To really embrace the life-sucking, humanity-numbing fear that seems to be so abundant in the world today, you first gotta know what exactly terrorism is.

Terrorism is a broadly defined term, wikipedia says:

Terrorism expert Walter Laqueur in 1999 has counted over 100 definitions and concludes that the “only general characteristic generally agreed upon is that terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence.” For this and for political reasons, many news sources avoid using this term, opting instead for less accusatory words like “bombers,” “militants,” etc.

As terrorism ultimately involves the use or threat of violence with the aim of creating fear not only to the victims but among a wide audience, it is fear which distinguishes terrorism from both conventional and guerrilla warfare.

While both conventional military forces may engage in psychological warfare and guerrilla forces may engage in acts of terror and other forms of propaganda, they both aim at military victory.

Terrorism on the other hand aims to achieve political or other goals, when direct military victory is not possible.

The term “terrorism” comes from Latin terrere, “to frighten” via the French word terrorisme, which is often associated with the regime de la terreur, the Reign of Terror of the revolutionary government in France from 1793 to 1794. A leader in the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, proclaimed in 1794, “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our country’s most urgent needs.”

The Committee of Public Safety agents that enforced the policies of “The Terror” were referred to as “Terrorists.” The English word “terrorism” was first recorded in English dictionaries in 1798 as meaning “systematic use of terror as a policy.”

The Oxford English Dictionary still records a definition of terrorism as “Government by intimidation carried out by the party in power in France between 1789-1794. Generally, a policy intended to cause terror in those against whom it is adopted.”

Interesting stuff, yeah?

It’s all institutionally worded, sure.
Doesn’t really communicate what exactly terrorism is.

Honestly, what terrorism is isn’t the issue.
It’s the effects of terrorism we’re afraid of.

How ’bout some pictures?

Look into what’s left of her eyes.
Imagine what she looked like before terrorism.

Feel what she’s feeling.

This could be your daughter.
This is someone’s daughter.
Someone not all that different, from you.

Are you scared yet?
Well why not?

Look at all these terrorist organizations!

Islamic terrorist organizations

These groups have generally demanded the introduction of sharia law in various countries and the destruction of those seen to be “enemies of Islam” by these groups, including zionism and secularism.

• Abu Sayyaf (1991-present; Islamist separatists; the Philippines)
• Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (Yemen)
• Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (Late 1970s-present; Islamists; Egypt)
• Armed Islamic Group (1992-present; Islamists; Algeria)
• Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades
• Al-Qaeda (1988-present; Islamists; Afghanistan, Pakistan, and worldwide)
• Asbat al-Ansar (early 1990s-present; Lebanese Sunni Islamists; southern Lebanon)
• Jama’at al-Tawhid wa’al-Jihad/Al-Qaeda in Iraq
• Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement
• Egyptian Islamic Jihad - Egypt (active since the late 1970s)
• Fatah al-Islam - Lebanon
• Hamas - West Bank, Gaza Strip
• Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) - Pakistan and Kashmir
• Hezbollah - Lebanon
• Hizbul Mujahideen - Pakistan and Kashmir
• Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan
• Jemaah Islamiyah - Southeast Asia
• Lashkar-e-Jhangvi - Pakistan
• Lashkar-e-Toiba - Pakistan
• Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group - Morocco and Spain
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad - Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip
• People Against Gangsterism and Drugs - South Africa
• RSM or Rajah Solaiman Movement - Philippines
• Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan - Pakistan
• Takfir wal-Hijra - Egypt/Sudan/Algeria
• Taliban - Afghanistan
• Turkish Hezbollah - Kurdish organization operating in Turkey

Christian terrorist organizations

Christian terrorists are generally right wing in nature. They are often anti-abortion.

• Army of God - USA (early 1990s-present)
• The Lambs of Christ - USA (1998)

Jewish terrorist organizations

These groups demand zionism; the giving of Israel to the Jews. After the creation of Jewish Israel, others have been anti-Palestinian, believing them to be threats to zionism.

• Kach - Israel (1973-)

Sikh terrorist organizations

All of these groups demand a Khalistan (Land of the Pure) in the Indian state of Punjab and adjoining areas for Sikhs. Most have a variable amount of support from Sikhs abroad and have been in existence since the 1980s. Many have been weakened and have cut down on activities, yet they continue. The militancy in Punjab has claimed approximately 100,000 lives, according to estimates put forward by Amnesty International: this figure involves killings by both Sikh militants and the Indian forces. With the exception of the first two, the other groups have only been proscribed in India.

• Babbar Khalsa - India (1978-)
• International Sikh Youth Federation
• Khalistan Zindabad Force - India (1990s-)

Other religious terrorists

• Aum Supreme Truth aka Aum Shinrikyo - Japan
• Lord’s Resistance Army - Christian/Pagan/Muslim terrorist group in northern Uganda

All of these terrorist organizations interchangably kidnap, torture, bomb, murder, or commit similar crimes against humanity while believing — truly believing — that their crimes are justified in the eyes of their religion and/or gods.

Scared yet?
We’re just getting warmed up, baby.

Irish Nationalists

These terrorist groups demand the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to either join the Republic of Ireland or become a separate state. They are usually Catholic and Irish nationalist.
• Irish National Liberation Army - UK (1974-Present)
• Irish Republican Army - Northern Ireland (1922-1969)[2]
• Official IRA (1969–present)[2]
• Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) (1969-)
• Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA) (1986-present)
• Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA) (1997-present)

Ulster Unionist/Loyalist terrorists

These groups demand that Northern Ireland stay a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in opposition to the Irish nationalists. They are usually Protestant.
• Ulster Volunteer Force (named after the Ulster Volunteers 1912-1921, current UVF has existed since 1966)
• Ulster Defence Association (1971-present)
• Loyalist Volunteer Force (1996-2005)
• ‘Orange Volunteers (1998-present)

Arab terrorists

These groups promote pan-Arabism, in particularly the support of the Palestinian people and the destruction of the state of Israel. They are often Islamic centred, though others are communist.
• Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades - Israel
• Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) - Israel (1969-)
• Hamas - Israel/Palestine (1987-)
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) - Israel/Palestine (1967-)
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement - Israel/Palestine
• Palestine Liberation Front - Israel/Palestine
• Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) - Israel/Palestine (1964-present)

Other terrorists

• United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) - Assam, India (1979-present)
• ETA (Basque Fatherland and Liberty) - Spain and southern France (1959-present).
• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, aka Tamil Tigers) - Sri Lanka (1972-present)
• Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK/KADEK/KONGRA-GEL) - Turkey (1979-present)
• National Council of Resistance of Iran (MKO front) - Iran
• Armed Islamic Group (GIA) - France, Algeria (1992-present)

Anarchist terrorist organizations

Anarchist terrorist groups aim to attack targets to create a state of anarchy. As such, they have largely been anti-imperialism, anti-corporatism and anti-government.
• Black Star - Greece

Left-wing terrorism

Left-wing terrorist organisations aim to promote leftism by attacking right wing targets. Specific groups may claim to be liberal, socialist or communist, or of one specific form of these.

• Action Directe (AD), an anti-NATO organization banned by the French government in 1982.
• Antifascist Resistance Groups October First (GRAPO) - Spain (1975-present)
• Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) - Nepal (1994-present)
• Japanese Red Army aka Sekigun - Japan[2] (1971-present)
• Khmer Rouge - Cambodia (early 1970s-1979)
• New People’s Army - Philippines
• Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N) - Greece
• Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas) - Greece
• Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Colombia
• Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) - Peru (active since the late 1960s)
• Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) - Peru
• Umkhonto we Sizwe - South Africa (1961-1990)

Right-wing terrorist organizations

Right-wing terrorists aim to promote rightism by targeting left wing targets (such as Socialists and Communists). They may belong to any particular right wing group, such as imperialist, capitalist or fascist.

• Alianza Anticomunista Argentina - Argentina (1973-)
• Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia - Colombia (1996-2006)

White Supremacists

• Aryan Nations - United States (1970s-)
• Charles Martel Group - France (1973-83)
• The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (CSA) - United States (1971-)
• Ku Klux Klan - United States (founded in 1865 and revived several times since).
• Masada Action and Defense Movement - France (1988-89).
• The Order - United States (1983-84)

Other ethnic cleansers

• Army for the Liberation of Rwanda - Rwanda (1994-).
• Revolutionary United Front, Sierra Leone

That’s a lot of terrorism around the world.
A lot of fear.

Fear and danger.

Are you afraid?
You shouldn’t be.

These terrorist organizations primarily operate outside of the United States.

The average American sipping her latte while reading this will never meet, let alone come within 1000 miles of, any of these terrorists or terrorist organizations.

You’re safe.
Right?

Well hell no you’re not safe.

If you are safe, you wouldn’t need to lock your doors.
If you were safe, you wouldn’t have that firearm under your pillow.
If you will be safe, you wouldn’t worry about Iranian nuclear research.

If you were safe, training bombs wouldn’t drop through your apartment ceiling.

(the training bomb thing actually happened here in Tulsa yesterday. a big blue bomb fell into this guy’s apartment tearing a hole through the ceiling and imploding the bathroom wall.)

You should‘nt be scared shitless.

Billions upon billions of dollars are spent yearly on weapon development and weapons that, kill people. The world is full of hateful and/or misguided people who are ready and willing to use these weapons against you.

And most of them have no problem with doing so.

We’ve built these strange and wonderful belief structures that not only give us the go-ahead to use these weapons — but make it seem like these acts of violence are a service to humanity and/or are justified in the eyes of God.

It’s a little funny when you think about it.

Imagine a zoo-ful of chimpanzees.
One chimpanzee figures out that, by flinging shit at another chimpanzee, he can attract a mate.

And it works.

Not necessarily because the other chimp is covered in shit — the flinger has it on his hands as well — but because chimpanzees believe that shit flinging is a justified way of getting what they want.
In this case, it’s a little nookie.

We seem to be a little more complicated.
Flinging fecal matter isn’t as effective for us.

No, we must inspire fear and hatred and division between humanity to get what we want.
We must convince people to harm others to advance a goal.

And you know what?

We believe it’s justified.
We believe it is for the greater good.
We believe what we’re doing is best for everyone.

So we fight.
We torture.
We steal.
We bomb.
We kill.
We win.

But we can’t do it unless you pay for it.

So please, kind citizen, remember the horror — remember the bloodshed — remember the pain — remember the death — remember your children — remember to be afraid, always, and forever — so you’ll give us your liberties and tax dollars and we’ll protect you from the evils in the world.

You don’t need to be afraid anymore.
You don’t need to be afraid, ever.
We’ll keep you safe.
Only we can.