Ted talk response

Ted Talk Response Several parts of Sam Richard’s TED Talk stood out and for various reasons. First, the Chinese coming tothe U. S and being allowed to ship as much coal as possible back to their country to develop it. This stood out because a significant portion of the American population has remained poor and continues to do so in spite of the country having such large coal reserves that could have changed the lives of these Americans. This explains why a small portion of the country remains excessively rich while the vast majority struggle to get by and fall under the categories of lower level earners and those living in poverty. This also stands out because the U. S government wanted sophisticated technology to improve its military power at the expense of the citizens. Second, sending of troops around the world to fight wars with hidden agendas also stands out to me. Here, the U. S sends troops to Iraq to protect oil reserves that the country largely depends on at the expense of the Iraqi citizens. During such missions, innocent people die in the pretense of restoring peace while the real agenda is protecting the oil reserves. Being conscious of this would help in understanding why the citizens in those countries respond by becoming terrorists to protect their own countries. Third, the part concerning countries having design for other’s resources also stands out. This is because it explains the whole cause of conflicts that take place between the U. S and Middle East countries as America attempts to feed its economic system that depends on oil.
With regard to this sociological thought being relevant in counter terrorism and terrorism, I would support the empathy theory in its entirety. This is because people tend to protect their resources because resources determine their individual futures and the future of their country’s economic performance. With respect to empathy being relevant, the public at large can acquire correct information regarding the existing enmity between Americans and Iraqis. This understanding can also help in disregarding bogus information provided by media regarding conflicts taking place in Middle East countries. Since war against terrorism has been taken seriously but acts of terrorism continue to increase, it is the most crucial moment to re-think the strategies and re-structure approach strategies towards ending terrorism. Having watched Richard’s lecture, it would be a logical move to develop non-violent ways of dealing with terrorism. This is because terrorism is a result of retaliation prompted by stolen resources. Currently, people have a bad view regarding terrorism and Muslims are discriminated as being terrorists without knowing that their countries have been invaded and their natural resources are being used to help overseas countries while the Iraqi population continues to struggle in poverty. This standpoint can change if Americans respected other countries’ resources. The pre-conceived idea that the only way to end terrorism is to convert all Muslims to Christianity would change and the correct approaches be undertaken. Therefore, the lecture is useful in thinking about terrorism and ways of countering it.