Reply #15: that's not really the point.... [View All]

[mike_c]

Terrorism is a tactic used by the powerless to fight the powerful, usually against overwhelming odds. Objectifying people as "terrorists" quite handily makes them our enemies and ignores their complaints. I would argue that the vast majority of people who engage in terror tactics would much rather be doing something else with their lives than dying for a cause, even one they see as just. So sure, "terrorists" exist, but I say that there are very few of them in any real sense, i.e. people who are really psychopathic mass murderers simply looking for justification to kill. Let me reverse the question-- does anyone really "hate us for our freedom?" Some likely do. Enough to constitute a genuine threat? I doubt it.

Note that all this talk about terrorism really began after 9/11. But what really changed on 9/11? Nothing. A ravenous horde of terrorist bogeymen did not suddenly arise on 9/11. A small group of dedicated men took advantage of openness in American society to mount a novel attack and they succeeded. End of event. We are not at war with a bunch of "terrorists" and we never have been-- the "war on terror" is a scam. I think we should stop talking about "terrorism" and start talking about what the US does to piss people off sufficiently that they're willing to give up their lives fighting us and our interests.