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TERRORISM AND POLITICS

NCJ Number
20552
Journal
ETUDES INTERNATIONALES DE PSYCHO-SOCIOLOGIE CRIMINELLE Issue: 24-25 Dated: (1973) Pages: 72-77
Author(s)
J D'HONDT
Date Published
1973
Length
6 pages
Annotation
AN ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND IDEOLOGICAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM, IN WHICH THE AUTHOR CONTENDS THAT TERRORISM IS THE COMBINED RESULT OF A VIOLENT WORLD SITUATION AND VIRTUOUS MORAL REACTION TO OPPRESSION.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR DEFINES TERRORISM AS AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR BY A MINORITY, INDIVIDUALLY OR IN GROUPS, WITHIN A POLITICAL OBJECTIVE, ALTHOUGH ON OCCASION THERE IS NO CONTACT BETWEEN THE TERRORISTS AND THE POLITICAL GROUP THEY CLAIM TO REPRESENT. HE MAINTAINS THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TERRORISM EXERCISED AGAINST THE RULING POWER AND TERRORISM EXERCISED BY THE RULING POWER. HE EXAMINES THE CONFUSION BETWEEN MORALS AND POLITICS THAT OFTEN EXISTS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF TERRORISTS, AND NOTES THAT TERRORIST MISTAKENLY REACT TO OPPRESSION IN A MORAL OR VENGEFUL MANNER, RATHER THAN A POLITICAL MANNER. FROM A POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW, THE AUTHOR CONTENDS, TERRORISM IS A NONPRODUCTIVE AND ERRONEOUS METHOD OF DEALING WITH OPPRESSION. IN LIGHT OF THIS, HE CLAIMS THAT PREVENTION OF TERRORISM SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH POLITICAL MEANS. --IN FRENCH...DMC