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RB, exactly. "Terrorism" has become a term along the lines of "evil". It's perceived as inexcusable. It's paired up with things like "they hate freedom" and such so much that any possible understanding of their rational would make you yourself one of them. It's an ancient way to control hatred of the enemy, and is just as successful today as it was when the Catholic church fought the Saracens. Of course, the second one does peer through the haze of control into the meaning of the actions of 'terrorists', it becomes clear. I agree that terrorism is wrong, as wrong as war, but to deny the meaning of terrorism is to lose the freedom to think for yourself. OBL doesn't attack us because he hates freedom or because he hates American Idol (though I'm sure he's not a fan), but because we've fucked with his people time and time again. He felt and feels betrayed because of things that happened when the US was still demonizing Communism (the last great enemy before terrorism, go figure). The Palestinians don't suicide bomb in Israel because they hate the Jews so much as they hate being prisoners in their own homes. They hate watching their homes and businesses bulldozed in the name of "Jewish safety". They hate having walls built around them, with armed guards and cameras. They don't like being bombed. Is it right when someone explodes himself in a bus of civilians? Of course. But to act as if they are blindly hating without reason is like saying that Bush wire taps our phones to protect us. It's naive.
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