by awwrthgkejfdefibmfgif May 5, 2009
Acts, primarily violent or destructive,
intended to engage international media and achieve one or both of the following goals:
1) Create a politically useful climate of fear, uncertainty, and mass panic
2) Exact revenge on an opponent that cannot be harmed via traditional means of warfare due to power imbalances
Terrorism does not necessarily result in the loss of human life, but often does.
The history of political violence that can be described as "terrorism" can be tracked as both a media phenomenon and the use of a potent tool of manipulation by parties of widely varying motiviation, such as religious extremism, national liberation, and attempts to foment coups. Some acts of terrorism are committed by what are termed 'hate groups' against their target of choice.
Examples of terrorism include bombings in Ireland and Israel, the 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington DC, and the 1946 bombing of the King David hotel by Jewish Extremists attempting to advance creation of the Israeli state by ousting British influence.
intended to engage international media and achieve one or both of the following goals:
1) Create a politically useful climate of fear, uncertainty, and mass panic
2) Exact revenge on an opponent that cannot be harmed via traditional means of warfare due to power imbalances
Terrorism does not necessarily result in the loss of human life, but often does.
The history of political violence that can be described as "terrorism" can be tracked as both a media phenomenon and the use of a potent tool of manipulation by parties of widely varying motiviation, such as religious extremism, national liberation, and attempts to foment coups. Some acts of terrorism are committed by what are termed 'hate groups' against their target of choice.
Examples of terrorism include bombings in Ireland and Israel, the 2001 attacks on New York City and Washington DC, and the 1946 bombing of the King David hotel by Jewish Extremists attempting to advance creation of the Israeli state by ousting British influence.
"All attempts to destroy democracy by terrorism will fail. It must be business as usual." - Margaret Thatcher
by T.D. January 20, 2003
A violent act to be carried out for religious and/or political reasons. The government usually uses terrorism to cause fear of the populace to take away civil liberties even create false terror or even fund certain radical terrorist factions to instigate terror attacks to create a panic atmosphere. Also the terrorism label gets applied to those that don't always agree with the policies of the government.
Fear creates more fear and causes people to agree to almost anything even policies declared immoral. Fear is the tool that radicals use to take over countries even violate the Constitution. The whole point of terrorism is to instigate fear and terror in the heart of the citizenry.
by uswgo September 17, 2011
A synthesis of war and theater. Use of media sensationalization and redundancy combined with hostile tactics which generally violate all of the Geneva Conventions to instill fear among a given population.
Fox news always has a new terrorism "threat" we all have to look out for. The more stories about these "threats", the more the enemy wins. The media is the terrorist's stage.
by Endakol June 3, 2010
by poiuy December 14, 2005
U.S. foriegn policy. For some reason we American seem to think that terrorism was invented on Sept. 11th, but it has been business as usual for the U.S. government for the last century.
by Zak November 15, 2003
Terrorism can be perfrom by anyone. For example threatening to punch a guy in the face if he doesn't give you five dollars count as terrorism, but don't tell Bush
by Tonio31 September 1, 2006