Having been in the journalism business for decades -- and writing about the terrorism definition problem in the 1970s in the Society of Professional Journalism's Quill, I feel eminently qualified to give this piece low ratings. There is a problem, but it is not insoluble. This is one man's fuzzy thinking, written with an oh-so-careful selection of facts to back it up, that passes as intellectual fare. The author is confused and confusing about rules of war, which already rule out some of the issues he discusses in regard to nations, and non-state groups, which are NOT presently covered. It's a muddle-headed piece that may look fine to the general public. He is entitled to be muddle-headed. He is not entitled to a 'bye' when he ... More »

Opinion piece that discusses the state of the terrorism debate. Fundamental problem is that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Article states the problem, and gives some history but fails to resolve the issue or even propose a solution.

A wonderful essay on the problem of defining this thorny word. Makes good use of the historical record.

The article makes some interesting interogatory questions, some storn answers, and equivocates on them. It is dangerous to liberty to define terrorism loosely, condemn it, then attack it using terrorism. The fact that war is terrorism is not readily accepted by nation states. (Nor perhaps in the near future, by corporate security private armys for corporations that are larger than nation states.)

well written and informative