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Terrorism and activism are both political, but I wouldn't call terror attacks activism. They have different means and execution, even if they both strive for po
by king_jester 14y ago
Terrorism and activism are both political, but I wouldn't call terror attacks activism. They have different means and execution, even if they both strive for political change. Not that this distinction is helped by how politicians love to paint activists as terrorists for political purposes.
- aes256 14y agoOED defines activism as: "The policy of active participation or engagement in a particular sphere of activity; spec. the use of vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change." Most contemporary terrorists (Islamic extremism being the most salient example) are not terrorizing people for the fun of it. They want to bring about political or social change. The 9/11 terrorists objected to U.S. foreign policy, specifically its support for Israel and continued presence in Saudi Arabia. Terror is just a campaigning tool. I don't think politicians are too far off the mark when they describe certain contemporary activists as terrorists. As I say, it's a very thin line, and plenty of contemporary activists resort to terror tactics.