Defining Terrorism

[Urbane Guerrilla]

A widely accepted definition is that it is violence directed at the general population to effect a sociopolitical change.

One thing the terrorists never manage to figure out is that it's a method that never wins, particularly if the targeted population is motivated to resist. That is why the Palestinian blood feud with the Israelis will never make progress: the Israelis are even tougher, and better motivated, than they are.

See also Mike German's Thinking Like A Terrorist for some illuminating study. Terrorist movements and groups are all remarkably similar in their fundamentals.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

One thing the terrorists never manage to figure out is that it's a method that never wins, particularly if the targeted population is motivated to resist. That is why the Palestinian blood feud with the Israelis will never make progress: the Israelis are even tougher, and better motivated, than they are.

What about all the Israeli terrorist groups like Lehi and Irgun in the 1930's and 1940's?

You can't call the Israeli's tougher because the Palestinians are in a much worse condition. It is like when one guy can run two miles with no weight on his back while another can't with 200 lbs on his back and then you call the first guy tougher. They are in different postions so don't put them on the level.