Page 159 - 《国际安全研究》2021年第4期
P. 159

Vo1. 39, No. 4, July/August 2021




                                           Abstract





           3   A Study on Dominant Metaphors and Their Consequences in
               Counter-terrorism Governance: Reflections on the US Anti-terrorism
               Discourse since the September 11 Attacks

               ZENG Xianghong and CHEN Kerui
               [Abstract] After the September 11 incident, international anti-terrorism efforts seem
               to have been stuck in a vicious circle of “the more you fight terrorism, the more they
               thrive.” This phenomenon is closely related to people’s mentality of “the more you
               talk about terrorism, the more terrifying it seems to be,” which could be attributed to
               the existence and widespread use of metaphors. In counter-terrorism governance,
               terrorism-related metaphors, as an essential way of thinking, can be enlightening,
               but it may also limit people’s thoughts and behaviors in regard to terrorism owing to
               its randomness and highlighted (as well as hidden) features.  When it comes to
               terrorism-related politics,  media and academic discourses in the United States,
               dominant  metaphors are “the fight  against  terrorism is a war,” “terrorism is
               something barbaric,”  “terrorism is a  disease,” and “terrorism is an undesirable
               plant.” These metaphors are deeply rooted in historical practices, people’s fears,
               social systems and public opinions, and to a large extent represent people’s orthodox
               views on terrorism. Although the metaphorical analysis and the use of  multiple
               metaphors cannot eliminate the metaphorical trap, they can at least help alleviate it
               to a certain extent. Therefore, in the process of counter-terrorism governance, it is of
               paramount importance to adhere to a  stance with the  dominant metaphorical
               expressions of “terrorism is a crime,” flexibly employ various measures, rebuild the
               damaged political order, and reduce harms to innocent civilians and discriminations
               against Muslims.
               [Keywords] terrorism governance, metaphor, metaphorical trap, September 11 attack,
               war on terror
               [Authors] ZENG Xianghong, Professor, Institute for Central Asian Studies, School
               of Politics and International Relations, Lanzhou University; CHEN Kerui,  M. A.
               Student, School  of Politics and International Relations, Lanzhou University
               (Lanzhou, 730000).

          32   Threat Perceptions, Objectives  and Paths of Counter-terrorism
               Governance in Contemporary Western Countries

               SHEN Xiaochen
               [Abstract] Perceptions of terrorism threat can exert decisive influences on the
               effectiveness of governance-related policies and serve as an effective entry point for
               external policy evaluation. Threat perceptions, by virtue of influencing  policy

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