NSA Staffer: Snowden Didn't Dupe Coworkers Out of Passwords

[reACTIONary]

199. You are etitled to your opinion, and...

...the surveillance may eventually be declared unconstitutional, but having been authorized by law, having received appropriations from congress to pay for it, and having reported regularly to the congressional oversight committee, I don't understand how the program could be considered a "crime" that was "perpetrated" by the NSA.

Of course, discretion and judgment and are required in any criminal justice matter - that's why we have "judges". Nonetheless, it seems to me that terrorism occupies a fairly well defined place in the justice system.

Terrorism is a public attack that is meant to instill fear in a populace for political or ideological reasons. It has been used in that sense since the late 1800's when bombing attacks by "anarchists" first became prevalent. The KKK's attacks on the black population are another early example.

Characterizing the attack on Gabby Giffords as terrorism doesn't seem appropriate to me. I don't think the motive (if a schizophrenic can even be considered to having a motive) fits with the idea of advancing a political cause or ideology.

The public, indiscriminate nature of the attack and, in particular, the motivation is what differentiates terrorism from other similar crimes. That seems to be a reasonable differentiator to me.