Terrorism” is a word that has become a plague on our…
““Terrorism” is a word that has become a plague on our vocabulary, the excuse and reason and moral permit for state-sponsored violence— our violence—which is now used on the innocent of the Middle East ever more outrageously and promiscuously. Terrorism, terrorism, terrorism. It has become a full stop, a punctuation mark, a phrase, a speech, a sermon, the be-all and end-all of everything that we must hate in order to ignore injustice and occupation and murder on a mass scale. Terror, terror, terror, terror. It is a sonata, a symphony, an orchestra tuned to every television and radio station and news agency report, the soap-opera of the Devil, served up on prime-time or distilled in wearyingly dull and mendacious form by the right-wing “commentators” of the American east coast or the Jerusalem Post or the intellectuals of Europe. Strike against Terror. Victory over Terror. War on Terror. Everlasting War on Terror. Rarely in history have soldiers and journalists and presidents and kings aligned themselves in such thoughtless, unquestioning ranks.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The term “terrorism” is overused, obscuring real causes and justifying endless conflict.
In simple terms: Words can mask truth.
Key Takeaway
Question the narrative.
Themes
politics
language
conflict
Mood
critical
serious
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- journalism
- public discourse
- activism
- education
Key Concepts
media studies
propaganda
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape perception?
- What alternatives exist to address root causes?
A Different Perspective
Overuse can desensitize and mislead.