Language Cultural Diversity and the War on Terror essays

Language Cultural Diversity and the War on Terror essays Cultural awareness and the careful use of language and rhetoric have enhanced the global war on terrorism. Language is a powerful tool that can either act to demonize the enemy or to increase the understanding of the enemy through cultural awareness. Cultural awareness itself is a powerful tool in the arsenal against terrorism, as it allows for the better understanding of the enemy, thus enhancing the effort on the global war on Perhaps one of the most important and inherent dangers in the war on terror is the prospect of demonizing and oversimplifying the enemy. Dan Rather, famous anchor and managing editor of CBS News, illustrates the danger of such an approach. In answer to David Letterman's question, "Why do these people hate us'", Rather responded, "They're evil" (cited in Corliss, 2001). In Rather's defense, the interview took place shortly after the tragedy of September 11th, and he was likely overwhelmed with shock and grief. Nonetheless, his answer does illustrate both the power of language and a lack of cultural awareness on our understanding about the war on terror. Traditional military terms like Charlie (describing the Viet Cong), (Wikipedia) are also examples of the use of language to distance us from the enemy as individuals. Rather's sort of rhetoric is dangerous, as it serves to dehumanize our enemies and portray them as completely evil and ourselves as entirely righteous. Notes Fedler (2001), "When we totally dehumanize our enemies, the terrorists, once again, have won." In doing this, those fighting the war on terrorism are "drawn into the simplistic dualism of the terrorists who see themselves as totally righteous and all Americans as totally evil" Crucial in combating such dualism is the concept of cultural awareness. Further, cultural awareness gives America the benefit of a better understanding of the motivations and subtext ...