stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark
What is terrorism and how did it start.

Terrorism orgin:

Well the word "terrorism" is French and comes from the word "terrorisme" which means( to cause to tremble) the time that The French revolution got started.

Terrorism today:

Well today we define terrorism as some mad men blowing their self up or just blowing up people for a cause they believe so strongly in. For example some believe the U.S.A are trying to be the king of the world and controlling it. Then they believe, that this is such a huge issue, that they have to show the U.S.A is quite feeble. So they blow innocent people up to show their opinion. This is one form of terrorism.

But when are you a terrorist:

Like take a country that has a dictator which is running the country very unfairly, or a foreign military power, that has invaded the country for several reasons. Like the time when WW2 existed. A lot of people became freedom fighters to take the invading military power down. They were in the eyes of the invading power terrorists, rebels or saboteurs, when they attacked the force. But surely they were in the eyes of the people heroes. But I have been told as long a group of freedom figthers or saboteurs are attacking and killing "non-innocent" people, then they can not be called terrorists. This is simply impossible.

The situation in Afghanistan.

The time when this country was having its problems with the Soviet Union , and it trying to conquer this country, a lot of us know, that in some way it was a struggle between the U.S.A and The Soviet Union to show who was the headmaster of the world. The  U.S.A condemned the fight, and said the Afghan Mujahideen" The fighting force for Afghanistan" were freedom fighters, and had every right to push the foreign force out of their country. Ofcource the U.S.A helped, because they were trying to make the Soviet Union look weak.
Now the U.S.A is in Afghanistan and President Bush says, that when they attack U.S forces, then they are automatically labeled as terrorists. But somehow this can not be true, because the U.S is not innocent.
They are a military force. The Afghans can be called rebels, but it is untrue to call them terrorists, if they are not attacking unarmed men and women.

Is it okay to be a freedom fighter or a terrorist?

Well is it. In my opinion a freedom fighter is more than okay if the power that controls the country is in anyway trying to harm the population. Well the U.S has stated, that they are in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect and help the people to a new start. So you can clearly say, that their statement is not in anyway directly hurting the country like the Nazi forces were doing. But when we come to a terrorist it really can not be okay to sacrifice the lives of innocent people for something you want to be fulfilled. It is barbaric and clearly very selfish. But okay in anyway if you are unsatisfied with your countries government, then try doing something about it the diplomatic way, but if the government is so cruel and evil and unfair, then freedom fighters and saboteurs should be okay, but only as a last resort.


There may be additions.

Last edited by stef10 (2006-09-21 12:11:41)

Rosse_modest
Member
+76|7022|Antwerp, Flanders

stef10 wrote:

What is terrorism and how did it start.

Terrorism orgin:

Well the word "terrorism" is French and comes from the word "terrorism" which means( to cause to tremble) the time that The French revolution got started.
Terrorism cannot possibly be a French word. You missed an e at the end. Terrorisme.

That's all I'm going to say about this post. My eyes, head and neck hurt so I really don't feel like reading on. I need a massage, now where is that Marla Sokoloff when you need her?

Last edited by Rosse_modest (2006-09-21 10:22:06)

stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark
But you are welcome to read later on, when your pain is gone.
I would be grateful, if you could come with a comment.
weird-kid
Member
+2|6823|Middlesbrough, England
A very good post, I would agree with most of what you said, but....
If someone is funding world terrorism from their home country, then those countries which have been attacked seek out this terrorism funding person in their home land, the terrorists are still terrorist, just because they are defending themselves doesn't make them rebels.
stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark
Please highlight the place so I can look further into it.
Twist
Too old to be doing this sh*t
+103|6769|Little blue planet, milky way
Dude...

It TOTALLY depends on your definition of terrorism.
YOU define terrorism as the act of blowing stuff up. In that definition, I guess demolition people count aswell ?

But the dictionary (depending on which one you use ofcourse) define terrorism loosely as the act of causing unrest or terror in a populace by actions either direct or covert.

Note the the use of explosives is not a requirement for being a "terrorist". In point of fact, a hijacker is also a terrorist. A cyberpunk disabling the traffic lights in new Jersey via his computer can be considered a terrorist under this definition.

Now as for your inability to tell the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist, there is a MAJOR difference. One that you more or less pointed out yourself.
A freedom fighter is fighting against oppression in his own country. A terrorist may be doing the same, but NOT be limited to his own country. Now how to tell the two apart when they're BOTH operating in their own country is also not that hard. The freedom fighter will fight the oppressors in any way or means possible (ie, he will target military personel, buildings, infrastructure etc.). Whereas the terrorist will try to cause unrest to the extent where the POPULACE (not just the soldiers) gets unhappy, or feel insecure.

The entire POINT of terrorism is that NOONE gets to feel safe. The teeorist need not have any motivation beyond causing havoc. And this is why you hear the phrase "if I dont go do this or that, then the terrorists win". Once you are scared of going out of your own home, the teeorist has succeeeded in their goal.
The freedom fighter will try for something totally opposite, but using the same means. His goal is to ensure that people feel safe from the oppressors.

I have total respect for the mujahadin who fought the russians. I have respect for the iraqis who fought the american soldiers when they invaded. I have respect for the french who resisted the germans, or for the americans who rose up against the English king. All of these people fought against military targets, trying to free themselves from oppression, and in the stated examples they even succeded.
But I have NO repsect for people mindlessly killing and destroying non-military targets, causing babies to get no food, mothers to die of thirst, fathers to get blown up, shot, hung or similarly killed, sons to flee to other countries, or daughters to have to cover at home in fear of their lives.

Any soldier will tell you that their job is NOT a safe one, no matter where they are. And even more so if they are a military force acting to impose rules, laws or olitics on people who may not unilaterally think the views iumposed on them is the right one. Even the US constitution hold to the right for citizens to rise against their goverment and replace it. I respect that right. In some cases, I may not AGREE with it... But I respect it.

BTW: this is the definition from websters:

Main Entry: ter·ror·ism
Pronunciation: 'ter-&r-"i-z&m
Function: noun
1 : the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion
2 : violent and intimidating gang activity <street terrorism> —ter·ror·ist /-ist/ adj or noun —ter·ror·is·tic /"ter-&r-'is-tik/ adjective

Last edited by Twist (2006-09-21 12:21:12)

weird-kid
Member
+2|6823|Middlesbrough, England

stef10 wrote:

Please highlight the place so I can look further into it.
It was a fabricated scenario. But it could be compared to the situation in Afghanistan, where Bin-Laden is supposedly residing (I know he is originally from Saudi). He without doubt funding the 9/11 attacks, now the west, both US and EU forces, are actively seeking him out to be tried in a court of law.
You would suggest the Taliban are rebels for hiding/defending him, because they are in their own country and the west are now the aggressors.

Did I misunderstand you?
stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark
Well a freedom fighter may not under any circumstances hurt civilians, for then he is a terrorist.
It is that simple. But I agree, that the understanding of terrorism is very big.
Because the founders of the word really have not made it black and white and also through time people have understood it in different ways.

Last edited by stef10 (2006-09-21 12:25:30)

stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark

weird-kid wrote:

stef10 wrote:

Please highlight the place so I can look further into it.
It was a fabricated scenario. But it could be compared to the situation in Afghanistan, where Bin-Laden is supposedly residing (I know he is originally from Saudi). He without doubt funding the 9/11 attacks, now the west, both US and EU forces, are actively seeking him out to be tried in a court of law.
You would suggest the Taliban are rebels for hiding/defending him, because they are in their own country and the west are now the aggressors.

Did I misunderstand you?
Well that is pretty hard to tell since Taliban and Al Quaida are actually the same.
But Taliban are not rebels, because they are hurting the Afghan people so they are terrorists.
They have spread fear and destruction for several years and not only destroying government assets which would have made them rebels/freedom fighters.

Last edited by stef10 (2006-09-21 12:34:16)

KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,979|6878|949

First off we need to define terrorism.  Here is a definition that I can go with - Use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons (American Heritage Dictionary)

One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist is one of the most bullshit rationalizations I have ever heard.  Terrorists attack or threaten attack more for the psychological value than to actually initiate political/economical change.  "Freedom fighters" don't attack civilians, only the occupying force (at least to get the label "Freedom Fighter" from me).

Terrorism didn't miraculously come about during the French Revolution, I am quite sure it was around many moons before that.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq - fighting an (from my point of view) imperialist occupying force using unconventional means = rebels

Al-Qaeda in Iraq - Blowing up mosques/kidnapping Iraqi police forces = terrorists

Al-Qaeda elsewhere - blowing up embassies and buildings, hurting truly innocent civilians = terrorists

The unfortunate reality is that these two factions are seen as one, so we automatically call any non-conventional attack in Iraq a terrorist attack.

Interesting that you include a little synopsis of Afghanistan in there.  In 1989, when the Soviets wanted Afghanistan as a soviet satellite, the United States gave weapons, cash, and training to the mujahadeen to help "the cause."  Fast forward 20 years later, and one main leader of that "cause" is now blowing up things around the world for his own bizarre views, while the son of one of the main people who supplied "the cause" is trying to kill that man.  Naw, humans are not fucked up at all.
stef10
Member
+173|6728|Denmark
Well you can not be a rebel or terrorist at the same time in the same country.
But in my opinion Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization, because they do not only choose to fight governments and military forces, but also to harm people.

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