collier. Instances of Use of United States Forces Abroad, 1798-1993. Web.
Ward, Churchill. 2003. on the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality AK Press.
Zoltán Grossman. 2001. A briefing on the history of U.S. military interventions. Web.