Friday, August 14, 2009

Terrorism vs Political Violence vs Ci...

Terrorism vs Political Violence vs Civil Disobedience vs Free Speech

There is a lot of talk these days about the growth of hate speech and hate groups that avow harm to the US and to the President.  Unfortunately, our media leans left and they are all too happy to blur the lines between Terrorism, Political Violence, Civil Disobedience and Free Speech.  Or, in other words if your free speech is targeted at the left "the media" will upgrade you to Civil Disobedience.  If your message is communicated via Civil Disobedience you could be labeled Politically Violent.  And of course if you practice Political Violence against the left you will certainly be labeled a Terrorist. 

Free Speech is one of our Constitutional rights.  It does have limitations.  You can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater or take over an official public meeting (town council meeting or legislative session).  Order, and to a lesser extent decorum, must still be maintained.  Often there is a fallacy used by both sides of an argument that somehow there is a right to be heard.  There is none.  No one can be compelled to listen to someone's free speech.  This is a standard tactic for the Liberal Left and they have almost perfected it.  In town hall meetings people are getting angry at politicians because they give canned answers to questions, talk around an issue or just plain lie.  Politicians are not familiar with this treatment.  Rather, they expect the treatment they get from the Sunday morning talk shows that give them a podium for their views with very little question or debate.  Certainly no one raises their voice and points at them and yells "Judas"! As a tactic for rebuttal politicians pronounce that their right to be heard has been infringed upon.  Of course there is no right to be heard.  The people who freely gathered at the town hall have every right to speak louder and more direct than the politician.

Civil Disobedience is when you move beyond free speech into disorderly conduct, vandalism or being a public menace.  When your voice or actions clearly and consistently makes it impossible for others to enjoy their rights you have moved to Civil Disobedience.  Most often Civil Disobedience is planned theater.  Just like terrorism.  The additional aspect of your actions being illegal can become a boost to your cause.  While your immediate audience might have been 120 people gathered at a Town Hall meeting, the fact that you were arrested and forcibly removed and that was carried on CNN multiplies the reach of your message and cause.  Because offenses of Civil Disobedience generally carry minor fines without any long term consequences the use of this tactic is generally accepted as "fair play" as long as no one is injured.  Watching the Liberal Left whine and cry about the Conservative Right using this tactic is just plain funny.  The Left perfected these tactics. 

Political Violence is violence directed at ones political enemies OR at the government by the people.  This is not terrorism per se.  All terrorism is political violence, but not all political violence is terrorism.  Political violence that does not terrorize the people can not, by definition, be terrorism.  So political violence from the people inflicted on the government is not terrorism.  Political Violence from one political faction on to another can be terrorism and usually is.  Political Violence is almost always unacceptable.  Its use in self-determination and revolution is often historically justified but never surrounding its immediate use. 

Terrorism is a difficult action to pin down.  Two necessary but individually insufficient parts of terrorism are usually the best indicators.  First that the violence be politically motivated and second that the intent of the violence is to terrorise the public (non government).  Motivation and intent are often difficult to judge, in those cases the target of the political violence is a good third indicator.  Was it a public/private target or was it a government/military target?  Malls, nightclubs and transportation are usually indicators of terrorism.  Government offices, military installations are less clear but can certainly be targets of terrorism.  Terrorism is never acceptable.  It is not a tool of the weak it is a tool of the desperate.  It is wholly unjustifiable. 

With all the Nazi, Swastika, Thug and Goon talk swirling around the "town hall" these days it won't be long before those of us who dare speak truth to power will be labeled "terrorists," "racists" and other hyperbolic over-statements.  Now you know where your actions actually fall.