Terrorism is not warfare [View all]

[Harmony Blue]

It is clear that DU is sharply divided lately and I figure I would toss my hat in the ring.

Let me point out that the greek word for Terrorism is "traumacrates". Basically the goal of one labeled as a traumacrates is to instill maximum trauma as possible. For what gain?

This is where people have different defintions of terrorism and the mass disagreement comes in. From my view, it is to try to enact political change or political pressure for a cause or highlight a political movement to the forefront.

Someonw will ask the obvious....don't freedom fighters fall under this category or guerrilas? Indeed, but a terrorist doesn't specifically target enemy combatants most of the time, but civilians to maximize terror (and they are an easier target). Thus, terrorists are not really combatants. Terrorists can target enemy combatants, but if most of their acts are carried out against civilian populations or civilian buildings what they are doing is not warfare, but a crime.

Terrorism isn't assymetrical warfare when civlians are the target and they can't fight back against such crimes. Mass shooting in the U.S. are not labeled terrorism but crimes. The U.S. doesn't label these mass killers as terrorists or enemies of the state.

"The war on terror" is a phrase is used to conflate crime with combat and that is why this is scary to me as a citizen of the United States. When you blur the line like that you are inviting trouble. This is why so many on DU were against Bush labeling terrorists as enemy combatants, and now we see that the Obama adminstration has foolishly gone the same path. Kerry had it right long ago, and I stand by his take on this.