To call some acts "terror" is to pretend that (say) being shot at on a conventional battlefield is NOT terrifying. Huh?
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It's figurative, but the point is that "terrorist" attacks are more intent on emotional/propaganda impact than practical effects.
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. I think we again underestimate how much emotional impact/propaganda has always been a goal of war
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We do!
But there's a spectrum from mostly tactical (resist a charge) to mostly PR (publicly execute dissident's family).
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my point is methodological innovation is always going on. Mythologizing it is an own-goal.
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Actually the word "civilian" is almost as bad as "terrorist." There are no innocent civilians in a democracy. All condone war.
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"Terror" used as a snarl word, carries little meaning (most journos imply only Islam + violence + disapproval).
Robespierre meant more.
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