Beyond Brighton

My first essay on terrorism was a chapter in my book The Rebels, which came out 24 years ago. As regards fundamentals, there is little to be changed. “Terrorism is a weapon of the weak.” There is coercive terrorism, mainly to bring waverers into line on the side of the terrorists. There is disruptive terrorism, which exposes the incapacity of authority to prevent it. Thus, terrorists calculate, a state may be brought to the point of collapse. Alternatively, it may be forced into ever harsher repression, making itself unpopular, so that “the people” flock to the terrorists’ banner.

Then there is carefully selective, targeted terrorism, designed to remove hate symbols and thus, it is reasoned, cause a psychological collapse, forcing authority to abandon whatever it is defending.

BC

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Brian Crozier

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My first essay on terrorism was a chapter in my book The Rebels, which came out 24 years ago. As regards fundamentals, there is little to be changed. “Terrorism is a weapon of the weak.” There is coercive terrorism, mainly to bring waverers into line on the side of the terrorists. There is disruptive terrorism, which exposes the incapacity of authority to prevent it. Thus, terrorists calculate, a state may be brought to the point of collapse. Alternatively, it may be forced into ever harsher repression, making itself unpopular, so that “the people” flock to the terrorists’ banner.

Then there is carefully selective, targeted terrorism, designed to remove hate symbols and thus, it is reasoned, cause a psychological collapse, forcing authority to abandon whatever it is defending.