Dear Friends,
It seems to me, of the two, personal attacks against the individual are far more heinous than warfare against agents of the State… though both are evil because human life is precious. Why do I make such a distinction? Because the one targets a non-political person for a political statement, while the other targets the political State to make a political statement. Since the State is essentially a political organization, that uses its monopoly of violence to enforce its will, sometimes violence is the only way to effectively interact with it. Meanwhile, an individual merely living their lives is not the State. They’re us. As such, terrorism, defined as targeting individuals to make a political statement, is a worse atrocity than warfare against a State. Because one is personal, the other political.
Everything human beings do is somehow political. All the way down to a group of friends deciding what ice cream parlor to go to. Though you wouldn’t kill a friend because he won’t go to Eggbert’s Creamee Stand. There are those, however, who would. Some people must have their way no matter how illogical, stupid, or evil it may be. Those people make up the ranks of the IRA, Al-Qaida, and Hamas. A friend of mine from Ireland, Liam, once told me, the boys who join the IRA are the same boys who become criminals here. The IRA just gives them a “legitimate” outlet for their violent nature. I thought that was a wise observation… then and now. However, I have to wonder if a culture can inculcate a violent nature in those subject to it?
Apparently television in Palestinian territories is all about hating the Jew. Children’s shows teach kids to gleefully die to kill. Anecdotal stories of those released from Palestinian captivity tell of zero compassion, no empathy, and hate radiating from civilians like heat from a fire. With such propaganda drilled into their heads, one can understand why. In fact, dehumanization is a well-documented step to open genocide. Like when the Hutu radio stations called Tutsis subhuman… leading to the machete slaughter of almost all Tutsis. Such dehumanization of people, as the Palestinian Authority is doing to the Jews, empowers those with even the slightest violent tendency, so they can be heartless enough to cook living babies in ovens, as a political statement. Which describes a culture that inculcates violence.
What makes putting a baby in an oven in front of the parents and cooking it alive, worse than the firebombing of Dresden? The one is personal, while the other is general. It takes a heartless person lacking any humanity, to put a baby in an oven, but almost anyone will drop bombs on an enemy city. Because the bomber pilot can rationalize his actions as an attack on a State. While the terrorist who rapes, then kills, children in front of the parents, is sick in heart, mind, and soul. The one kills because that’s the nature of war, while the other relishes inflicting pain and suffering. Of the two, no one would call the sadist a better person than a soldier defending his nation. Which really is what this all boils down to, isn’t it? Terrorism is sadistic while warfare is natural.
How is warfare natural while terrorism is unnaturally sadistic? In the natural world, war is common. Ant colonies go to war constantly, as do hornet nests and even beehives. Wolf packs fight for territory. But nowhere in nature does a species put babies in an oven as a political statement, other than pathological people. Moreover, only a very small percentage of people would do such a thing. More in some cultures that teach hate, but in general, only a heartless, soulless person would cause intentional suffering, to make a political statement. Much of what States fight over are which ice cream shack a group of friends will go to. When that debate turns into hate to such a degree, people will gleefully commit atrocities, like UNRWA staff. Now, that’s evil.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
