6 ms·

Couldn't agree more. The Syrian rebels are a loosely associated group with several elements who are radical Islamist and Al Qaeda. This could have easily been t

by eeky 13y ago

Couldn't agree more. The Syrian rebels are a loosely associated group with several elements who are radical Islamist and Al Qaeda. This could have easily been titled "DIY Terrorism".

pyre 13y ago
But is it really terrorism at this point? It's a civil war. Just because some groups that use terrorism to further their goals are participating doesn't make it any less of a war. If the residents of New York City rebelled, and managed to take control of 2/3rds of the city, that would be a civil war (or at least I would classify it as such), even if Al Qaeda showed up to participate.
- msandford 13y ago
  Yeah but you don't get to classify it, those in power do. And it'd likely be classified as terrorism.
- quantumpotato_ 13y ago
  Does the word "terrorism" have a solid definition, or is it "I'll know it when I see it"?
  - grecy 13y ago
    More like "I'll use the terrorism label when it's to my advantage"
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > But is it really terrorism at this point? It's a civil war. Civil war distinguishes context of conflict independent of methods, terrorism distinguishes methods of conflict indepedent of context; they aren't mutually exclusive categories.
- chongli 13y ago
  But is it really terrorism at this point? One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. History is written by the victors. Language designed to engender support for one opinion or another; propaganda. That's all this crap is.
  - darkarmani 13y ago
    > One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. History is written by the victors. So the Kurds in Northern Iraq that got gassed by Saddam were terrorists? The VC won in Vietnam. Were we the terrorists there? Chiang Kai-shek?
    - chongli 13y ago
      I'm not espousing this opinion, it's an (admittedly cynical) commentary on the use of the word terrorist in the media.
pessimizer 13y ago
Equally inaccurately, though. Both "freedom fighters" and "terrorists" are marketing terms. "Rebel" is accurate since they're fighting the government; that's definitely a rebellion.

by eeky 13y ago

Couldn't agree more. The Syrian rebels are a loosely associated group with several elements who are radical Islamist and Al Qaeda. This could have easily been titled "DIY Terrorism".

pyre 13y ago

But is it really terrorism at this point? It's a civil war. Just because some groups that use terrorism to further their goals are participating doesn't make it any less of a war. If the residents of New York City rebelled, and managed to take control of 2/3rds of the city, that would be a civil war (or at least I would classify it as such), even if Al Qaeda showed up to participate.

msandford 13y ago
Yeah but you don't get to classify it, those in power do. And it'd likely be classified as terrorism.
quantumpotato_ 13y ago
Does the word "terrorism" have a solid definition, or is it "I'll know it when I see it"?
- grecy 13y ago
  More like "I'll use the terrorism label when it's to my advantage"
dragonwriter 13y ago
> But is it really terrorism at this point? It's a civil war. Civil war distinguishes context of conflict independent of methods, terrorism distinguishes methods of conflict indepedent of context; they aren't mutually exclusive categories.
chongli 13y ago
But is it really terrorism at this point? One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. History is written by the victors. Language designed to engender support for one opinion or another; propaganda. That's all this crap is.
- darkarmani 13y ago
  > One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. History is written by the victors. So the Kurds in Northern Iraq that got gassed by Saddam were terrorists? The VC won in Vietnam. Were we the terrorists there? Chiang Kai-shek?
  - chongli 13y ago
    I'm not espousing this opinion, it's an (admittedly cynical) commentary on the use of the word terrorist in the media.

pessimizer 13y ago

Equally inaccurately, though. Both "freedom fighters" and "terrorists" are marketing terms. "Rebel" is accurate since they're fighting the government; that's definitely a rebellion.