The difference between war and terrorism is viewpoint
By Lethbridge Herald on October 27, 2023.
Editor:
A lot is being said recently about the difference between war and terrorism. People like to claim war is a justifiable, if regrettable, course of action, whereas terrorism is evil, and its perpetrators are despicable, malevolent actors who should be wiped from the face of the earth.
This is a laughable distinction in these times, when the difference between war and terrorism is nothing more the viewpoint of the narrator telling you the story.
The Geneva Convention, a set of rules for conducting war, has been abandoned by practically every country. Certainly all the big ones.
This was an attempt by soldiers to somehow make the practice of their trade more noble and justifiable.
However, the dark side of human character has emerged from the shadows to allow rape, torture and murder of innocents to be practiced with glee by everyone from world leaders to the lowest-ranked private.
Hamas uses the oppression from Israel as an excuse to rape and murder Israeli citizens. In return, Israel uses this as an excuse to carpet bomb civilians in Palestine.
Americans blow up entire cafés to kill a single person of interest. Russians blow up cafés just to intimidate people. Rape has become standard military practice. Weddings, funerals and music festivals are now juicy military targets.
War is terrorism. It’s not a solution. Solutions are born from communication, cooperation, and compromise.
If you’re looking for something different to war or terrorism, try embracing peace. Anytime is a good time to start talking and listening instead of shooting and killing.
Tom Moffatt
Lethbridge
13-12
Rape is not a weapon used by the Canadian military or other civilized professional miltaries. The atrocities committed by Hamas against innocent civliians is far from civilized professional military. We have only witnessed this by terrorists and the proxies operated by Arab nations, the Russians and their Wagner group, Chinese PLA, North Korea, etc.
The UN is a complete failure not just in military matters but in the aid and ignored the pleas of Israel over the last couple of years. Atrocities have no deterrents: the former Yugoslavia saw very few charges/convictions, Syria has seen no convictions, atrocities in Ukraine will see little consequences.
You make some great points, but there are still civilized militaries.
Over 50 years of studying prophesies in the Holy Bible have shown that we are indeed in the last of the last days, and once Israel was given its own land, as we saw in 1948 by the UN action, that generation would not pass away before the return Christ. We are witnessing the end of the last days and with all the armies of the world gathered around Israel today, we may soon see some of last remaining prophesies unfold before our eyes.
We can find many scriptures of the last days, but here are only 2 of many:
Matthew 24:6-14
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
This article is an attempt to blur the,distinction bwtween war and terrorism. They are very different animals.Gaza is a state ruled exclusively by terrorists, terrorists, funded by Islamic states with a vitriolic hatred of Israel .Israel is the only democratic state in the region, and is simply trying ro exist, and it des have the right to defend itself.
I find it interesting in recent years that major powers are concentrating on promoting war and very few efforts have been made to acheive solutions by peaceful means. There has been a virtual death of diplomatic efforts to end conflicts This is a complete reversal of policies followed since WW 2, .and the public might wish to ask why ?