What is the difference between war and terrorism?

Question

Peter Ustinov memorably said, war is the rich man's terrorism and terrorism is the poor man's war. Would the minutemen have been locked up in concentration camps like the Taliban?

Answer 1

Well unless it's a civil war,

In war you know who the enemy is.. and can sometimes see them coming.

With terrorists, they're unknown, (cowards) and you can't.

Answer 2

war is provoked, terrorism is unprovoked. try telling the ww2 veterans that they were participating in an act of terrorism.

Answer 3

Pretty good quote you've included...  I think the "manner" in which it is fought in a conflict is the answer - in that the quantity of personnel and equipment determines tactics.  

State-sponsored uses terrorist methods because they have the entire range of options while terrorism has much less to work with.  Arguments of "state-sponsored" terrorism which Israel, the U.S. and many other countries employ frequently is a legitimate criticism, and a complete contradiction to the so-called, "War on Terrorism" as those who side against terrorists use the same tactics of bombings, assassinations, threats, extortion, murder, torture etc., as well.

(I wouldn't be suprised if the revolutionaries during the American Revolution against Britain were imprisoned and tortured to extract information.)

Answer 4

A war is fought by a nation whose peoples, by their vote, or the lack of it, have given their government the right to take part. The war would be fought, to a large extent, within certain rules of engagement.

Terrorism is committed by individuals who care not what their respective peoples support or do not support. They have no rules of engagement and hold no value on the lives of others.

Answer 5

The talk "How Modern Liberals Think" deals with the issue of "one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist"

You can watch 5 minutes of it beginning at minute 29 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.

Answer 6

Easy terrorists fund their bullets and bombs out of their own pockets while state terrorists fund their bombs and bullets using YOUR money. Otherwise - no difference.

Answer 7

The difference between war and terrorism is an easy answer...perspective. Just imagine yourself on either side. If each side has an ideal and belief, and they believe what they are doing is right, which one is wrong?  You can call it a war, they can call it terrorism. Vice versa

Answer 8

Its very easy my dear ,,,when america tries to finish someone who he doesnt like is WAR and when a muslim tries to resist that its TERRORISM.

Answer 9

There actually is no big difference other than the use of language - war is a more dignified, neutral way of saying we will destroy another group of people we have identified as the enemy (bad people naturally). Terrorism is a less dignified, less neutral, less distant, fear enticing way of saying a group of people (bad people naturally) will attempt to destroy another group of people they identify as the enemy.

Those who go to "war" often have weapons of mass destruction on their side which result in mass causalities -  those who are "terrorists" often have small arsenals and unpredictability which result in the the death of innocent people.

Answer 10

War is confrontation whereas terrorism is indimidation.

In the case freedom haters it is intimidation by some supported willy nilly by the freedom hater community at large.

(Freedom is the power or ability of the human mind to choose a course of action or make a decision without being subject to restraints imposed by outdated dictum or nomadic wit).

Answer 11

you know, I have often ask myself that same question. I would

think, terrorists have no rules, they kill any and every thing,

war, on the other hand, has rules, like the Geneva convention

code for example, and it's supposed to solve, or put an end

to little wars even terrorists that might escalate into an even

bigger war, it's like, there trying to end violence with violence,

which in turn,leads to poverty, crime, pollution, yes,and even

diseases on an even greater scale.

Answer 12

Ustinov was right.

Answer 13

War has rules of engagement. Terrorism is random acts of violence.