What is Terrorism?

[Harry Smith]

This thread is designed to A) Make you think B)Make you question major figures C) Apply to the more right wing members

It's interesting looking at History how many figures e.g Nelson Mandela, Gerry Adams, George Washington have used 'terrorism' to achieve their goals-although many people across the globe would now hail them as hero's.

So that's the main question, what's the difference between a heroic freedom fighter and a evil terrorist?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyYpxHIzyIg/UqICC7qxQVI/AAAAAAAB1BM/Q5Isx7Ob7as/s1600/sanctions.jpg

[CosmicNoodle]

Terrorism is peace keeping, but only when the US do it. BU DUM TISH!

[Left Now]

What is terrorism?Well actually I think it is using fear or public-scaring violence as a weapon or tool to achieve a goal.

[Vlerchan]

"So that's the main question, what's the difference between a heroic freedom fighter and a evil terrorist?"

Your perspective.

[Gamma Male]

So that's the main question, what's the difference between a heroic freedom fighter and a evil terrorist?


A terrorist is someone who uses fear mongering and terror to accomplish a goal.

A freedom fighter is someone who fights for a particular cause which he regards as just.



Neither are really necessarily good or bad. There are times when terrorism is an ethical and necessary tactic and vice versa. And the same goes for "freedom fighter".

[Miserabilia]

Interesting, i had this same discussion with my family a day ago.
We came to the conclusion to look at the origin of the word.
: terrorism : , an activity of : terror :

terror - intense, sharp, overmastering fear
terror - violence or threats of violence used for intimidation or coercion

We can conclude that terrorism concists of two things;
-violence
-a motive of fear

If violence or destruction is used to cause fear, it can be concidered terrorism.

[Southside]

Terrorism today is anyone who says no to the US/NATO/Europe

[britishboy]

This thread is designed to A) Make you think B)Make you question major figures C) Apply to the more right wing members

It's interesting looking at History how many figures e.g Nelson Mandela, Gerry Adams, George Washington have used 'terrorism' to achieve their goals-although many people across the globe would now hail them as hero's.

So that's the main question, what's the difference between a heroic freedom fighter and a evil terrorist?

image (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyYpxHIzyIg/UqICC7qxQVI/AAAAAAAB1BM/Q5Isx7Ob7as/s1600/sanctions.jpg)

Terrorism is purposefully targeting civilians. Our Western countries don't do that so hippies need to grow up and look at reality.

[Harry Smith]

Terrorism is purposefully targeting civilians. Our Western countries don't do that so hippies need to grow up and look at reality.

Cuba?
Kenya?
Iran?

[britishboy]

Cuba?

I wouldn't consider Cuba a Western country so don't really care what they're doing but if you believe it is relevant to the debate, do enlighten me.

[Stronk Serb]

I wouldn't consider Cuba a Western country so don't really care what they're doing but if you believe it is relevant to the debate, do enlighten me.

The CIA is training terrorists to attack Cuba.
The CIA overthrew the democratically elected President of Iran because he wanted to nationalise the oil industry.

[Harry Smith]

I wouldn't consider Cuba a Western country so don't really care what they're doing but if you believe it is relevant to the debate, do enlighten me.

I don't believe it's relevant-it is relevant.

The CIA have supported and trained anti-castro forces how to blow up passenger planes, and they did-they killed 83 civilians in the 1970's-guess who paid them-the CIA.

You need to check up on your history

[Vlerchan]

Terrorism is purposefully targeting civilians. Our Western countries don't do that so hippies need to grow up and look at reality.
[EG1] ( http://www.projectcensored.org/5-us-intentionally-destroyed-iraqs-water-system/ )

It's notable though the definition ( http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition#disablemobile) of terrorism used by the US doesn't require that civilians be targeted. You'll find that the hippies are correct.

[Gamma Male]

Terrorism is purposefully targeting civilians. Our Western countries don't do that so hippies need to grow up and look at reality.

Vietnam, Guam, murdering entire villages full of peaceful civillians with flamethrowers and chemical agents, ring a bell?

Oh and let's not forget Iran Contra, the overthrow of the Iranian government by the CIA, the Kennedy Assassination, etc.

[Lovelife090994]

Terrorism is when a band of evildoers target civilians for some reason be it religion, race, sex, or class. Basically terrorism is it's root word; the spread of terror, propaganda, and fear with violence and rage for an extreme idea.

[Stronk Serb]

Terrorism is when a band of evildoers target civilians for some reason be it religion, race, sex, or class. Basically terrorism is it's root word; the spread of terror, propaganda, and fear with violence and rage for an extreme idea.

Terrorism can be used to accomplish righteous goals, like the IRA and Nelson Mandela did.

[CharlieHorse]

I would define terrorism as taking actions usually of violence against a society to damage that society and cause terror to it's people.

[Cpt_Cutter]

Lets try this again.

*Ahem*

Not Losing.

[Lovelife090994]

Terrorism can be used to accomplish righteous goals, like the IRA and Nelson Mandela did.

Nelson Mandela was a hero and a civil rights activist, not a terrorist. Terrorism is never good because innocents are always hurt. Terrorism limited to soldiers is called warfare.

[Stronk Serb]

Nelson Mandela was a hero and a civil rights activist, not a terrorist. Terrorism is never good because innocents are always hurt. Terrorism limited to soldiers is called warfare.

Nelson Mandela was labelled as a terrorist by the Reagan and Thatcherite governments. He used terror to break the apartheid which is a noble goal. He used a car bomb or something. Harry Smith knows a lot about that.

[Lovelife090994]

Nelson Mandela was labelled as a terrorist by the Reagan and Thatcherite governments. He used terror to break the apartheid which is a noble goal. He used a car bomb or something. Harry Smith knows a lot about that.

Harry Smith is also an extremist who would make out Martin Luther King Jr. to be the Devil if he could! Reagan and Thatcherite were not the best people either. Because of Reagan most people in jail are there for nonviolent drug charges. I don't know about the truth of the car bomb since only extreme liberals mention it, but I know he was revered and I respect anyone who brings down apartheid, segregation, slavery, and the like. I may not approve of every action but I approve of the goal.

[Stronk Serb]

Harry Smith is also an extremist who would make out Martin Luther King Jr. to be the Devil if he could! Reagan and Thatcherite were not the best people either. Because of Reagan most people in jail are there for nonviolent drug charges. I don't know about the truth of the car bomb since only extreme liberals mention it, but I know he was revered and I respect anyone who brings down apartheid, segregation, slavery, and the like. I may not approve of every action but I approve of the goal.

Nah, he probably sees him as a civil rights fighter. What is terrorism amd what isn't depends on your point of view really. Some would say Mandela was a freedom foghter while some white racists would say he's a terrorist and enemy of the people.

[Lovelife090994]

Nah, he probably sees him as a civil rights fighter. What is terrorism amd what isn't depends on your point of view really. Some would say Mandela was a freedom foghter while some white racists would say he's a terrorist and enemy of the people.

So now you're claiming you and Harry are White Racists who only call Mandela a terrorist because you aren't for racial equality?

[Stronk Serb]

So now you're claiming you and Harry are White Racists who only call Mandela a terrorist because you aren't for racial equality?

God no. What we're saying is that he used terror to break racial inequality. Just like the IRA used terror to get an independent Ireland and are now using terror to get an unified ireland. Stop twisting my words.

[Lovelife090994]

God no. What we're saying is that he used terror to break racial inequality. Just like the IRA used terror to get an independent Ireland and are now using terror to get an unified ireland. Stop twisting my words.

I'm going by what you said earlier.

[Stronk Serb]

I'm going by what you said earlier.

Well I don't think he's a terrorist. I think he's a freedom fighter who used terror to
bolish racial inequality.

[Harry Smith]

Nelson Mandela was a hero and a civil rights activist, not a terrorist. Terrorism is never good because innocents are always hurt. Terrorism limited to soldiers is called warfare.

His group-the ANC used terrorism against civilians. That's a legal fact-something that has been confirmed by Mandela himself

Harry Smith is also an extremist who would make out Martin Luther King Jr. to be the Devil if he could! Reagan and Thatcherite were not the best people either. Because of Reagan most people in jail are there for nonviolent drug charges. I don't know about the truth of the car bomb since only extreme liberals mention it, but I know he was revered and I respect anyone who brings down apartheid, segregation, slavery, and the like. I may not approve of every action but I approve of the goal.

An extremist? I'm actually pretty supportive of MLK-apart from the later crap in his life and his failures in the northern campaign

You'll also find it's often far right groups who bring up Mandela's past-most liberals ignore it e.g Obama

So now you're claiming you and Harry are
White Racists who only call Mandela a terrorist because you aren't for racial equality?

No-we're not

[Lovelife090994]

His group-the ANC used terrorism against civilians. That's a legal fact-something that has been confirmed by Mandela himself



An extremist? I'm actually pretty supportive of MLK-apart from the later crap in his life and his failures in the northern campaign

You'll also find it's often far right groups who bring up Mandela's past-most liberals ignore it e.g Obama



No-we're not

I don't know why you replied when all you replied with was pointless or unneeded. But whatever. I wish you didn't hate right-wings or conservatives.

[Harry Smith]

I don't know why you replied when all you replied with was pointless or unneeded. But whatever. I wish you didn't hate right-wings or conservatives.

I replied because you called me a white supremacist-what do you expect

for the 101st time- I don't hate conservatives-where's your evidence?

[Lovelife090994]

I replied because you called me a fucking white supremacist

for the 101st time- I don't hate conservatives, and on this issue they'd agree with me

Touchy, touchy... you don't have to be profane. I know your vocabulary is better than that. I was calling you such since Comrade said only supremacists call Mandela a terrorist. Something you do.

[Harry Smith]

I was calling you such since Comrade said only supremacists call Mandela a terrorist. Something you do.

So that makes me a white supremacist? White supremacists also call a door a door-just like me.

How can I be a liberal gay white supremacist?

[Lovelife090994]

So that makes me a white supremacist? White supremacists also call a door a door-just like me.

How can I be a liberal gay white supremacist?

Anyone can be racist. Homosexuality doesn't filter out evil. You can be homosexual but as wicked as they come.

[Harry Smith]

Anyone can be racist. Homosexuality doesn't filter out evil. You can be homosexual but as wicked as they come.

So you think I'm a white supremacist?

[Lovelife090994]

So you think I'm a white supremacist?

I don't know. Are you? Probably not considering you lashed out at me, obviously you aren't. Now can we please get back to the question, "what is terrorism?"

[Harry Smith]

I don't know. Are you? Probably not considering you lashed out at me, obviously you aren't. Now can we please get back to the question, "what is terrorism?"

Using violence to pressure a group to change their actions

[Stronk Serb]

Using violence to pressure a group to change their actions

And instilling public fear to further your goals at the same time.

[Sir Suomi]

Terrorism can be defined in multiple ways.

In Military-terms, it's roughly defined as attacking a population with attacks that will harm both at a psychological and a physical manner, i.e; suicide bombings, remote detonating explosives from a concealed position, hacking financial websites and causing loss of income. These attacks are aimed not at defeating an opposition through conventional means, instead, it's meant to get your opponent so sick of fighting, that they simply withdraw. Easily the best example would be the War on Terror that we're currently trying to withdraw from (easier said than done).

Also, just like to point out the Nelson co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, which was responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths by uses I.E.D's, also the whole Landmine campaign, and don't forget their repetitive use of torture and executions without due process. I'm not saying what he did later in life was bad, but that fact remains that he was involved with what can easily be deemed a terrorist organization.

[Cpt_Cutter]

Lets see if explaining this will make the mods happy enough to let this stay.

I believe a large part of what the west defines as terrorism is who you piss-off when you fight your enemies. If you don't piss off the "Good Guys", you're a freedom-fighter, if you do, you're a terrorist. A great example of this is Mandela, who was blatantly a terrorist, and yet he was the terrorist who did not burn any bridges when he won, so we do not treat him as such.

Another great example of this is the uprisings in Egypt, Libya and the Ukraine. In all of these nations, people have risen up and destroyed their governing bodies, after weeks if not months of guerrilla tactics. This is evident in Libya, where the groups, which any western nation or nation in their right mind would call terrorists, rose up and destroyed the regime. However, because they didn't openly offend/threaten/anger the west when they did this, and the Dictator they rose up against was just that, the west did nothing to hinder them, and actually helped.

TL;DR What makes you a terrorist isn't what your ideals are, it's:
A) Who you anger/don't anger when you are committing the terrorist acts.
B) Who you're rising up against.
C) Which side the nation you live in now was on in said uprising.

[DeadEyes]

The definition is within the word itself.