4 ms·
I hate to split hairs like this, but terrorism is pretty well defined: > ter·ror·ism: > The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civi
by mariusor 1y ago
I hate to split hairs like this, but terrorism is pretty well defined:
> ter·ror·ism:
> The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians,
> in the pursuit of political goals.
Irrespective anyone's sympathies for those goals, the facts are the facts and the actions are the actions.
- vFunct 1y agoIf it were well defined, there wouldn't be any debate on it. And no one is interested in your designated definition. The only valid definition is: "terrorism is anything I don't like" This is why Republicans called it a "terrorist fist bump"
- mariusor 1y agoIt's not "my designated" definition. It's the one in the dictionary. And my implication was that even when I or you agree with the goals of an organization, when what they're doing is "terrorizing" people, then they are terrorists. I know it's uncomfortable to think that we might side with the terrorists, god knows we've been conditioned by countless hours in counter-strike to think they're the bad guys, but sometimes that's what we feel, and we should make peace with that. It's OK to agree with the goals, but disagree with the means.
- vFunct 1y ago[flagged]
- bbg2401 1y agoMassacres are legitimate military tactics? Do military tactics include atrocities?
- TFYS 1y ago[flagged]
- tomhow 1y agoPlease don't comment in the flamewar style on Hacker news. We want HN to be a place where people can discuss difficult topics, but that requires people to heed the guidelines and comment respectfully. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- HDThoreaun 1y agoThere isnt a debate. Hamas is a terrorist organization.
- vFunct 1y agoAgain,, please don’t normalize the US government’s viewpoint. The vast majority of the world says they’re freedom fighters.
- etblg 1y agoWouldn't that definition then include, say, riot police at any protest, or USA in the Iraq war, or say, Israel when they bomb homes in Gaza? That's a definition that seems like it would fit an incredible number of uses of violence.
- mariusor 1y ago> That's a definition that seems like it would fit an incredible number of uses of violence. Indeed.