Not a Cure-all, But a Contribution
by Paul Pillar
The Conversation
February 18th, 2010
The comments by Risa Brooks regarding economic and political roots of terrorism exhibit a characteristic frequently exhibited by debunking of such roots: an absolutist straw man. We are warned not to place stock in economic development as far as counterterrorism is concerned because the evidence shows that development assistance is not “the remedy” to terrorism. [...]
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The Semantics of Terrorism
by Paul Pillar
Reaction Essay
February 17th, 2010
Paul Pillar makes the case for clarity of terms in the debate over terrorism. He first argues that this area of public policy is especially burdened by loaded language. He next proposes a definition of the word terrorism on which he thinks he and Paddy Hillyard can agree. Finally, he suggests that labels for various violent acts may work to obscure the difficult issues underlying them. If so, we should return to these fundamentals, and agree to put debate over the labels aside.
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