I was watching Talkback live a few days ago and on the show they were discussing a new documentary on the more human side of Adolph Hitler, before his rise to power of course. During the show the conservative side, who happened to be a blond, bone-thin, middle aged woman mentioned in her brief declaration of the situation that "Hitler was an awful terrorist." Upon hearing these words I immediately thought to myself that she was a puppet of the mass media, and that the mere word terrorist does not do justice to the genocide committed. I have to get this off of my chest and hear your opinions. A rough guess would guage the death count of terrorism since its humble beginnings decades ago to be in the range of around six or seven thousand people. I'm not sure how many people died by the hand of Hitler or died trying to stop him, but I'd put the number around five million (a very, very conservative guess) Clearly this woman would not have called Hitler a terrorist had the 9/11 attacks never occured, proof of the amazing hype CNN/AOL and other agencies blind tv-watching americans with (who knows, I may be one of them) Terrorists generally fight their battles through what might be considered guerilla combat at the most, while Hitler conquered most of Europe at the height of his power with a massive army. Thus, the description is again very false. With this woman's description of Hitler, it seems the outspoken conservatives of the world at least in some cases enjoy making incredible fools out of themselves, gorging and vomitting out the propaganda they influence and market. Some conservatives I just can't stand....I wish I could debate with this conservitave demagogue but I don't even know her name. Croicky.
Hitler My reply to that is; "A PIG IN A DRESS IS STILL A PIG!" bobPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I'd like to change your conservative deaths during WWII. Canadian deaths - 50,000 American deaths - 500,000 French deaths - 820,000 Japanese - 2,000,000 Polish deaths - 6,850,000 German deaths - 7,050,000 Chinese deaths - 11,324,000 Soviet deaths - 21,300,000 Total (all nations are not included in the preceeding numbers) - 56,125,000+ And (roughly) 6 million of those alone were Jews in concentration camps. And the comment is stupid at the definition of the word 'terrorism'. Terrorism is basically unlawful use of violence by a person or group against, generally, another social group or a government. War is quite different.
So does this mean that we're in general agreement on the basis that this conservative incorrectly classified Hitler as a terrorist?
Being, of course, the lawful use of violence against another social group or a government. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! It's splitting hairs as far as we "peaceniks" are concerned. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Peace. __________________ Youth is the first victim of war - the first fruit of peace. It takes 20 years or more of peace to make a man; it takes only 20 seconds of war to destroy him. -- King Boudewijn I, King of Belgium (1934-1993)
"Being, of course, the lawful use of violence against another social group or a government." Yes, yes that would be the key difference. Except a war should never be against a social group. War in the sense we're using it means a state of arm-bearing fight between two nations, states or parties. Terrorism generally deals with one small group of individuals attacking a united nation, state or party.
Are You a Terrorist ? "The legal definition of "terrorism" is crucial because the USA PATRIOT act gives law enforcement broad new powers to be used against "terrorist" individuals and groups. The American Civil Liberties Union (10/23/01) warns that this new definition will "sweep in people who engage in acts of political protest" if those acts could be deemed dangerous to human life. Actions that damage property or endanger people were already illegal-reclassifying these offenses as "terrorist" while removing judicial checks on law enforcement is a recipe for the political prosecution of dissent. Also at risk under the new law is anyone who so much as provides lodging to a "terrorist." If you let an activist sleep on your couch while they're in town for a protest, and they're later arrested for some risky civil disobedience, you could be charged with "harboring a terrorist," a new crime that can land you in jail for 10 years. Given that the FBI has tried to tar peaceful U.S. activists as terrorists well before September 11, such scenarios aren't far-fetched. Globalization activists in particular have been singled out for surveillance and infiltration over the last few years. Last May, in testimony before Congress about the "Threat of Terrorism to the United States," FBI Director Louis Freeh named "left-wing extremist groups" such as Reclaim the Streets-a group that organizes street parties-as "a potential threat" (In These Times, 8/28/01)." http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Terrorism/Are_You_Terrorist.html http://www.montanaforum.com/rednews/2002/07/18/build/freedoms/defineterror.php?nnn=6 http://www.hippy.freeserve.co.uk/ukstarch.htm *if i tell charlie that i am gonna stomp him into the pavement, is that a terrorist threat? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Terrorism has long been a useful term for the state. Recently, the state has widened its applications so that nearly anything can be considered terrorism. New brands of terrorism have emerged such as eco-terrorism and cyber-terrorism. The FBI has labeled anti-globalization groups and others like the ELF and ALF “special interest extremists? The legal definition of terrorism is broadening in many states and countries (for example, the new British terrorism law). Here in San Francisco, simply putting up posters lead to a felony charge and be labeled as a terrorist threat. At the same time the military is expanding its use further and further into domestic affairs here in the US. The typical media image of terrorism is not limited to the usual racist anti Arab hype but now it is just as often the enemy within: the Eugene anarchists, the Unabomber, Timothy Mc Veigh. The division between spheres of control is changing: foreign affairs are treated as domestic and domestic affairs are treated as foreign. Hence the labeling of wars as police actions. The U.S. military's spheres of control encompass situations as varied as the Kosovo war and local anti-globalization protests: rubber bullets in Seattle and uranium shells in Kosovo. The military is finding crisis everywhere" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Immigration and Nationality Act defines terrorist activity to mean: any activity which is unlawful under the laws of the place where it is committed (or which, if committed in the United States, would be unlawful under the laws of the United States or any State) and which involves any of the following: (I) The high jacking or sabotage of any conveyance (including an aircraft, vessel, or vehicle). (II) The seizing or detaining, and threatening to kill, injure, or continue to detain, another individual in order to compel a third person (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the individual seized or detained. (III) A violent attack upon an internationally protected person (as defined in section 1116(b)(4) of title 18, United States Code) or upon the liberty of such a person. (IV) An assassination. (V) The use of any- (a) biological agent, chemical agent, or nuclear weapon or device, or (b) explosive or firearm (other than for mere personal monetary gain), with intent to endanger, directly or indirectly, the safety of one or more individuals or to cause substantial damage to property. (VI) A threat, attempt, or conspiracy to do any of the foregoing. (iii) The term "engage in terrorist activity" means to commit, in an individual capacity or as a member of an organization, an act of terrorist activity or an act which the actor knows, or reasonably should know, affords material support to any individual, organization, or government in conducting a terrorist activity at any time, including any of the following acts: (I) The preparation or planning of a terrorist activity. (II) The gathering of information on potential targets for terrorist activity. (III) The providing of any type of material support, including a safe house, transportation, communications, funds, false documentation or identification, weapons, explosives, or training, to any individual the actor knows or has reason to believe has committed or plans to commit a terrorist activity. (IV) The soliciting of funds or other things of value for terrorist activity or for any terrorist organization. (V) The solicitation of any individual for membership in a terrorist organization, terrorist government, or to engage in a terrorist activity." http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2001/5258.htm
How can you fight terrorism? Find out what the word means. Not go to work. Not continue living on normally. No. Know what the word meant, I might say, before 9/11/01, then ensure that you classify the proper people with the title. I drew a conclusion about the media today in spanish class, of all places. Racism, on any channel on tv (presumably) is discouraged to the extremes. At one time I watched Katie Couric interview the man who educated another man that dragged a black man down a road on a pickup truck. Amongst many things, she didn't thank him for coming. So, you'd figure that racism wouldn't be as prevalent as it is today, particularly to muslims? Well then there's something wrong. People are getting these ideas somehow, through their peers, their parents, relatives, whatever--but most of all, ironically, they're getting it from the media itself, drawing ludicrous conclusions from what they watch on tv and what they read in the paper. I don't know if any of you remember, but on the day of the 'attacks' as they're affectionately called--or the day after--there was a brief smidgen of a report on how mosque's were being burned or vandalized in the midwest (I think). This sort of behavior continues to this day with not only muslisms but all races and classes of society. Even a little is too much. It all comes from one source, the very source of this among many other problems. The media. Your media. Their media. Incorrect conclusions are being drawn day after day (says jokingly: possibly even by myself!) by people all over the world. We're hearing only one version of what's happening around the world, what one person or a group of people think is important, which one could generally concede are bad things (i.e a joke somewhere having Rumsfeld say "I don't know where, when, or how, but something BAD's gonna happen!"). How to we solve this problem? Beats me. Any ideasPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
