Global terrorism is extreme both in its lack of realistic goals and in its cynical exploitation of the vulnerability of complex systems.
Jurgen HabermasRead
Partisans fight on familiar territory with professed political objectives to conquer power. This is what distinguishes them from terrorists
Interpretation
What this quote means
Partisans engage in political conflicts with declared goals, while terrorists lack legitimate political aims.
In this quote, Jurgen Habermas distinguishes between partisans and terrorists, emphasizing that partisans operate within a recognized political framework and aim to achieve specific objectives related to governance and power. In contrast, terrorists act outside this framework, often pursuing violence without legitimate political motives, thereby highlighting the importance of political legitimacy in conflicts.
Themes
PartisansPoliticsPowerTerrorismLegitimacy
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate, one might quote this to explain the distinction between legitimate political resistance and acts of terrorism.
More from Jurgen Habermas
All quotes βI cannot imagine a context that would some day, in some manner, make the monstrous crime of September 11 an understandable or comprehensible political act
Jurgen HabermasRead
If the September 11 terror attack is supposed to constitute a caesura in world history, it must be able to stand comparison to other events of world historical impact.
Jurgen HabermasRead
The scenarios of biological or chemical warfare painted in detail by the American media during the months after September 11 only betray the inability of the government to determine the magnitude of the danger.
Jurgen HabermasRead
Perhaps September 11 could be called the first historic world event in the strictest sense: the impact, the explosion, the slow collapse - a gruesome reality literally took place in front of a global public.
Jurgen HabermasRead
The difference between political terror and ordinary crime becomes clear during the change of regimes, in which former terrorists become well-regarded representatives of their country.
Jurgen HabermasRead
Similar quotes
America is now the only global superpower, and Eurasia is the globe's central arena. Hence, what happens to the distribution of power on the Eurasian continent will be of decisive importance to America's global primacy and to America's historical legacy.
Zbigniew BrzezinskiRead
Surely anyone who has ever been elected to public office understands that one commodity above all others, namely the trust and confidence of the people, is fundamental in maintaining a free and open political system.
Hubert H. HumphreyRead
I opposed the Suez war, I opposed the Falklands war. I opposed the Libyan bombing and I opposed the Gulf war and I never believed that any of those principled arguments lost a single vote - indeed, I think they gained support though that was not why you did it. What has been lacking in Labour politics over a long period is a principled stand
Tony BennRead
The entire Islamic world condemned Iran. Nowadays, because of the unwarranted invasion of Iraq by Bush and Blair, which was a completely unjust adventure based on misleading statements, and the lack of any effort to resolve the Palestinian issue, there is massive Islamic condemnation of the United States.
Jimmy CarterRead
The faces and the tactics of the leaders may change every four years, or two, or one, but the people go on forever.
Paul RobesonRead
These political movements flourish on the margins of Turkish society because of poverty and because of the people's feeling that they are not being represented.
Orhan PamukRead