The Danger of Euphemisms

Apparently desiring to avoid offending Muslims, Emanuele Ottoleigh attempts to define "terror" as an ideology:

"It is not realistic, because terrorism exploits the openness of free societies to pursue its deadly designs."

"Tolerant immigration laws, due process, and a host of mechanisms expressing confidence in the freedom we cherish and the desire of all human beings to enjoy its gift have made it easier for terrorists, who loath freedom and exalt death, to strike."

"Ultimately, terror’s goal is not just to influence a change in policy among Western societies, as many in Europe claim. Terror’s ultimate target is the Western way of life itself, which is built on freedom."

This is ludicrous euphemizing. Terrorists do not necessarily hate freedom, nor do they hate the western way of life. Also, terror does not have a goal. Terrorism, as many have said before, is a tactic; in theory, a terrorist could want anything; a person who loves and desires freedom could commit terrorist acts to fight a society that oppresses him, or he could be trying to get a dictator installed.

What Ottoleigh really means by terrorist is specifically "Muslim extremist" (I'll leave it to the reader to determine whether he thinks that there is such a thing as a non-extreme Muslim). However, because it is un-PC to point out the common thread uniting our current enemy (that is, that they are all professed Muslims), he does not once mention the words "Muslim" or "Islam."

Don't get me wrong, I am not using "Muslim extremist" as a euphemism for "terrorist," rather, I am simply poinitng out that terrorism is not the ideology we are dealing with, it is the tactic they are using.

There are really two issues regarding the morality of terrorism; first, is it justified to deliberately attack civilians in order to terrorize a populace to achieve your goals; second, are the goals one is trying to advance good ones? If one is attacking the terrorists simply for their methods, then it is appropriate to refer to "terrorists" generally. But if one is trying to attack the goals they are trying to achieve, then using the word "terrorist" as the defining feature of the enemy, or defining the ideology we are fighting as "terror," is not very useful.

That is all.