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no symbolic target, no representation

Reader comment on item: Nidal Hasan – Initial Thoughts on the Ft. Hood Jihadi
in response to reader comment: Identification of Terrorism Is Productive

Submitted by myth (Germany), Nov 20, 2009 at 03:10

Jim, the USA does not spend a multi-bullion budget on a military that is a club of symbolic targets. They are the real thing, these people are part of the military that fight wars now. One way of showing this is the uniform. Here in Germany you get the point, the US-Airforce visible up in the air, largest US-military hospital in Landstuhl which is not for symbolic casualties at all. The US military does not represent American power, they *are* the American power. Let agree with Dr Pipes: a soldier is a military target, consequently "terror" is not the right word to use. Regardless of the 109 definitions, the goal of violent "terror-type" attacks is to attack people without being discriminate and by doing so intimidate everyone. An attack on a soldier does not serve this purpose for it creates the impression in civilian people they are not potential targets.

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Reader comments (8) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
"For Hood" Terrorism or a spark to ignite it? [74 words]CJ OlsenNov 29, 2009 16:44165184
Nidal Hasan – Initial Thoughts on the Ft. Hood Jihadi [84 words]buoyancy aidsNov 20, 2009 05:43164789
A Criminal Traitor with Terrorist Sympathies [167 words]Mike FontaneNov 18, 2009 19:21164733
Identification of Terrorism Is Productive [225 words]Jim WoodsNov 17, 2009 10:03164671
no symbolic target, no representation [150 words]mythNov 20, 2009 03:10164671
neither terrorism nor murder [96 words]AaronNov 16, 2009 08:30164631
Aaron is right [20 words]JohnNov 18, 2009 19:28164631
extreme sabotage [36 words]mythNov 20, 2009 03:17164631

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