Who is a terrorist and who is a freedom fighter is usually a matter of perspective and politics.
Are they fighting for freedom? Whose freedom? Freedom from what or whom? What will they do once that freedom is secured?
How far are they willing to go in the fight for freedom? Only attacking military targets? Do they care about collateral damage? Do they care if civilians are killed? Do they actively target civilians?
How many atrocities does a freedom fighter have to commit before they are a terrorist? Are the two terms even mutually exclusive? Freedom fighting is a very messy business. Irregular warfare always is.
How does one decide if a movement is completely terrorist or otherwise? Can a movement have both freedom fighters and terrorists? Is it a unified, centralized movement? Or is it decentralized and made up of isolated cells--some of which could be far more extreme than others? Does a group fighting for a legitimate cause lose legitimacy when it goes too far?
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Diagnoses: AS, Depression, General & Social Anxiety
I guess I just wasn't made for these times.
- Brian Wilson
Δυνατὰ δὲ οἱ προύχοντες πράσσουσι καὶ οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ξυγχωροῦσιν.
Those with power do what their power permits, and the weak can only acquiesce.
- Thucydides