Committed Quote by Gore Vidal
“Terrorism is a direct response to the crimes our government has committed against foreigners (besides which, the actual terrorists are within our own government)”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Political commentary, 1970s
Terrorism stems from governmental crimes against foreigners, with some terrorists inside the government.
In simple terms: Government actions can provoke terrorism.
Key Takeaway
Address root causes of violence.
Themes
politics
terrorism
government accountability
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- foreign interventions
- policy reforms
- security measures
Key Concepts
foreign policy
state violence
terrorist psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can governments prevent backlash?
- What reforms reduce state‑sponsored violence?
A Different Perspective
Complex causes beyond simple blame.
![“[During the 20th century] ... 170 million men, women, and children have been shot, beaten, tortured, knifed, burned, starved, frozen, crushed, or worked to death; buried alive, drowned, hung, bombed, or killed in any other of the myriad ways governments have inflicted death on unarmed, helpless…” quote by Rudolph Rummel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b6c/rudolph-rummel-42992_20th-century_during-the-20th-century-170-million-men_1655922.jpg)
![“You look at [terrorists] faces, they look foreigners, but where are they coming from ? How precise this estimate is difficult to tell, but definitely the majority are Al-Qaeda.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fc6/bashar-al-assad-1027_al-qaeda_you-look-at-terrorists-faces-they-look-f_343514.jpg)
