Exorcism Re: ex-radical

[Peter K.]

Yoshie, you make some good points but miss a rather larger
one - the effects of 9/11. This is symptomatic of the tunnel vision
of a certain segment of the left. I'm too busy to look it up, but
Marx said something about people who translate the new into
the old, received forms of discourse. I'd guess homicide bomber
will never replace suicide bomber, but it's not supposed to. It's a
commentary on the phrase suicide bomber, and highlights the
fact that civilians are being murdered and that homicides are
being committed. Like 9/11 many sucide bombings are directed
at civilians, like the terror bombings leftists usually highlight.
This is much different from say the kamikazee pilots of WWII.
Peter
-----------------
Bold and shocking?  No way.  Rather, it's pathetic and predictable.

Despite the strength of the pro-Zionist ideology in America, I bet
that the term "homicide bomber" will never catch on enough to replace
the term "suicide bomber," as the former offends lovers of the
English language by its redundancy.

Here's my Google test of usage:

"homicide bomber" -- 1,880 entries
"homicide bombers" -- 4,440 entries
"suicide bomber" -- 115,000 entries
"suicide bombers" -- 142,000 entries.

Suicide bombers terrify Israel because it can neither deter nor
retaliate against them, unlike those who bomb, kill, and intend to
stay alive.  Israel punishes the families of suicide bombers by
blowing up their houses, etc., but such collective punishment doesn't
work as deterrent, nor does it extinguish the sense of elemental
terror and provide the satisfaction of sweet revenge.  Calling them
"homicide bombers" is a futile attempt at exorcising the fear of
those who have nothing to lose and are ready to die for their
political objective.
--
Yoshie

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