Self-discipline in a Time of Terror

Abstract

Why is it that one feels as though they have to say that 9/11 was a ‘tragic’, ‘terrible’ or ‘horrific’ event? Why is this inclination intensified if one seeks to comment critically on U.S. politics? Is it not clear that death on that scale and in that manner is without exception horrific, terrible and tragic? Or, is it that as a critical scholar I feel compelled to clarify that I am not with the terrorists simply because I intend to critique aspects of U.S. foreign policy? The point of this is not to argue that one should stop referring to 9/11 as ‘horrific’, ‘terrible’ or ‘tragic’, but rather to examine what causes individuals to monitor the way in which they act when they engage with a powerful foreign policy consensus.

Precarious Sovereignty in a Post-liberal Europe: The COVID-19 Emergency in Estonia and Finland

“…It cannot be appropriately restrained by its legal regulations and, as such, constitutes an excess vis-à-vis those regulations. This does not imply that “governmentality” is beyond all constraint; yet it does imply that mere legal regulations will not suffice… governmentality operates, so to speak, beyond the confines of the law… governmental techniques cannot, therefore, be appropriately blocked or contained by mere legal regulations’ (Braeckman 2019 , 2).…”

“…The post-liberal problematique of security shifts the emphasis from the tasks of regulating the population’s health and ability to work for empowering individuals to exercise their autonomy and ‘prudence’ (O’Malley 1996a ) to manage, minimise, or avoid possible risks. This transformation leaves much space for self-discipline, which is particularly important in times of security crises (Cameron 2007 ) . In this regard, the ‘state of exception’ might be seen as one of the governmental strategies of security, a logic by which risk articulation and management transpire.…”

Pandemic Politics in Eurasia: Roadmap for a New Research Subfield

“…In an ostensible reversal of the globalization logic, the pandemic crisis is re-signifying all big spaces as sources of imminent danger, thus pushing the society into the biopolitics of small spaces that are expected to be controlled and monitored much better than big crossborder expanses. This trend might be conceptualized as biosecurity (Maureira and Tirado 2018), with new disciplinary practices and regimes of control and regulation over human bodies and their mobilities (Cameron 2007).…”

Visibility as Resistance by Muslim Americans in a Surveillance and Security Atmosphere

“…Taken together, this politicized and mass‐mediated security atmosphere induces a subjective sense of fear, insecurity, and anxiety that can lead to self‐policing, regardless of whether there are civil rights violations. Cameron (:74) even likened the post‐9/11 U.S. society with a Foucauldian panopticon, arguing that the United States’ War on Terror foreign policies helped to create a pervasive and powerful national identity that is stranded in a “permanent war mentality,” which allows for the suspicion and persecution of Muslim Americans to ensure domestic security. This mentality is partly enacted through the citizens’ self‐discipline to become—or at least appear to be—patriotic, which is publicly displayed in everyday life through a set of symbols and discursive strategies.…”

“…This mentality is partly enacted through the citizens’ self‐discipline to become—or at least appear to be—patriotic, which is publicly displayed in everyday life through a set of symbols and discursive strategies. Examples of this self‐policing are people clarifying they are not “terrorists” and that 9/11 was a “horrific” event before critiquing U.S. foreign policies (Cameron :74); journalists not asking politicians penetrating questions about war and security policies; news personalities invoking that security can no longer be taken for granted but be achieved through sacrifices (Altheide :425); and civilians displaying U.S. flags and stickers with patriotic slogans on their front lawns, cars, and clothing (Dhingra ).…”