06-15-2016, 05:53 AM
(06-14-2016, 08:18 PM)Danilynn Wrote: Terrorist attack like Oklahoma, 9/11
This is an interesting response. I gave a list of four examples of terrorism, three of which were perpetrated by Americans: Oklahoma city, bath and Wall St. In contrast, 911 was carried out by a team of operatives (essentially soldiers) of a foreign polity, who was at war with America.
Since the Orlando shooter was an American, that is it was an example of domestic terrorism, one might think this event to be more similar to one of the first three that were also carried out by Americans.
911 and the Wall street bombing were both committed for explicit political purposes, making them examples of classic terrorism, defined as using fear-inducing tactic against civilian populations into order to further specifically political objectives (persuading the US to leave the Middle East in the case of 911 and fomenting a popular revolution in the case of the Wall St bombing).
Since the Orlando shooting seems to have had a more fuzzy motive along the lines of general hatred of gays, the gay lifestyle and gay-friendly America, which would seem to make it more similar to McVeigh's or Dylan Roof's motivations.
And yet the choice made was 911 in a short statement as if this were obvious. I submit that this response is actually a very common one, and it exactly the same reaction Trump is channeling when his response to this event is to call for keeping Islamic people out of the country. Obviously this could have no effect on the Orlando event since the shooter was an American citizen who was born here and already in the country. That is, a very logical response to 911 was offered as a response to this event, event thought the logistics of the two events are completely different.