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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday October 12 2017, @07:23AM   Printer-friendly
from the oink-I-say dept.

Newsweek has this article on America's skewed definition of terrorism:

What is terrorism? According to the FBI, animal activists who stole two piglets from a farm were terrorists. As of now, Stephen Paddock, who killed 58 people at a country music concert in Las Vegas two weeks ago, has not been labeled a terrorist by the federal security organization.

In a viral story posted on The Intercept, journalist Glenn Greenwald details an account of federal agents investigating animal activists and scouring farm-animal sanctuaries to find two missing piglets that allegedly had been stolen from a farm. The FBI devoted such resources to finding these two piglets because their alleged theft and the capturing of undercover videos of the farm's conditions count as terrorism.

Why is the piglet theft classified as terrorism, but not the Las Vegas shooting? The distinction is rooted in the definition of the term. In spite of the emotions the word "terrorist" might elicit, the definition is not "mass killer" or "Muslim extremist" or "very bad person." The legal definition of terrorism is "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property in order to coerce or intimidate a government or the civilian population in furtherance of political or social objectives."


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Thursday October 12 2017, @12:20PM (9 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday October 12 2017, @12:20PM (#581098) Journal

    Are we gonna let those terrorists win?

    To quote TMB, "you seem to be under a misapprehension.".
    Are you harbouring the delusion you haven't had lost since quite a long time back? Like since you let them throw the PATRIOT dust in your eyes, more that 15 years ago.

    (are you able to say what the PATRIOT acronyms stands for, without using the Internet? Otherwise, what the hell has patriotism to do with/against terrorism? What better indication you need that this was just the "be against loss of freedom is just unpatriotic" dust in your eyes?)

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Thursday October 12 2017, @12:48PM (4 children)

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday October 12 2017, @12:48PM (#581107) Journal

    ?

    I'm not sure what you're saying. Are you placing me on the side of FBI apologists, and that's a bad thing, or that I'm a critic and that's a bad thing? Or is it a blanket condemnation of America and the direction it's take over the last 18 years?

    I don't recall off the top of my head what the PATRIOT acronym stands for. I knew once. Now it's in a dusty drawer labeled "Orwellian doublespeak" next to "Homeland Security."

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:01PM (1 child)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:01PM (#581113) Journal

      Are you placing me on the side of FBI apologists, and that's a bad thing, or that I'm a critic and that's a bad thing?

      No, I'm not, apologies if this is a meaning that can be derived from my post, it's not what I intended.

      I'm saying that's too late to think that "Are we gonna let those terrorists win?" makes sense, because you lost this battle long time ago. So, rather this one:

      Or is it a blanket condemnation of America and the direction it's take over the last 18 years?

      is closer to (but not an exact match of) what I meant.

      Perhaps asking "Are we going to let them keep what they won?" is a better form for your question?

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:30PM

        by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:30PM (#581121) Journal

        You're always gonna be playing a game of catch up when you're so deeply betrayed by an insider you entrusted with such an important role. We trusted the FBI, NSA, CIA, Congress, the Whitehouse, the police, etc with so much money and power to perform the duties the People required them to do, and they used it to work directly against the Constitution we swore them in to uphold. Thus they are vile, perjured wretches.

        The Rule of Law and public scorn have shown little effect in bringing them to heel, so eventually it's going to take revolution. If they don't receive the ultimate penalty for their betrayal of their oaths, and for violating the freedom and the rights of the People, then the Constitution and its precepts have no meaning and no teeth. When that happens is anyone's guess.

        --
        Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:11PM (1 child)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:11PM (#581117) Journal

      (I can see why the '?'. No, I used "you/your" as the plural. Apologies once again)

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:31PM

        by Phoenix666 (552) on Thursday October 12 2017, @01:31PM (#581122) Journal

        No need to apologize. Thanks for clarifying.

        --
        Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday October 12 2017, @10:53PM

    by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Thursday October 12 2017, @10:53PM (#581411) Homepage
    Pedantically, it's the USA PATRIOT Act whose acronym you're after.
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
  • (Score: 2) by Pino P on Friday October 13 2017, @01:30AM (2 children)

    by Pino P (4721) on Friday October 13 2017, @01:30AM (#581487) Journal

    Without looking it up:
    Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools something something Terrorism

    Looked it up:
    Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism

    Do I win 70% of a cookie?

    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday October 13 2017, @01:57AM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday October 13 2017, @01:57AM (#581494) Journal

      Do I win 70% of a cookie?

      But of course! Welcome to the Darkside, son, have as many as you want!! ;)

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @05:49AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 13 2017, @05:49AM (#581592)

      Of the 10 cookies that were originally on the plate, DHS has grabbed 9 and is now pointing at the nearly-empty plate and attempting to convince you that a terrorist is trying to take your cookie.

      Security theater: the best kind of kabuki theater.

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]