This week’s lecture focused primarily on Baudrillard’s theories on terrorism. Baudrillard uses a term called ‘the masses’ in which he describes how terrorist groups require the media to spread terror through the system; because of course the media revel and thrive in negative, horrifying, fear-generating stories because we, ‘the masses’ enjoy consuming terror.
Some of the issues discussed in today’s lecture were:
· Objectless violence
· The ‘mirror’ of terrorism
· Re-thinking terrorism
· Terror and ambivalence
· 9/11
In his book The Spirit Of Terrorism he tries to determine a hypothesis towards the mind set of the terrorists involved in the 9/11 twin towers attack. He states ‘it was an act of suicidal madmen… themselves manipulated by some evil power’ It could be seen as Baudrillard attempting to encourage us to re-think our views on terrorism and allow us to understand what the terrorists would be going through i.e. their predicament at the time. Were they forced to do such an act? Brainwashed? One could wonder whether Baudrillard is implying that we should feel sorry for them, in order to comprehend the disastrous event. Baudrillard states ‘they did it, but we wished for it.’ which is a highly controversial statement to make. As surly no one would wish for the deaths of hundreds of innocent people. At this particular point I am ‘sitting on the fence’ in regards to the views of Baudrillard.
References: Baudrillard, N. (2002) The Sprit of Terrorism, translated by Chris Turner. Verso: London
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