infinitys_7th
Member
Terrorism is the act of advancing an ideology by inciting fear through violence.
It's a straightforward definition that labels a violent action based on its context to differentiate it from other violent actions.
For example, if a bank robber shoots five people, is he a terrorist? He incited fear in the people around him and in those he shot, but he has no ideological motive. Therefore, he is not a terrorist.
For example, if a man carries out a mass shooting for no reason beyond seeking a thrill, is he a terrorist? By the previously described logic, no.
If a man has an ideological belief that abortion is evil and burns down an abortion clinic as a result, is he a terrorist? Yes, because his actions have an ideological context.
If a man has an ideological belief that abortion is evil and randomly robs and kills another man who happens to be an abortionist, is this terrorism? No, because there is no ideological context.
So why is there a push to conflate all these scenarios? We already have an all-inclusive banner for them all - crime. Terrorism is a subset of crime.
It's a straightforward definition that labels a violent action based on its context to differentiate it from other violent actions.
For example, if a bank robber shoots five people, is he a terrorist? He incited fear in the people around him and in those he shot, but he has no ideological motive. Therefore, he is not a terrorist.
For example, if a man carries out a mass shooting for no reason beyond seeking a thrill, is he a terrorist? By the previously described logic, no.
If a man has an ideological belief that abortion is evil and burns down an abortion clinic as a result, is he a terrorist? Yes, because his actions have an ideological context.
If a man has an ideological belief that abortion is evil and randomly robs and kills another man who happens to be an abortionist, is this terrorism? No, because there is no ideological context.
So why is there a push to conflate all these scenarios? We already have an all-inclusive banner for them all - crime. Terrorism is a subset of crime.