Definition of terrorism

[Kyuuketsuki]

So you believe that terrorism can be justified, depending on the circumstances?

No I explicitly denied it was terrorism.

Interesting. Can morality be taken into account when a country is at war.

Countries don't have morals, they have interests.

As Japan started the conflict, you could justify yourself with this argumant. On the other hand, you could argue that killing civilians is immoral. How would you determine which is the the correct or morally correct position. If you were Japanese, you would argue one way. If you were American, you would argue the other.

Neither ... as I don't believe there is an absolute right or wrong in any situation, it appears I am a moral relativist.

For reasons already given I don't accept it applies to the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima & Nagasaki.

Therefore, this statement can only be relative to yourself, and whoever else agrees with it, depending on your point of view.

Er whut? If you're saying that my view only counts to me and others who agree then of course but that is also true of you and those who agree with you ... bit of a pointless observation really.

Kyu

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I think killing civlians can never be justified. espcially when you look at the Hrisoshima bombings. Also USa where allready helping China in their war against Japans and Japan saw the new base of Peral Harbor as an aggression towards them, that's why the attacked it. Since it was a threat. They didn't attack for no apperent reason.

Actually no, they didn't "see it as an aggression to them" they realised that with a powerful naval base at Pearl the US would seriously hamper their imperialist expansion plans. Perhaps the US was aggressive economically (I don't know) but the Japanese started war in the southern hemisphere and did so because they wanted to expand. To be fair to Japan it was/still is a small country with inadequate resources and needed to produce manufactured goods in order to survive in an increasing technological world but in some ways the war did them a favour ... look how they dominate much of the worlds tech goods market these days.

Kyu

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For reasons already given I don't accept it applies to the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima & Nagasaki.

Your non acceptance doesn't make it incorrect though. The use of the nuclear weapons on Japan made the decision for the emperor to surrender a lot easier because he feared the consequences for his people. That is the essense of terrorism, no matter what the motive is.

Likewise your belief that it IS terrorism doesn't make that correct either. I do not accept that those bombings were terrorist actions because they were firstly at war, it was Japan that started the war and there were a lot of US soldiers lives at risk (lives that arguably WERE saved).

Kyu