It’s amazing how much damage Bin Laden did to America by killing what traffic does in a few weeks (or toddlers with guns in a decade). Trillions in debt, scared shitless and divided like never before.
That was his entire goal. He was very smart and knew those attacks would trigger the mania it spawned, pushing American culture down the path it ultimately took.
Brits have been using it that way for centuries. Go dig through papers from the 1800s, you’ll find them describing anyone resisting their colonialism as “terrorists”. Legally, the US is working from the exact same definition that British common law uses.
That makes sense, since, as far as i can tell, the U.S. seems to be a modern hybrid of the British empire which spawned it and the German war machine it assimilated into itself about 80 years ago.
When I was young, an age ago, the word terrorist had a specific meaning, which was someone committing shocking acts to strike fear and hysteria into the general public and thereby influence society and policy.
Then 9/11 happened and although the 19 attackers were most definitely terrorists by the old definition, somehow the definition drifted until it meant “inhuman opponent against whom we are justified to suspend the rules and respond in any way we want to.”
Ironically, this usage itself is designed to inspire fear and keep people from looking too closely at what’s happening. “Oh no! Terrorists! Fine! Just kill them! Keep us safe!” Using people’s fear to justify whatever our military and government want to do comes ominously close to the old definition of terrorism.
Is “terrorist” their new code word for “I don’t like this”
That’s the way it’s been used in the US since 9/11/2001. Not sure about other places.
It’s amazing how much damage Bin Laden did to America by killing what traffic does in a few weeks (or toddlers with guns in a decade). Trillions in debt, scared shitless and divided like never before.
chef’s kiss
That was his entire goal. He was very smart and knew those attacks would trigger the mania it spawned, pushing American culture down the path it ultimately took.
Brits have been using it that way for centuries. Go dig through papers from the 1800s, you’ll find them describing anyone resisting their colonialism as “terrorists”. Legally, the US is working from the exact same definition that British common law uses.
That makes sense, since, as far as i can tell, the U.S. seems to be a modern hybrid of the British empire which spawned it and the German war machine it assimilated into itself about 80 years ago.
When I was young, an age ago, the word terrorist had a specific meaning, which was someone committing shocking acts to strike fear and hysteria into the general public and thereby influence society and policy.
Then 9/11 happened and although the 19 attackers were most definitely terrorists by the old definition, somehow the definition drifted until it meant “inhuman opponent against whom we are justified to suspend the rules and respond in any way we want to.”
Ironically, this usage itself is designed to inspire fear and keep people from looking too closely at what’s happening. “Oh no! Terrorists! Fine! Just kill them! Keep us safe!” Using people’s fear to justify whatever our military and government want to do comes ominously close to the old definition of terrorism.
New?