There is HOPE

I spent the better part of this afternoon watching V For Vendetta. This is a great movie inspireing many, many, many references throughout the blog 'verse. Now for me to try my hand at it.

This movie really got me thinking. Not necesswarily new thoughts and ideas to me, but it brought forth thoughts that I have had throughout my life. Thoughts that I rarely spoke about. And No, I have never planned or thought about any act like that of which occured in the movie.

The thoughts I speak (type) of are about the definition of terrorist.

According to The Free Dictionary.com, a terrorist is a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities and terrorism is the calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimindation or coercion or instilling fear.

This definition seems to be a fair one. But I present to you, my loyal (I hope) readers, a thought: terrorism is a double edged sword. To take from my favorite quote, it may be folly and foolhardiness or daring and calulation. What distinguishes an act of terrorism from a revolutionary? Perception.

A government that faces revolutionaries will consider them terrorists, the people that those revolutionaries represent will consider them freedom fighters. The American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Irish Volunteers, the recent Jihad on the U.S. have all been considered with terroism at some point in time by someone... some group. How does one distinguish between freedom fighters and true terrorists? You can't. Not without bringing personal opinion into the matter. There will always be two faces... two sides to terroism. But this is my blog, my space, My Side of the internet, so I will present my opinion. Naysayers, Your Side is in the comment section ;)

The Jihad from Islamic fundamentalists is questionable to me. They are not opressed by the U.S. The U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq were nothing more than a response to it. So what do they have to gain? Nothing.

The Irish or Dublin Volunteers were formed for the fight for Irish independance from Britain. There acts won over the people of Ireland and brought government reform, which eventually led to an independant Ireland. At some point they renamed themselves the Irish Republican Army. They continued to fight to make One Independant Ireland. Some of there methods are questionable, but there motive is freedom. While under British control, England sent many English settlers to Ireland. These people were the government at the time. Their ancestors are primarily in Northern Ireland and are (primarily) the supporters of British rule. The IRA feels that they do not belong. Who is right in this struggle? Both. Britain forced it's views onto Ireland by flooding it with new settlers that would vote along the same lines as English voters. But aren't the ancestors of these settlers Irish now? Don't they have a right to stay? Yes and Yes. Perfect example of the double edged sword.

A problem does arise with revolutionaries. They may be manipulated. Look at the French Revolution, it began from the ideals of the American Revolution, but Napoleon took ahold of it and seized power. That is the downside to any revolution, men bent on power can use it for their own benefit.

Btw, I am in no way sanctioning actions from any group or government with this post. But to veer away from this tangent, I entitled this post as "There is HOPE". As my readers are aware, I have been thinking on a coming Dark Age. The movie portrays this, not just for the U.S. but also for Britain. The loss of liberty is the dark age of Britain citizens while the U. S. citizens face civil wars. Well, recent films, like Good Luck And Good Night and V For Vendetta, seem to have been spawned to combat the patriot act. I think of this as hope because I feel that the patriot act is the match to light the fire... the begining of a dark age. I feel that these films, among many articles and books, will spurn U.S. citizens to let the government know of their dislike of the patriot act. Maybe we can avert this dark age. Or maybe I am reading too much into these films?

Man, I need a life ;) Time to end this rant.