Unpopular opinion: The 9/11 hijackers weren't cowardly. What they did was hard. It took guts. That's not a compliment. It's an honest assessment of what we're up against. I'm not sure why people feel a need to call them cowards.https://twitter.com/SenBillNelson/status/1039480675655671808 …
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Replying to @NGrossman81
It is cowardly because they waged their attack primarily against unarmed innocents.
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Replying to @DirtTurner
I think you're right that that's the underlying logic. But it fundamentally misunderstands warfare, especially the modern variety. For example, I wouldn't call American pilots that attacked civilian areas in WWII cowards.
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Replying to @NGrossman81
WW2 pilots operated under an official war declaration in identified military aircraft, and often dropped warning pamphlets in those civilian areas beforehand. 9/11 was more like a suicide bombing in a Jerusalem market on a much larger scale, which is why described as "cowardly."
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Replying to @DirtTurner @NGrossman81
This is the distinction Bill Maher was trying to acknowledge in 2001, and we understand it, but it didn't fly for him because people expect in war to face one's enemy. Of course we are now forced to adjust to the reality that this is not the threat the USA will face going forward
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Replying to @DirtTurner
I think you’ve moved from discussing cowardice to discussing legitimacy or morality. Also, bin Laden declared war in 1996. He didn’t run a state, so it’s not exactly the same, but the declaration is there.
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Replying to @NGrossman81
They are inherently tied. If a bomber were to blow himself up in the middle of nowhere, alone, he wouldn't be described as a coward. Useless maybe, but not that. That they conceal their intent to kill innocents so that they cannot be met with appropriate force is the issue.
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Replying to @DirtTurner @NGrossman81
Anyhoo, I didn't get up this morning to get into an argument over the connotation of the word with you. Have a good day, and as always,
#NeverForget.1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
I don't really want to argue about it either. This is a solemn day I take seriously.
I hope you have a good day as well.
#NeverForget
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