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Thread: What is Terrorism?

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    What is Terrorism?

    What defines terrorism? When we have a school shooter we just call it a mass shooting. We never call it terrorism. Likewise if we have a public mass shooting we still just call it a mass shooting. We refrain from calling it an act of terrorism.

    Also we have gang members, as well as groups such as the Klan. These groups of people can very well bring terror to many people including their cities, and throughout society in general. These groups can inspire fear. In the case of gang members they kill people in droves, and it is never referred to as terrorism. It is simply called gang violence. For example Chicago is almost as bad as the Middle East the death toll is staggering. In our very own nation we have a war zone. The only difference between Chicago and the Middle East is that they are not using rocket launchers and bombs.

    I am wondering why our Nation and our Media are refraining from calling acts of terror in our nation acts of terror? We only seem to ascribe the term terrorism to acts that are backed by radical ideology, or religiously inspired acts of terrorism.

    I think an act of terror is terrorism. Terrorism is an act of terror inflicted by a person or a group on any other person or persons.

    I think those who shoot up schools inspire terror in their victims. Not only in the people who were directly involved and were the victims. But it inspires terror in the entire nation. Children are afraid to go to school, parents are afraid to send their kids to school, and if you go to school you don't know if you will come home that day. This is terrorism. Because of terrorism our nation has become an unsafe place, people are afraid and uneasy.

    I also believe public mass shootings, or those who drive cars into crowds, any act against the public, are also terrorism. This instills a long lasting fear and terror in the hearts of the people of the nation. People are afraid they do not know if they go to the store, or if they go through the McDonalds drive through, if they will come home that day.

    There are many forms of terrorism in our nation. We also have incidents in Arizona where we have serial shooters, we never call it terrorism, we always call it "serial shooter". But this is terrorism. I lived in Arizona at a time where there was one of those serial shooters, I can tell you it does inspire terror and fear in the entire population. I myself still went on walks but they were not relaxed walks it was walking around with suspicion. Every car that seemed to drive a little too slow could be the shooter. Any strange person standing somewhere could be the shooter. It is always in the back of your mind. It could be anyone. This is inspiring terror in the population.

    Then there is a subject that I don't even want to talk about but will briefly mention is people like pedophiles. These people are also terrorists. They are preying on the innocent. They inspire fear in our entire nation. These people have made it so that you children cannot play in public with the freedom that they once had. They inspire fear in everyone.

    There are many forms of terrorism happening in our nation. I am wondering why we don't call it for what it is? An act of terror is an act of terror, and these acts are becoming the norm in our nation. Is this what we have come to? It seems that sickness has slowly consumed us so deeply that we don't even notice just how bad it has gotten. We are not the peaceful nation we once were. We are becoming a nation of fear.
    Last edited by Just AnotherPerson; 09-17-2018 at 03:34 PM.
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    Terrorism is violence against civilians with the intention of creating fear to further a political goal.

    Mass shootings can be terrorism, but unless there is a political motivation it's typically not called terrorism.

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    Terrorism is the use of violence against civilians for political purposes.

    Most mass shooters have psychological issues, not political issues. Gangs aren't political. Klan violence? W. Kamau Bell, "The United Shades of America," interviewed the Klan, they're a joke nowadays.

    The law in these parts changed threat, say to hit someone, to a terroristic threat. Sounds ominous.
    Last edited by Chris; 09-17-2018 at 04:12 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just AnotherPerson View Post
    There are many forms of terrorism happening in our nation. I am wondering why we don't call it for what it is? An act of terror is an act of terror, and these acts are becoming the norm in our nation. Is this what we have come to? It seems that sickness has slowly consumed us so deeply that we don't even notice just how bad it has gotten. We are not the peaceful nation we once were. We are becoming a nation of fear.
    For the same reason Obama could never say Muslim Extremists. For me terrorism is an act to scare your enemy. Most of the things you are saying are acts of insanity. There's no difference in the damage but there is in the purpose.

    You are nervous about going for walk because of terrorism. You're not afraid of what happens in Chicago because it is a Chicago thing that won't happen to you or to me. I an more concerned about road rage than gang killings. It's human nature.
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    @Chris, @Common Sense

    Well, I do know that is the definition, but we ascribe the term terrorism even when it is just radical religion based terror. If a person with a religions ideal blows up a building as a suicide bomber we call them a terrorist even if it was not politically motivated.

    I think we need to redefine the term. It has taken on new meaning.

    Terrorism any act that inspires terror or fear in a person or group of people or community, or a nation, or the world. Terror is terror. That is just my opinion though, and I think something worth thinking about.
    Last edited by Just AnotherPerson; 09-17-2018 at 04:01 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Terrorism is the use of violence against civilians for political purposes.

    Most mass shooters have psychological issues, not political issues. Gangs aren't political. Klan violence? W. Kamau Bell, "The United Shades of America," interviewed the Klan, they're a joke nowadays.

    The law in these parts changes threat, say to hit someone, to a terroristic threat. Sounds ominous.
    The last Klan rally we had there were 27 people in it. 11 of them were probably FBI agents.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just AnotherPerson View Post
    Well, I do know that is the definition, but we ascribe the term terrorism even when it is just radical religion based terror. If a person with a religions ideal blows up a building as a suicide bomber we call them a terrorist even if it was not politically motivated.

    I think we need to redefine the term. It has taken on new meaning.

    Terrorism any act that inspires terror or fear in a person or group of people or community, or a nation, or the world. Terror is terror. That is just my opinion though, and I think something worth thinking about.
    Religion based terror is still political in nature. They are trying to gain political power. Gangs are just killing to make money, directly or indirectly.
    Liberals are a clear and present danger to our nation
    Pick your enemies carefully.






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    Quote Originally Posted by Just AnotherPerson View Post
    @Chris, @Common Sense

    Well, I do know that is the definition, but we ascribe the term terrorism even when it is just radical religion based terror. If a person with a religions ideal blows up a building as a suicide bomber we call them a terrorist even if it was not politically motivated.

    I think we need to redefine the term. It has taken on new meaning.

    Terrorism any act that inspires terror or fear in a person or group of people or community, or a nation, or the world. Terror is terror. That is just my opinion though, and I think something worth thinking about.

    I don't see acts by the like of Al Queda and such as religious acts but political ones. Terrorists hide behind religion for political purposes.
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    Here is a link I just found it is pretty good.

    http://www.terrorism-research.com/

    Excerpt:

    The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as
    "the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological."
    Within this definition, there are three key elements - violence, fear, and intimidation - and each element produces terror in its victims. The
    FBI
    uses this definition:
    "Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."
    The U.S. Department of State defines terrorism to be
    "premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience"
    .

    Outside the United States Government, there are greater variations in what features of terrorism are emphasized in definitions. The United Nations produced the following definition of terrorism in 1992;
    "An anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets."
    The most commonly accepted academic definition starts with the U.N. definition quoted above, and adds two sentences totalling another 77 words on the end; containing such verbose concepts as "message generators" and "violence based communication processes". Less specific and considerably less verbose, the British Government definition of terrorism from 1974 is
    "...the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear."


    Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim
    . The strategy of terrorists is to commit acts of violence that draws the attention of the local populace, the government, and the world to their cause. The terrorists plan their attack to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that symbolize what they oppose. The effectiveness of the terrorist act lies not in the act itself, but in the public's or government's reaction to the act. For example, in 1972 at the Munich Olympics, the Black September Organization killed 11 Israelis. The Israelis were the immediate victims. But the true target was the estimated 1 billion people watching the televised event.
    Those billion people watching were to be introduced to fear - which is terrorism's ultimate goal.
    The introduction of this fear can be from the threat of physical harm/a grizzly death, financial terrorism from the fear of losing money or negative effects on the economy, cyber terrorism harming the critical technological infrastructures of society and psychological terrorism designed to influence people's behaviour. Terrorism is designed to produce an overreaction and anecdotally, it succeeds at that almost all the time. Societies tend to close themselves off and governments use tactics that restrict and infringe upon everyone.
    Last edited by Just AnotherPerson; 09-17-2018 at 04:32 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    I don't see acts by the like of Al Queda and such as religious acts but political ones. Terrorists hide behind religion for political purposes.
    Not sure there is a clear distinction in Islam.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


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