WELCOME HOME, HISTORY
Terrorism, Security and Democracy
Today
To what extent is the possibility of terrorism a threat to democracy in the UK?
What does it mean for History to have ‘ended’?
The threat of terror
The security of surveillance
The end of democracy?
Hot and Cold
The Fall
The Berlin Wall, which divided East Berlin (Communist) from West Berlin (Capitalist), symbolised the Cold War divide
Because of substantial differences in wealth and freedoms, East Berliners were escaping to the West
After standing as symbol of oppression for 28 years, in 1989 the wall was suddenly overcome and Germany was reunited in 1990
The End of History
With the fall of the Berlin wall and the subsequent collapse of communism, it was thought that ‘History had Ended’
American conservative political scientist Francis Fukuyama stated: "What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of postwar history, but the end of History as such: that is, the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.“
Without significant ideological disputes, the 1990s produced a period remarkable stability and prosperity
History returns 
If Fukuyama had argued that debates over how we should live had ended, 9/11 signalled the presence of violence resistance to this idea in dramatic, Hollywoodstyle

It fit into a burgeoning American political agenda that had redefined the world as a clash between two different ways of life
The clash within us
For many there is an ‘us against them’ situation not just globally, but within Western society
An explicit rejection of multiculturalism is often tied to a fear of ‘extremism’
We fear: They
don’t follow our rules We don’t know who they are
Do you feel like there is a ‘them’ who are a threat to ‘us’?
The total war on terror
The 9/11 attacks created a new era of global conflict known as the ‘war on terror’
The war on terror has redefined political conflict, creating an almost ‘total war’ in which everyone is a potential combatant and the line between civilian and solider, war and peace, have become blurred
Think of something that is ‘highly likely’ to happen today
Do you ever worry about the possibility of terrorism in London?
Eternal vigilance
Are you ‘vigilant’?
The changing social contract
Social contract theory emerged out of early enlightenment thinking as a justification for the power of governments
Thomas Hobbes argued that without political order, we live in a ‘state of nature’ that is ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’
To escape this condition, citizens should give up some of their power to governments to ensure political order
In the 21st century, giving up power means giving up access to privacy in a way that wasn’t feasible before the digital revolution
The panopticon effect
The panopticon was an institutional building designed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham that allowed for surveillance of prisoners without them knowing when they are being watched
‘A new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind’
Michel Foucault considered the panopticon to be a metaphor for the internalisation of modern discipline
Big Brother is watching 
There are up to 5.9 million CCTV cameras in the UK

It is argued that this massive surveillance network is a strong threat to civil liberties as private actions become (potentially) public
Snooper’s charter
The Draft Communications Data Bill (or Snooper’s Charter) would require Internet service providers and mobile phone companies to store records of users communications for 12 months
These companies would be required to pass details to government agencies on request, with no further oversight required.
The state is given access to the private life of its citizens because of the threat of terrorism
Don’t actually do this. Seriously.
Watching ‘them’ Counter-terrorism laws in the UK currently allow
“Indefinite detention without charge of foreign nationals if suspected of involvement in terrorism; Control orders imposing severe and intrusive prohibitions, including indefinite house arrest for up to 16 hours a day without charge or conviction Pre-charge detention in terrorism cases, currently allowing for 14-day detention without charge, the longest period of any comparable democracy”
Human rights organisation Liberty argues that these laws play into the hands of terrorists “…by allowing them to shape our laws in a way that undermines our principles”
Watching you
The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 requires universities to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’.
Universities are to refer identified individuals who are “vulnerable to radicalisation” to the police
Universities, and lecturers, are being brought into the state security apparatus
Should I be ‘vigilant’?
Watching ‘us’
The explicit defence of these programmes, one passionately argued by many, is that total surveillance is required to stop terrorist activity
Conversely, this surveillance culture has entered into non-violent dissident groups, including student and environmental protest groups
For many, government infiltration into resistance movements is an extreme threat to democratic participation
That is, if governments have direct access to all information, do they have the total power to prevent anti-government protest and resistance?
If you are doing nothing wrong, do you have nothing to fear?
In summary
If the end of the Cold War appeared to bring in a new era of prosperity, this was ended abruptly by the events of 9/11
The ‘war on terror’ has led to a ‘total war’ of ‘us against them’
These events created a range of new security measures that have shifted the balance between freedom and security
Has the UK lost the liberal-democratic values it is seeking to defend?
Globalisation
In this module we have examined out increasingly interconnected world, examining Whether
the world is becoming increasingly similar or diverse and how this might occur
Our
role in global issues
In this essay I want to know what you think about these issues
Being a critical scholar
In the 21st century, anyone can access facts and information
The most valuable are those who can think for themselves: To
be able to critically analyse ideas To be able to evaluate evidence and excesses of information To be able to think in different ways
I want you to think.
Finding your voice
Academic writing is always what you think, but it isn’t just your opinion
Your opinion becomes an academic argument because it is defended with evidence and analysis
You need to research
The basics
Each of the questions asks you for a specific answer: make an argument and state it clearly in the introduction
Identify, analyse and discuss the main debates
Ensure that you use authoritative supporting evidence to defend your ideas
Thesis Statements
Your argument is previewed at the beginning of your work: the thesis statement
Thesis statements contain your justified response to the assignment question
Thesis statements contain a claim, a justification and are often supplemented by a qualifying statement. “This essay argues that…”
Question: Critically evaluate the impact of fee increases on student satisfaction in higher education Thesis: (this essay argues that‌)
as fees rise, students’ satisfaction is likely to decrease as they demand stronger services from universities that have not been provided with extra funding to offer that support. Conversely, there may be other approaches, such as an increased focus on teaching standards, to maintain satisfaction levels without extra funding.
Asserting your Position
Hook the reader and tell them what they need to know about the debate
Context
Preview
Thesis Statement
Tell the reader your process for responding the question
Tell them what you will be arguing
Don’t let the evidence speak for itself
Always ask, so what?
1. To what extent do we live in an increasingly economically ‘flat earth’? 2. To what extent should developing nations be forced to reduce their carbon emissions? 3. To what extent does London promote post-national cultural identities?
4. To what extent is the possibility of terrorism a threat to democracy in the UK?
What do you want to know?