Routledge The Challenges of Democracy in the War on Terror: The Liberal State before the Advance of Terrorism (Routledge Research in Place, Space and Politics)

This book unravels the role of democracy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and reflects important debates surrounding the security of Muslim communities in the years to come. It looks at the problems of torture, violence and the legal resources available to contemporary democracies to confront terrorism. While terrorism is often regarded as one of the major threats to the West and the nation-state, this book explores the notion that a disciplined sense of terror is what keeps society working. The strengths and limitations of liberalism are examined, as well as the ethical dilemma of torture and human right violations in the struggle against terrorism. This book carefully dissects the origin of the nation-state and how it keeps society united. The author offers a creative and unique approach to democracy and worldwide terrorism, exploring the consequences for the nation-state. This book looks at the connections between terrorism, mobility, consumption, torture and fear. It will be of interest to researchers as well as postgraduate and postdoctoral students within the fields of Human Geography, Politics, Media and International Relations. Review "This book clarifies the historical context of the crisis in democracy that fueled Donald Trump’s election in 2016, which was nurtured by entertaining mass media and political corporations promoting the discourse of fear and the doctrine of sovereignty and security. Professor Korstanje’s provocative introduction examines how the ideological core of the liberal state hides "the invisible hand of exploitation." Despite losing the popular vote, Trump’s election underscores how the liberal state is complicit in trampling citizens’ rights in the face of inequality while applauding the spectacle of terrorism, violating immigrants’ rights, and international treaties, even as the stock market soars and the number of homeless people increase. Surely this was not intended by the Enlightenment philosophers, who had not envisioned how the democratic state would renege on is responsibility to citizens’ rights. This fine collection casts a dim light on what could have been the hope of the world." ― David Altheide, Arizona State University, USA " The Challenges of Democracy in the War on Terror: The liberal state before the advance of terrorism is a liminal passage where Maximiliano Korstanje discusses the interplay of Fear and Thanatos. These crossing epistemological borders lead to questioning the role of the liberal state, its abuses as well as the indifference of lay-citizens for hospitality. In fact, he dissects the roots of liberal state juxtaposing the rise of terror as a necessary consequence of the decline of democracy. In a nutshell, Korstanje shows once again in this book why he is one of the most-recognized writers in the field of terrorism and tourism." ― Adrian Scribano, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina "The present book offers a cogent and trenchant, analysis, and critique of global capitalism. Its argument starts by examining bourgeois democracy in the twenty-first century. It correctly points out that contemporary democracy is a sham. Despite its many exclusions, slaves, women, children, etc.; ancient democracies like the Athenian, actually depended on popular rule. Today’s fake democracies barely make the effort at appearances. As capital has by now penetrated all four corners of the earth, the worst of primitive accumulation and exploitation join hands on a global scale. Raw force in the form of drones, mercenary armies, and massive arms concentrations ensure that extractive capital partners with high tech psycho-social manipulations to produce a compliant, complicit work force and consumerist public. This book puts these current conditions to the question, and finds our world wanting. The book is a must read for anyone who cares about life in today’s world." ― Geoffrey R Skoll, Buffalo State College, USA "Korstanje´s book places the conce