Smoke of Terror

"The Terrorists want to kill us."
"The Terrorists are planning new attacks."
"The Terrorists committed an act of terrorism."
These things are all, by way of definitions, true. They're also practically meaningless and useless.

"Terrorist" has been so overused as to become meaningless. You might as well be saying "They" instead.

Yes, terrorists, by the definition of "terrorist," want to kill people. Terrorists, by the definition of "terrorist," plan attacks. Terrorists, by the definition of "terrorist" commit acts of terrorism.

As far as I can tell, sentences that include the phrase "The terrorists" have no practical value whatsoever. Who, exactly, are you talking about?

If you can't give us a name, at least be a little more specific. At least a group, maybe, like "Members of Al-Qaida want to kill us," or a genera, like "Suicide bombers are planning attacks" might be a little more useful.

The definite article is equally spurious. The terrorists. "The" terrorists. "Terrorists" is an indefinite and fluid group. We wouldn't say "The writers are writing books," because it's self-evident. Why would we say an equally self evident "The terrorists want to attack us."?

Of course the terrorists are planning to attack -- that's what makes them terrorists. It's not like an ethnic group. It's not something they just *are*. It's something they *decide* to be. The million dollar question is who has made that decision. Until you know that, you know nothing at all, and until the answer is "nobody", you have accomplished nothing.

It's not something that people buy a membership to, or an ideology they claim (like Nazism, for instance), or even anything specific that they do (the term encompasses, among other things, suicide bombers, hijackers and gunmen).

A terrorist is anybody who decides or is persuaded to commit an act of terrorism. Our goal, then, if we want to defeat the tactic of terrorism, should be to reduce the number of terrorists. And as far as I can tell, there are two possibilities:
1. Monitor everybody's thoughts, so that we can kill everybody who makes that decision or
2. Do what is necessary to convince people not to become terrorists.

I can't tell you exactly how to do those things. Scare the shit out of people? Leave everyone else alone so they don't care about us one way or the other? I don't know.

The word is designed to evoke a gut reaction, but it has no productive meaning.

The second you mention "The Terrorists®" in a conversation, I no longer take you seriously, because as well-intentioned as you may be, when you use that phrase, you're not really saying everything. Intentionally or by accident, you're using fear as a smokescreen to dodge the very real problems that face us.

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