Wilshire, in sorry but downplaying terrorists to just criminals, is quite frankly the dumbest thing I think I've ever heard you say. I get your point to make make martyrs of them, thats true. But, terrorists are way more than mere criminals. The are Islamic extremists (for the most part, what this thread is about) with a clear ideology that all infidels either convert to Islam or die. Thats not just your run of the mill criminal. This is their Jihad, and one they are fighting quote effectively. I understand your want to downplay it, thats just as dangerous.
You say so, but obviously I disagree. I'm not downplaying anything - just look at the numbers. Terrorist killings are non-existent from a statistical standpoint. Literally 0% of people are killed by them every year. What part of 0% is effective from a global standpoint? (
32,000 killed by "terrorists" last year in the world. 32,000/(7,000,000,000)= 0%).
Making them into THE BIG BAD makes them important. I downplay nothing, its you who is making them
Terrorists. We each get to decide to give them power or not, and if you want to give them power, I can't stop you. (Obviously, situations vary from country to country, but from the US perspective at least)
I see criminals. You can see them as Unholy Evil that must be stomped into dust with the military might of the whole world. (Do I need to point out again that, from their perspective, its exactly the same?)
Take their 0%, ie total failure, and make them into the most frightening thing to exist in the world, then ask yourself, who is making them effective, is it them, or are you doing their job for them?
with a clear ideology that all infidels either convert to Islam or die. Thats not just your run of the mill criminal.
What makes this special? What killing can't be boiled down to "i want this thing, and I'm willing to kill to get it". Be it religion, or power, or sex, or money, or jewelry, or anything else? Organized crime, both nationally and internationally, has existed for centuries. The world has kept turning.