Concerning the Mandela tribute Terrorism takes on a life of it's own in the hand of the one's doing the killing. Some would argue the American Revolution was the action of violent terrorists. Nelson Mandela for some, is labeled a violent terrorist. It's how you view the man's impact , or the Revolution's impact. One man's terrorist is another man's underground guerrilla or freedom fighter. I view Nelson Mandela's legacy, which proves for me and others, that what he did was righteous. if you want to call for this man to be a terrorist, or other righteous revolutions than you must call any government with an army terrorists as well. so what is terrorism to you?
It is a great question and one after a decade we dont seem any closer to answering. For mine, I would suggest someone fighting to restrict the right to self determination is a terrorist. Someone fighting to gain the right of self determination is a kin to those who fought the American War of Independence.
Yeah and obviously it is not always a hard and fast rule. Example in Syria. Who exactly are the good guys. It seems looking in from the outside we have one bunch of despots trying to oust another bunch of despots. Reminds me of an interview with a Soviet veteran speaking about WW2. Russians had the choice between a lunatic that spoke Russian and one that did not. We chose the one who spoke Russian
If you're the one in power it is 'terrorism'. If you are the one being oppressed, it is 'freedom fighter'. 'Freedom Fighter' CAN be a misnomer because I can't think of a less oppressed group of people anywhere in the history of the world than the pre-Revolution colonists. Hell, those boys thought they were being oppressed because the Brits wanted to be paid for protecting their heinies from Indian raids. Poor babies.
I had an Iraqi tell me the other day that the nerve gas was done by the Saudis. They want The regime out cause this regime protects Christians and are fighting al Queda and other Islamists. Serioulsy, Saddam protected christians…any christian Iraqi will attest to this…and yet we killed him… same in Syria…are we doing this for oil…Saudi oil... - - - Updated - - - so true… the one in power gets to tell which point of history is factual and how we interpret history. the thread is about just that..who gets to call who a terrorist.
would this include collateral damage from a righteous government trying to make right an evil situation. There is much evil this world and sometimes with modern weapons non combatants die by mistake.
but the person's political aims isn't necessarily the goal. someone has to push the war machine button when the world is outraged. they might get political credit for being the one to push the button.. but in the end unless we live in a draconian dictatorship, it's the people's outrage and the world community that forces the politician's hand.
collateral damage happens. as long as they did their best to avoid collateral damage, its okee with me
I say evil actions of evil people but its subjective as one mans terrorist is another's freedom fighter. A Palestinian commits a suicide attack on a bus in Israel because his settlement was razed to the ground by Israel and some of his family killed while resisting. Who would be the terrorist? The Palestinian or the Israelis? The answer to that question is subject to the perspective of the individual.
Well Israel has for ever and ever tried to stop people from attacking them. sometimes when attacked they have not retaliated . and attacked again and done nothing…then it's ok lets hit them with the big stick. Living in Israel has become a whack a mole game… do you realize how long it takes to fly a jet fighter through israel….minutes…the whole country can be attacked in seconds… america it's like 5 hours. for them 20 seconds and a huge chunk of them is under jet fighter attack or missile attack… Palestine needs to back the ef off ...
Terrorism is to me at least.....the purposeful attempt to create great fear in the population. This may involve destruction and death, it may simply be creating terror through deception, it might be some nut job raping women in his neighborhood.
I agree. Was just playing devils advocate to give some perspective. I remember Hezbollah doing everything they could to disrupt peace talks in the 90's between Arafat & Clinton.
So as long as terrorists "do their best" to avoid "collateral damage" (read innocent people), it's all kosher, even if their best sucks?
Terrorists inherently create collateral damage.....thus they are terrorists. Attacking those expecting it is war....attacking the unsuspecting creates terror.
Totally circular statement. Besides which, you implicitly state here that any person or organization that creates collateral damage is a terrorist. Not that I disagree, the purpose here is to define terrorism, and you said what it means to you. Oh, so prior notice is what makes the difference?
I think Terrorism is just a word to be used politically. Nelson Mandela was an armed insurgency against the government he lived in. The Haganah , Jewish armed organization attacking the British in Palestine ,were one and the same. Governments at different times labels both terrorists and now praise them as glorious freedom fighter for democracy and liberty and peace. Ronald Reagan deemed Mandela a terrorist and was adamant to maintain apartheid.. whats up with that eh?! lol.. So it's a word and the bearer of the word seems to go from murder to fighter of liberty and democracy and peace.. it's odd how one kid on ctv news in a school in Toronto now named for Nelson Mandela mentioned he was a man of peace and never hurt anyone. so i adore Mandela . I really do , but lets not make him into a Gandhi.. He had to fight for what he help bring about and he used terror to do it. He was jailed for being a terrorist and is now hailed around the world as a hero extrodinaire. which i fully attest to. Even the Dali Lama wants to be there to honour him..china is making it difficult for him to gain entry and get a visa..lol..cranky ole China.. But the Dali Lama abhors violence, allowed China to pluck Tibet for their own ..and somehow he is praising the Nelson Mandela.. I think we all are being manipulated and we live in a 1984 Orwellian World, where history gets changed and one must comply or lose social grace.
Terrorism is a tactic to induce fear in a civilian population thru violence which may or may not include intentional killing of civilians. Both the good guys and the bad guys use terror as a tactic, scaring the crap out of the percieved "enemy". You think carpet bombing hanoi or tokyo or dresden werent terror attacks? Or how about the Maquis blowing up a nazi troop train? What about "shock and awe"? Anyone living thru that little operation on the ground probably needed a few rolls of toilet paper. The US drone campaign sure as hell scares the crap outta both the targets and the "innocent civilians" they live amongst. Terrorism is not evil. Its merely a tactic of war utilized by all, but its usually the victors that get to call the losers terrorists. BTW. Mandela's greatness was that he used terror to fight against what I think everyone would agree was an outrageous injustice, never waivered in his determination for that justice and when his movement's primary goal was achieved, eschewed violence for unity, revenge for forgiveness, bitterness for hope. Few humans are capable of such growth.
