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One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.

Do you agree with the statement?

  • Yes

    Votes: 23 57.5%

  • No

    Votes: 17 42.5%
  • Total voters
    40
winston53660 said:
A freedom fighter using terrorism, he/she is still a terrorist.
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I think that you are seeing the two as mutually exclusive. What would preclude a freedom fighter from using terroristic tactics?
 
winston53660 said:
I think they know the act is used to inspire terror in the civilian populace.
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But without the terror in the civilian populace there is no terrorist.

Terror is a reaction from the victimized. If you are not terrorized by the event, i.e. those who know it was coming; collaborators, then you are more likely to see him as a freedom fighter.

Goobieman said:
How many terrorists are actually fighting for freedom?
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Depends on whether you believe i can read minds or not.
 
I'll say no. But it depends on the situation. And it can be viewed objectively.

There are situations, where both sides could be terrorists fighting each other. In other words, the end goal of both sides is to subjugate and take control over the other side, and place them under their rule. And there are situations where a recognized tyrannical government is fighting with a tyrannical terrorist group. In these situations, there are no freedom fighters, as neither side is fighting for freedom.

However there are situations where one side is fighting to free people, from tyranny or terrorists, and the other side is fighting to retain its power and control over the populace. Thus the former are freedom fighters. The other side may or may not be terrorists. Recognized uniformed militaries are not terrorists and do not fit the definition. So warfare in and of its self should not be viewed as "freedom fighters vs. terrorists", when it can be viewed through the scope of two militaries fighting each other.

I always ask myself, "Is this group fighting to free people so that they may choose their representatives in government, or are they fighting to retain or obtain power over the people?" If I can answer yes to the former, they are freedom fighters IMO, and if I answer yes to the latter, they are not.
 
If firefighters fight fire and crime fighters fight crime, what do freedom fighters fight? :2razz:
 
Arch Enemy said:
Depends on whether you believe i can read minds or not.
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I dont think you have to read minds to answer the question -- all you really need is the stated objective of the terrorist and the impetus behind same.
 
winston53660 said:
A freedom fighter using terrorism, he/she is still a terrorist.
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Right.. No one has claimed otherwise. It all depends on where you are standing. Palestinian suicide bombers are freedom fighters to their people. They are terrorists to the Israelis.
 
Goobieman said:
I dont think you have to read minds to answer the question -- all you really need is the stated objective of the terrorist and the impetus behind same.
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What I'm trying to say is.

I have no idea. I am estimating that there is a larger majority that sees America as the terrorist nation in the War on Terrorism.. but I cannot even begin to produce any sort of real numbers here.
 
EgoffTib said:
Right.. No one has claimed otherwise. It all depends on where you are standing. Palestinian suicide bombers are freedom fighters to their people. They are terrorists to the Israelis.
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But... are Hamas/Hezbollah actually fighting for freedom?
For whom? Defined how?
 
EgoffTib said:
How would anyone here know?
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As I said...
All you really need is the stated objective of the terrorist and the impetus behind same.

AlQuaeda: Fighting for freedom?
 
Arch Enemy said:
What I'm trying to say is.

I have no idea. I am estimating that there is a larger majority that sees America as the terrorist nation in the War on Terrorism.. but I cannot even begin to produce any sort of real numbers here.
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Well in 06 in a worldwide poll, US seen as a bigger threat to peace than Iran especially in war on terror.
 
Goobieman said:
As I said...
All you really need is the stated objective of the terrorist and the impetus behind same.

AlQuaeda: Fighting for freedom?
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Not if your entire family was blown up by a bomb that was dropped from an American warplane.
 
bhkad said:
Basic knowledge of their ideology will do the trick.
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Not at all. Environmental factors play just as big of a role. Do you think the Palestinians would be suicide bombing people randomly if they had their own land to live peacefully in? Actually, I don't want you, specifically, to answer that question.
 
bhkad said:
Go back to Goobieman's original statement.
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They want to be free from western involvement in their affairs. It doesn't have to be complete freedom like we enjoy.
 
EgoffTib said:
They wish to end Israeli occupation in what they deem to be their land. So, "yes".
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So... is freedom, defined as 'the removal of Israel from all of Palestine',ACTUAL freedom, or just their convenient defintion thereof?

That is, are Hamas/Hezbollah planning to replace Israel with free, open societies and governments, where the people are free to act as they please, so long as they do not infringe on others, all while protected from arbitrary and capricious acts by their government?
 
independent_thinker2002 said:
They want to be free from western involvement in their affairs. It doesn't have to be complete freedom like we enjoy.
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BBC NEWS | Americas | Most Muslims 'desire democracy'

"Muslims want self-determination, but not an American-imposed and defined democracy. They don't want secularism or theocracy," said the professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown University in Washington.

"What the majority wants is democracy with religious values."
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The freedom the west is used to isn't what everyone wants.
 
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