Boston Marathon: Is terrorism ever justified?

[MrGongGong]

I'm not attempting to obfuscate or to remove blame from certain terrorist groups or individuals. Rather the opposite. I think in order to get anywhere thinking about and finding a way past terrorism the binary them (fanatics) / us (democracies) needs to be constantly challenged.

Absolutely
Which sadly won't happen again :sadface:
If you express that opinion you now get the "so you are saying that it's OK to bomb little children then ?" :steam:
Some of this stuff seems so "blindingly obvious" that I'm often amazed that our so called "leaders" trot out the same nonsense expecting us to believe it :yikes:

Our society rewards some who commit what might be termed "terrorist acts" ...... we legitimise the same behaviour by allowing some (Israel being the obvious example) to carry on committing it yet threaten others with invasion and military occupation. What radicalises people is the blatant hypocrisy and inconsistency, our own society is largely based on an ideology that had many of its followers killed for their beliefs ..... one might learn something from that ? But I doubt it

Having guns for sale in the corner shop doesn't help either .......

[MrGongGong]

:ok: You've answered the exam question. I agree with you. Acts of terrorism are never justified. :ok:

Indeed
So we maybe shouldn't have a statue to "Bomber" Harris then ?
Or is that different ?

[Beef Oven]

Absolutely
Which sadly won't happen again :sadface:
If you express that opinion you now get the "so you are saying that it's OK to bomb little children then ?" :steam:
Some of this stuff seems so "blindingly obvious" that I'm often amazed that our so called "leaders" trot out the same nonsense expecting us to believe it :yikes:

Our society rewards some who commit what might be termed "terrorist acts" ...... we legitimise the same behaviour by allowing some (Israel being the obvious example) to carry on committing it yet threaten others with invasion and military occupation. What radicalises people is the blatant hypocrisy and inconsistency, our own society is largely based on an ideology that had many of its followers killed for their beliefs ..... one might learn something from that ? But I doubt it

Having guns for sale in the corner shop doesn't help either .......

You're preaching to the converted, we need someone to post that terrorism is justifiable, instead of us showing outrage and agreeing that terrorism is never justifiable.

I guess I set the OP up wrong. :sadface:

[Beef Oven]

I suppose we can all agree that acts like the bombings yesterday in the USA and Iraq should not happen in a civilised world, and that it's necessary to understand why they happen if there's to be any chance of stopping them from happening. Does characterising people as "savages" help in that process?

:ok: Scotty is simply not trying hard enough to constantly challenge the binary them (fanatics) / us (democracies), which is the main issue arising out of yesterday's events in Boston. Using the term 'savage' simply takes us backwards.

[Beef Oven]

Indeed
So we maybe shouldn't have a statue to "Bomber" Harris then ?
Or is that different ?

That statue is, in my opinion, a national disgrace. Answer your question Gongs?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

hmmm ... it is usually better to let the facts come out before going into evaluation and analysis ...

the tragedy runs more cruelly than at first reported - apparently the race was dedicated to the victims and their families from the Newtown shootings ... some were taking part others watching ... at least none of them were harmed ...

[Julien Sorel]

:ok: Scotty is simply not trying hard enough to constantly challenge the binary them (fanatics) / us (democracies), which is the main issue arising out of yesterday's events in Boston. Using the term 'savage' simply takes us backwards.

You didn't ask "could the bombing of the Boston Marathon ever be justified?" You referred to "yesterday's events" then asked a more general question. No one as far as I'm aware knows what "the main issue arising out of yesterday's events in Boston" is because no one knows who was responsible for them or what (in their mind / s) justification / s they might give for them.

If you wanted a thread condemning what happened in Boston why didn't you start one?

[eighthobstruction]

Well what about the 'terrorism' in Syria by Anti-Regime rebels in a 'seeming' civil-war situation....What about Sunni on Shia terrorism in Iraq....???

....

[Beef Oven]

You didn't ask "could the bombing of the Boston Marathon ever be justified?" You referred to "yesterday's events" then asked a more general question. No one as far as I'm aware knows what "the main issue arising out of yesterday's events in Boston" is because no one knows who was responsible for them or what justification / s they might give for them.

If you wanted a thread condemning what happened happened in Boston why didn't you start one?

I started a thread to ask if 'terrorism was ever justified'.

[scottycelt]

:ok: Scotty is simply not trying hard enough to constantly challenge the binary them (fanatics) / us (democracies), which is the main issue arising out of yesterday's events in Boston. Using the term 'savage' simply takes us backwards.

Nonsense, Beefy. It's the truth. They (those responsible) are savages (uncivilised), whoever they are ... or whether they are 'them' or 'us'.

No cause justifies such savagery.

[aeolium]

Yes, calum, and maybe discussion of yesterday's tragedy is too painful for some. One of our posters, marthe, lives near Boston and mentioned the coming marathon in a post just recently:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?337-Stormy-Weather/page784

I very much hope that she and her family have not been touched too nearly by what happened.

[Beef Oven]

Nonsense, Beefy. It's the truth. They (those responsible) are savages (uncivilised), whoever they are ... or whether they are 'them' or 'us'.

No cause justifies such savagery.

On reflection Scotty, I agree with you. The thread-question is a simple one and it's been answered. And happily, we are all in agreement. Terrorism is never justifiable. :ok:

[Julien Sorel]

No cause justifies such savagery.

Nobody has disagreed. Once you've said that, though, where do you go from there? Reprisals if it's a group (if it is)? Pass new laws? Invade another country? It doesn't help because it isn't correct to see terrorism as something they do to us. But that's how terrorism is generally represented by us, and criticism of that representation is treated as justifying terrorism / savagery. And the impasse and the violence continue. I wish we were consistent in opposing terrorism.

[Beef Oven]

Nobody has disagreed. Once you've said that, though, where do you go from there? Reprisals if it's a group (if it is)? Pass new laws? Invade another country? It doesn't help because it isn't correct to see terrorism as something they do to us. But that's how terrorism is generally represented by us, and criticism of is treated as justifying terrorism / savagery. And the impasse and the violence continue.

Yup, we are all in agreement. And invading other countries is wrong, there must always be a better way. But we're getting a bit off-topic.

[MrGongGong]

That statue is, in my opinion, a national disgrace. Answer your question Gongs?

Answer your question PLEASE ?

I don't think we should have a statue NO

and terrorist acts are wrong regardless of who is the perpetrator
(shooting innocent people on the tube, blowing up bandsmen etc etc )