What is an act of Terrorism?

[ElectionsGuy]

While we're talking about ISIS, the religion of Islam, and so on in the media, I thought I would bring up this topic.

The definition of terrorism is this - The use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims, according to Google. But there are no settled official definitions. People throw around the word terrorist all the time. The Islam-phobes say every time a Muslim commits an act of violence that it is a terrorist attack on X country. However, many atrocities that are similar to the Oklahoma beheading when a white person does it and religion was never involved are never mentioned as terrorism, just lunatics and crazy people. I wanted to clear up this double standard that many people seem to use. So what's in your words the definition of terrorism? For me it is the use (or attempt of the use) of violence against humanity for a general purpose. That's quite broad, and would include many cases. All in all there is actually more anti-government, racist, reactionary, and radical left wing terrorists in the US than there are "Jihadists" or Muslim terrorists.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I don't think "terrorism" is really a useful word, all said. At this point, I am concerned that it has too much baggage to be repurposed from its current use as a vague signifier of undesirable elements.

[Indy Texas]

I would say that you need to meet at least three tests:

(1) Was the action committed with the promotion of a political goal in mind?
(2) Was the action committed by a non-state actor?
(3) Were the targets civilians?

[Del Tachi]

I would say that you need to meet at least three tests:

(1) Was the action committed with the promotion of a political goal in mind?
(2) Was the action committed by a non-state actor?
(3) Were the targets civilians?

Yeah, this seems pretty-much on point.

[OAM]

With my historical background, I'm quite a fan of the original meaning, but do recognize that it's next to impossible to survive intact.  I'm still a big fan of sticking to the root of the word, though, terror, and thus the key factor is the intent to cause fear or terror in the pursuit of whatever goal is in mind.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

An undefined act the gummit slaps on someone whenever they feel like it.

[Paul Kemp]

This thread.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I would say that you need to meet at least three tests:

(1) Was the action committed with the promotion of a political goal in mind?
(2) Was the action committed by a non-state actor?
(3) Were the targets civilians?

By that definition neither the USS Cole bombing in 2000 nor the Beirut barracks bombings in 1983 were acts of terrorism.

Strictly speaking, neither was the Oklahoma City bombing in '95, since the U.S. government was the intended target.

[Indy Texas]

I would say that you need to meet at least three tests:

(1) Was the action committed with the promotion of a political goal in mind?
(2) Was the action committed by a non-state actor?
(3) Were the targets civilians?

By that definition neither the USS Cole bombing in 2000 nor the Beirut barracks bombings in 1983 were acts of terrorism.

Strictly speaking, neither was the Oklahoma City bombing in '95, since the U.S. government was the intended target.

I wouldn't consider them terrorist attacks. If you carry a gun and wear a uniform on behalf of a state military, you're fair game, as far as I'm concerned. Those were acts of war. They weren't terror attacks. There is a large moral gap between blowing up a barracks full of heavily armed soldiers who expect to kill and possibly be killed in course and scope of their jobs, and blowing up a subway or a pizza parlor or an office building.

[Bigby]

Anything you don't like.

[The Mikado]

The definition nowadays seems to be something like "violence by a non-state actor using out-of-uniform combatants aimed at civilians."  I'm not really comfortable with ISIS as a terrorist group because they are only nominally a non-state actor and they have uniformed (of a kind) soldiers.  They are a rebel army a la FARC or other insurgencies.

[Black Panther]

The real act of terrorism is WHITE CAPITALISTS in this country DESTROYING AND MURDERING innocents abroad to further their WHITE SUPREMACIST DESIRE FOR MONEY. The real terrorists are those WHITE CAPITALISTS (SUCH AS THE TEA PARTY, KOCH BROTHERS, AND BILL GATES) who are COMPLETE PYSCHOPATHS and enjoy watching the working class and AFRICAN AMERICANS BURN.

Don't worry slave owning white supremacist plutocrats, you will get yours. Some day the oppressed proletariat of this goddamn racist country will rise up and DESTROY YOU AND YOUR GODDAMN MONEY AND CLASS BASED SYSTEM OF RACIAL GENOCIDE.

[ElectionsGuy]

The real act of terrorism is WHITE CAPITALISTS in this country DESTROYING AND MURDERING innocents abroad to further their WHITE SUPREMACIST DESIRE FOR MONEY. The real terrorists are those WHITE CAPITALISTS (SUCH AS THE TEA PARTY, KOCH BROTHERS, AND BILL GATES) who are COMPLETE PYSCHOPATHS and enjoy watching the working class and AFRICAN AMERICANS BURN.

Don't worry slave owning white supremacist plutocrats, you will get yours. Some day the oppressed proletariat of this goddamn racist country will rise up and DESTROY YOU AND YOUR GODDAMN MONEY AND CLASS BASED SYSTEM OF RACIAL GENOCIDE.

Hi, nice to meet you.

[New_Conservative]

I would say that you need to meet at least three tests:

(1) Was the action committed with the promotion of a political goal in mind?
(2) Was the action committed by a non-state actor?
(3) Were the targets civilians?