[WikiEN-l] Let's roll! (was: Sep 11)

Fri Jan 16 17:19:20 UTC 2004

John asked, somewhat plaintively, "Does terrorism only occur if it's NOT
directed against Americans or Israelis?"

This is a good question, and we should develop an article to answer this
question. As a start, let's consider what the definition of terrorism
is, or list multiple definition.

"Violence directed against civilians"

Ah, but what about the bombings of Coventry or Dresden?

"Not an act of a state"

Ah, but what about state-supported terrorism?

"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"

Hmm. Maybe the issue is "injustice". 

That is, X will label a given act of violence against civilians
"terrorist" if he considers it unjust. Like, how dare those bastards
bulldoze this Arab man's house?

Meanwhile, Y might say that the same act is not terrorist, because he
does NOT consider it unjust. Like, we were destroying tunnels used to
smuggle weapons, etc.

Same logic applies to blowing up a bus or pizzeria. My side calls it an
act of war, a blow against oppression (i.e., justifiable). Your side
calls it cowardly, unjust, etc.

It all boils down to the point of view of the person classifying the
act. So let's identify the POV and its advocate. *yawn* case closed. Not
too hard, eh?

Ed Poor, aka Uncle Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: John C. Penta [mailto:pentaj2 at UofS.edu] 
Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 12:07 PM
To: English Wikipedia
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Sep 11

----- Original Message -----
From: Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net>
Date: Friday, January 16, 2004 5:13 am
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Sep 11

> Ray Saintonge wrote:
> >Daniel Mayer wrote:
> >> by definition governments cannot commit terrorism.
> >
> >We are far from unanimity about that element in the definition.
> 
> Granted this part of the definition is disputed (I would not
> characterize the 
> dispute the way you do - IMO it is not as disputed as you let on), 
> but the 
> intent to cause terror in a civilian population is not. Nor is the 
> fact that 
> few people in the English-speaking world call the 9/11 attacks 
> terrorist acts 
> (what English speakers say is relevant to naming conventions). 

OK, this makes me sick.

If 9/11 wasn't terrorism, WHAT IS? Does terrorism only occur if it's NOT
directed against Americans or Israelis?

What the hell is wrong with you people?

> >Terrorism by government is no less atrocious.  Destroying the
> >homes of innocent Palestinians is done with the intent of 
> >terrorizing them even when the troops are careful to make 
> >sure that there is no-one in the house when it is blown-up.
> 
> This is a practice I find abhorrent but I would not call it
> terrorism (esp 
> when it directed at people who somehow aided suicide bombers or 
> were the 
> family of the suicide bombers - terrorism is directed toward a 
> much larger 
> population which causes general fear for *everybody* in that 
> population).

<growls> Must we bring the Palestinians into EVERYTHING?

> >Of course, a country that depends on the application of massive
> >force to achieve victory finds it difficult to comprehend why 
> small
> >groups of people would ever want to continue to use their meagre
> >weapons to secure their freedom..  Perhaps the way to prevent 
> >them from engaging in terrorist acts would be to give them 
> >something to lose. 
> 
> No argument from me here. The U.S. could save billions on military
> spending 
> and terrorism security if they invested in ways to stomp-out the 
> root causes 
> of terrorism - poverty and its close cousin ignorance. 

    Somehow I doubt a middle-class twenty-something, or a middle-class
mom-turned-suicide-bomber, is really hit by poverty or ignorance.

    Try another one.

> >Ahh! then our common name naming convention depends on who
> >is taking the "terrorist" action.  
> 
> No - it depends on how English speakers use the English language.

    Precisely.

Now, pardon me while I vomit at this unique expression of human
foolishness.

John

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