Politicization of the term

Because there is no single accepted definition of "terrorism," there is a tendency to use the term only when politically convenient. Hence, the term "terrorist" is heavily politicized, especially since the September 11th attacks. The actual definition of terrorism is not as much debated as which parties and which acts of violence are to be labeled "terrorist."

Noam Chomsky, a prominent historian and linguist at MIT, states that "the term 'terrorism' is used, standardly, to refer to the terrorism that they carry out against us, whoever 'we' happen to be. Even the worst mass murderers—the Nazis for example—adopted this practice." "Since the rich and powerful set the terms for discussion, the term 'terrorism' is restricted, in practice, to the terror that affects the US and its clients and allies."

In his polemic 9-11, Chomsky says "[the] wanton killing of innocent civilians is terrorism, not a war against terrorism." In reference to the violence by the United States, called "counter-terrorism" or the "War on Terrorism," he refers to the fact that state powers use the same methods—torture, bombings, etc—which are also "terrorism".

Chomsky and others argue that "terrorism" is used not to describe a type of behavior, but as a label to demonize a perceived enemy in terms that promote and moral repulsion and outrage. In post-9/11 Western society, the terms "terrorism" and "terrorist" are used so frequently as to lose any distinction with other political terms. They may even be used (within contexts) as 'polite' or 'acceptable' racial or political euphemisms for "Arabs" or "Muslims," and any violence associated with them. Accurate or not, the label of 'terrorism' is a powerful political weapon for marginalizing or invalidating various political factions, even extending to non-violent groups, or related groups detached from violent factions. Because it is impossible to define the term "terrorism" in any neutral or objective way, the term "terrorism" is inherently and inescapably political in nature —always defined and used politically. Just as "history is written by the victors," it is the dominant society who dictates to history which particular acts of violence will or will not be labeled as "terrorism."

Active vocabulary

TEXT A

1. universally accepted definition

2. a philosophy of coordinated violence

3. an established social order

4. to be inflicted by

5. to intimidate or coerce a government

6. illegitimate use of force

7. to gain a political or tactical advantage

8. to provoke fear and intimidation

9. to attract wide publicity

10. to cause public shock, outrage, and/or fear

11. to exterminate

12. a subsequent destabilization of the economy

13. to be classed as commit terrorism

14. ethnic cleansing

15. commit racial hate crimes or gay-bashing

16. often-random choice of targets

17. politically convenient

TEXT B

1. rightist and leftist objectives;

2. to wit­ness great changes;

3. practice terrorism;

4. to adopt terrorism as virtually a state policy;

5. to be picked at random;

6. public im­pact;

7. lethality

8. a contested homeland;

9. communi­cations media;

10. to happen into terrorist situa­tion;

11. grievances;

12. psychological warfare;

13. unpredictable violence;

14. electrically detonated explosives;

15. to view something as religious heresy;

16. perpetration of hoaxes;

17. in the latter half of the 19^th century;

TEXT C

1. ultra-right wing nationalist philosophies

2. violence upon a national population

3. to terrorize

4. a contest between two sides

5. in the international domain

6. to act on behalf of

7. on the basis of mutually interests

8. beneficiary terrorist organization

9. non-conventional escalation

10. within the scope of

11. universal social phenomenon

12. to fall into certain categories

13. extrajudicial execution

14. proxy regimes

15. to have inappropriate influence over the judiciary

16. to be victimized as criminals

17. indigenous peoples

18. to make presumption

19. to become more pervasive in all areas or human endeavor

20. to reject current moral values

21. to hold an amoral outlook

22. harsh methods

23. to massacre large numbers of people