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Comment on Well, I guess that settles it

Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims.

It’s pretty much always meant violence for an ideology or cause. And the political motivation is very much what makes the difference.

Words do have definitions.

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LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Well then define non-combatants. The person he should was at fault for hundreds of not thousands of deaths. Saying he didn’t personally do them would be like saying a general is not responsible for their troops actions.

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- TheRealKuni@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  
  Well then define non-combatants.
  
  “a person who is not engaged in fighting during a war, especially a civilian, chaplain, or medical practitioner.”
  
  Sure he was responsible for deaths due to denying health coverage. But he’s still a civilian.
  
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  - bollybing@lemmynsfw.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    So is the president, who orders drone strikes on civilians.
    
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    MutilationWave@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    The president is not a civilian. They are Commander-in-Chief of the combined armed forces.
    
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  - LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    So it was a civilian on civilian kill. Not a militant group/gang/mercenary.
    
    If the “battle” was pertaining to healthcare denials, he was currently battling and his group took up battle after he was gone.
    
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    TheRealKuni@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
    The perpetrator of an act of terrorism isn’t part of the definition. They need not be affiliated with a group or military.
    
    I find it curious how many people on Lemmy were gleefully posting about CEOs and billionaires being scared because of this attack, and then to see push-back about the label of terrorism (where fear is part of the outcome, hence the name).
    
    The saying is “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” right?
    
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Fleur_@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
“Different definitions of terrorism emphasize its randomness, its aim to instill fear, and its broader impact beyond its immediate victims.”

From the article you cited

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allo@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
using definitions is cheating

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kreskin@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
Its wildly overused though isnt it. Anyone can say almost anything and claim its political.

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- Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago
  It’s usually applied to a non state actor, not a government.
  
  The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, for example, isn’t generally considered a terrorist attack.
  
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