6.3. Write an essay of 250 words covering the major challenges of globalization.

FOCUS 7. Discussion

7.1. Topics for Oral Discussion

1. Globalisation offers extensive opportunities for worldwide development.

2. Globalisation creates threats for developed countries.

3. The globalisation of cultural products increases the exposure of all societies to foreign cultures which can undermine their own cultural identity.

4. Opportunities for cultural exchange brought about by globalisation help to promote tolerance and diversity.

5. Globalisation often means “Americanisation”.

7.2. Topics for Round Tables

I. a) The age of “globality” is creating huge opportunities for developed-world multinationals.

b) Globalisation is entering a new phase, with emerging-market companies now competing furiously against rich-country ones.

II. a) The globalisation of the production of goods and services is a welcome development for many people in that it offers them access to products that they would not otherwise have.

b) Globalisation threatens the viability of locally made products and the people who produce them.

7.3. Surf on the Web to find information on the recent globalization progress. Make up a report on your findings.

MODULE 6. ROUGH MUSIC CONFRONTING TERROR

FOCUS 1

1.1. “Rough music” is the term which has been generally used in England since the end of the seventeenth century to denote a rude cacophony, with or without more elaborate ritual, which usually directed mockery or hostility against individuals who offended against certain community norms.

E.P. Thompson, Customs in Common.

1.2. Lead-in Discussion. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the primary challenge that individual states and the international community as whole face in confronting terrorism?

2. What has changed in terrorism over the past half century and have any factors remained the same? If so, what are they and why have they remained constant?

3. Has the security situation changed over the past decade? How does Russia respond to the terrorist threat? How did legislators respond to the increasing threat of terrorism in the country?

4. What are the main principles for countering terrorism?

5. Talk about recent bomb attacks. Why do suicide bombers blow themselves up? What do terrorists demand? Why do some governments refuse to agree to terrorists’ demands?

6. What enables a terrorist to disregard respect for life?

7. What are the political roots of terrorism?

FOCUS 2

2.1. Study the Key Concepts. Sum up the major points. Key Concepts

Axis of evil – phrase deliberately used by George W. Bush in January 2001 to characterize Iran, North Korea, and Iraq.

Clash of Civilizations – controversial idea first used by Samuel Huntington in 1993 to describe the main cultural fault-line of international conflict in a world without communism; the notion has become more popular still since 9/11.

Empire – a disputed concept that some have tried to apply to the United States to describe its international reach, huge capabilities, and vital global role of underwriting world order.

War on Terror – announced after 9/11 to suggest an extensive and global struggle to combat and finally defeat international terrorism.

11 September – referred to as “9/11”, the day when four aircraft were hijacked by Islamic terrorists in the United States – two of which destroyed the World Trade Center in New York, one which partially destroyed the Pentagon, and a fourth which crash-landed in a field in Pennsylvania.

Source: The globalization of world politics.

John Baylis and Steve Smith

Terrorism (lat. fear) – the use or threat of violence that may be limited in its physical destructiveness but is high in psychological impact because it creates fear and shock. Terrorism’s effectiveness is political rather than military. The terrorist act is meant to communicate a message to a watching audience. Assassinations of prominent figures in society or attacks on civilians chosen at random from a targeted group are typical of terrorism. Bombings are its most common form. Conventionally the term applies to the acts of revolutionaries or nationalists who challenge governments, while terror refers to government actions to crush resistance. In practice the distinction between terrorism and terror is not always clear.

The term originated as a description of the Reign of Terror (1793 – 1794) during the French Revolution. In the late 19th century, terrorism was turned against the state, for example, in the actions of Russian revolutionaries, European anarchists, and Irish nationalists. After World War I, terrorism in Europe merited discussion in the League of Nations. In the 1990s there emerged a pattern of terrorist attacks designed to kill large numbers of people. Numerous attacks were linked to exiled Saudi multimillionaire Osama bin Laden, including, in 2001, suicide attacks using four hijacked U.S. airliners as missiles, destroying the World Trade Center. Source: Encyclopedia Americana

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2.2. Read the extract from “Hegemony or survival. America’s quest for Global Dominance” by Noam Chomsky, the author of numerous bestselling works, from American Power in 1960s to 9/11 in 2001, a professor of linguistics and philosophy.

Lucid, rigorous, and thoroughly documented, Hegemony or Survival is Chomsky’s most urgent and sweeping work in years. Certain to spark widespread debate, it is a definitive statement from one of the world’s most influential political thinkers.