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rufusrm44 on what is terrorism
Thanks for the citation. Unfortunately the essential concepts in the (excellent) definition you posted have clearly been lost in the mud of mainstream discourse.
... most all definitions specifically identify loss of human life as essential to its core meaning.
This is a tricky point. When the IRA set up mortars on the tarmac at Heathrow and fired them off at the concourses full of civilians, was it any less of an act of terrorism because it turned out they were firing blanks?
It was orchestrated to achieve all of the same goals in the same way — including the aspect of indirection that must be fundamental to any sane definition of terrorism. But nobody died, or was even in any actual danger of injury.
The reason that I make that point is that I think it's dangerous to start equating physical harm with terrorism.