Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Is One Man's Terrorist Really Another Man's Freedom Fighter?
GOPUSA ^ | February 14, 2002 | Tom Schneider

Posted on 02/14/2002 9:32:29 AM PST by gopusa.com

Over just the past few days several "international experts", leaders in academia, and reporters have repeated a high-brow notion that is generally accepted as fact among the "educated" sect; "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". Watch the news for a day or two and I'm sure it will be repeated. I pose the question here: is it really the truth? Or is it just simply another leftist assumption taken for granted in academia and the media that puts us on the slippery slope to anti-Americanism?

Long-winded, convoluted, circular arguments can be made either way - but let 's cut to the chase here. Can anyone say that UBL or the terrorists that attacked America on 9-11 were fighting for "freedom"? In his last known interview UBL said, "I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed." Could it be any clearer?

Read the complete column at http://www.gopusa.com/opinion/ts_0214.shtml


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 02/14/2002 9:32:29 AM PST by gopusa.com
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: gopusa.com
This reminds me of another liberal shibboleth:

Better for 100 guilty men to go free, rather than wrongly convict 1 innocent man (paraphrased)

When this nonsense is uttered, liberal heads nod in unison at the wisdom that some liberal Supreme Court Judge uttered at some time.

Has it ever been calculated how many rapes, murders, and assorted felonies these 100 criminals would commit? Probably in the thousands!

Man is not perfect. I can accept the occasional error in humanity. In fact, I have no choice. It just happens. However, I can prevent thousands of other crimes by incarerating those 100 criminals!

Five minutes later, they utter another inanity.

If just one life can be saved....

Sometimes I scream out. You just let go a 100 criminals. How many lives are those criminals going to eliminate?

2 posted on 02/14/2002 9:58:15 AM PST by Seeking the truth
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Seeking the truth
I have an even better idea. Let's just lock everyone up at birth, that way no crimes will ever be committed.
3 posted on 02/14/2002 10:20:18 AM PST by mark wilson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: gopusa.com
To me, the biggest difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter, is how they acheive their goals. A terrorist deliberately targets civilians. A freedom fighter targets the other sides military and governmental agencies.
4 posted on 02/14/2002 10:22:08 AM PST by mark wilson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Seeking the truth
Sometimes I scream out. You just let go a 100 criminals.
How many lives are those criminals going to eliminate?

You have no way of knowing that.  You'd
rather lock up an man you know is
innocent?  What if he was you?

5 posted on 02/14/2002 10:22:42 AM PST by gcruse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Seeking the truth
The only argument here against the Palestinians being freedom fighters is that they turned down a peace deal. I need a better argument than that to take to my terrorist-sympathizing acquaintances in California.
6 posted on 02/14/2002 10:27:32 AM PST by tgiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: mark wilson
Would you say that a terrorist goes after civilian targets (merchandise and material) in order to cause economic hardship to both the government?
7 posted on 02/14/2002 10:27:58 AM PST by Tennessee_Bob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gopusa.com
The difference between a freedom fighter is simple: A freedom fighter doesn't knowingly kill innocent people. A terrorist does knowingly kill innocent people.
8 posted on 02/14/2002 10:31:48 AM PST by KSCITYBOY
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gopusa.com; seeking the truth; mark wilson; gcruse; tgiles; Tennessee Bob; KSCITYBOY
American academics are anemic. Try this guy for a viewpoint:

A Comprehensive Analysis on Terrorism

9 posted on 02/14/2002 10:43:39 AM PST by Shermy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mark wilson
I have an even better idea. Why take the chance of imprisoning the guilty? Since that is equal to a hundred crimes, let's not prosecute at all!

In case you were wondering, yes, the above argument is just as baseless as yours.

10 posted on 02/14/2002 10:58:35 AM PST by stands2reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mark wilson
"One man's 'terrorist' is another man's 'freedom fighter.'"

One man believes it is never okay to deliberately murder citizens for any reason, including "making a statement."

Another man believes there does come a point in time and a cause "worthy" enough where deliberate killing of innocents is condoned. Whether the time is right or the cause worthy enough is up for debate.

Sometimes zero-tolerance can be scary, but this is one instance in which the alternative is the nightmare.

11 posted on 02/14/2002 11:13:24 AM PST by stands2reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson