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'terrorists' - what does this mean?

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wildething On February 04, 2008




, United Kingdom
#1New Post! Oct 30, 2007 @ 19:06:44
in interview the other day john simpson the senior BBC war correspondent said that he thought the word 'terrorist' is unhelpful, and i tend to agree. for if anyone uses the word 'terrorist' today that ends all further debate or analysis, people cannot see beyond the word, it is a bit like whenever i post a reply and it kills a thread, that is exactly what the word 'terrorist' does, it kills off further discussion.
also, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. and no matter how repugnant we find heinous acts of violence against civilian targets, do any of us believe that a human being is born to be a human bomb, that some people are more predisposed to walk into a crowded shopping mall and blow themselves up than others?
i just think that there should be more debate, that people should be looking at the conditions that produce these acts of violence, and more than this we should be encouraging our governments to engage in discussions with the very people our governments swear they will never sit down and talk with.
nelson mandela was once called a terrorist, the zionists who fought the british back in the 1940's for the right to have their own land - israel - used terrorist tactics. gerry adams and martin macguiness both now respected irish politicians were once called terrorists.
so what do you think?
Vizzy On February 20, 2012




, Florida
#2New Post! Oct 30, 2007 @ 19:15:49
What would we call them? Extremists?
gideon1451 On July 20, 2020




, United Kingdom
#3New Post! Oct 30, 2007 @ 19:23:00
Aren't they called terrorist, because they use terror kind of, as people are now scared of what they do...?
wildething On February 04, 2008




, United Kingdom
#4New Post! Oct 30, 2007 @ 19:41:10
the word is descriptive yes, but couldn't an army helicopter bombing the people beneath be equally described as producing 'terror'?
i just think that as a word it is too final, and too easy.
we need to think outside it.
silenthunder On November 25, 2007




Halliburton, Texas
#5New Post! Nov 03, 2007 @ 16:00:49
@wildething Said
we need to think outside it.


The above would seem to be the solution for about 98% of the problems currently faced. The trouble is that we have been taught not to think in anything other than 30 second sound bytes.

It was Ronald Reagan who stated that if the truth were known "they will hang us all".

There are so many people on the various "lists" that they are unusable. These people that find their way on such "lists" are people like Edward Kennedy (amongst other notables). No one knows how people end up on these "lists" and there is no available mechanism to challenge being placed upon such "lists". It seems that one must simply accept their fate.

In the final analysis it appears that the thing being displayed is fear. As F.D. Roosevelt said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself".
dlsharp On November 30, 2015




Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#6New Post! Nov 03, 2007 @ 16:10:53
Terrorism is the deliberate and systematic assault on civilians to inspire fear for political ends.
alexkidd On February 07, 2012
Captain Awesome!


Deleted



in a bog, Ireland
#7New Post! Nov 03, 2007 @ 16:21:00
i hate that word when its used to describe people in the media.

but since 9-11 its a phrase thats being used more and more in the context of creating laws.
which is dangerous because its an entirely undefined term.
it could mean anybody.
silenthunder On November 25, 2007




Halliburton, Texas
#8New Post! Nov 03, 2007 @ 16:34:53
A decent article on the process if anyone desires to read it.


https://www.rense.com/general78/believe.htm
aceuvclubs On August 22, 2020
You with the face!





Seattle, Washington
#9New Post! Nov 20, 2007 @ 06:15:01
I think if you kill innocent bystanders/children intentionally for a "cause" then you should be branded a terrorist. Poor conditions or not. Find me some examples of suicide bombers in the poorest of African countries. You're telling me life somewhere is worse then what they deal with?
billmcc66 On November 25, 2007




BRUGGE, Belgium
#10New Post! Nov 20, 2007 @ 08:57:19
The word terrorist is used much more widely now but the meaning is clear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

the military manual says that the way to fight terrorism is to use terrorism, that is the justification they use for bombing civilians.

The people you speak of (the suicide bombers) have a different outlook to us they believe that to die in a Jihad (holy war) will enable them to pass through to a better life on the right hand of God.

as Christians we are taught killing is wrong and is condemned by the church but in our everyday lives we hear and see things that are repugnant to us just because the morals of another are not the same as ours.
notsogallant On October 28, 2016




Brum, United Kingdom
#11New Post! Nov 20, 2007 @ 19:19:42
The First World War was the first instance of what is known as Total War. The rules changed, a war was no longer seen as an honorouble activity played on some neutral territory away from civilians.

This whole issue of "terrorism" is just another offshoot of the "us/them" syndrome, which is an ineradicable part of being human. It goes without saying "us" always have God on their side, and are thereby right. Notice the obvious flaw in this statemenet though?
billmcc66 On November 25, 2007




BRUGGE, Belgium
#12New Post! Nov 21, 2007 @ 06:53:11
notsogallant with your sig
you should have this as your avatar
View Image

most the younger members will not understand but us oldies do.

sorry a bit off topic
buffalobill90 On July 12, 2013
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Viaticum, United Kingdom
#13New Post! Nov 21, 2007 @ 16:27:33
Terrorist: someone who uses systematic acts of violence and terror to bring about political change.

Perhaps terrorist is far too demonised as a word to be properly used. It makes people think that all terrorists are somehow inherently evil. The term is also flexible, and is used by some governments to label anyone who protests against them, eg. the Burmese government and the freedom fighters who oppose it. Maybe terrorism should be labelled more specifically in terms of its political motivation; Islamism, nationalism, Hamas, Hizbullah, IRA etc.
buffalobill90 On July 12, 2013
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Viaticum, United Kingdom
#14New Post! Nov 21, 2007 @ 16:31:27
@wildething Said
people should be looking at the conditions that produce these acts of violence


I guess the western world has looked at those conditions (i.e several countries in the middle east) and summarily attempted to change them through military action.
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