| Product: |
Terrorism |
| Date: |
26/04/01 (76 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Sometimes it is the only way to fight back.
Disadvantages: The innocent suffer.
As much as I hate the thought of writing a non-conformist opinion that might be viewed as a load of old hippy-crap (and I really don't like all that hippy crap) I'm going to write one anyway...
This is a really difficult one, because how does one define a terrorist? Of all the terrorist groups out there, there really aren't many that you could really say aren't fighting for a legitimate cause (or at least some of their number are fighting for a legitimate cause).
What separates a terrorist from a freedom fighter? what makes a cause 'just'?
Of course none of those questions can really be answered - but I think that it is something that needs thinking about. It seems to me that the only thing that separates the two is perception - Do we perceive those little guys with age-old guns fighting an evil empire belonging to an unfriendly country to be doing the 'right' thing.
Whilst violence and slaying of innocent civilians can never be condoned I have to say that I do sympathise deeply with some of these groups. I especially sympathise with the Palestinians and I find it very hard to condemn some of the tactics used by extremists fighting for freedom against Israel. Yes - they are harming innocent people who aren't really their true enemies, but they lack the resources to really go up against Israeli tanks, helicopters etc.
For some, terrorism is the only way that they can really fight back.
Whether that is right or wrong is not for me to say... but I can see how some view it as they only way to escape the oppression that they are suffering.
This country along with many others have actively supported groups that could be considered to be terrorist groups. Kosovo would be a good example... it seems that we condone terrorism when it suits us. I'm not saying that it is necessarily wrong to do that, but again, it makes you think doesn't it?
We (meaning the west)
often support terrorist groups that fight our 'enemies' (as is common for any country) but we are unwilling to back anyone with a similar grievance who might be looking to fight one of our 'friends'.
I wonder how many of us might resort to the gun and the bomb if a strange and unfriendly nation were to park itself on this Island and force us all out of our homes. Would those of us that did be entirely wrong to kill these invaders to try and regain our homes and drive them out of our land?
It's a very sensitive issue. Of course it is wrong to kill people - especially the innocent, but I cannot fully condemn terrorism without knowing that I would never resort to it myself...
Summary:
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Last comments:
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- 09/06/01 Correct, give teh palestinians as much Military aid as Isreal and then, like teh Isrealis they will be an Army not a band of terrorists. The only difference between an army and a terrorist cell is bugetary. |
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- 27/04/01 I happen to agree with you Mick, I'm just trying to see it from both sides.
I think that their argument would be that they are fighting a war and in any war innocent people are going to get hurt. Of the groups that directly aim for soft targets - civilians rather than military - I think that most would say that they have no chance of inflicting serious damage upon a heavily armed military and the only way they can make any sort of difference is to instil fear into the civilian population hoping that they will exert influence over their leaders... |
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- 26/04/01 While I understand what you are trying to say I could'nt disagree more. There can never be any justification for killing and maiming innocent people and children under any circumstances. If these freedom fighters as you call them have a genuine grievence they should target their oppressors
not innocent people that have nothing to do with their problems. |
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