Terrorists and insurrectionists, how should they be dealt with ?

Are we talking about Al-Qaeda or the American Revolutionary War?

Ya…..Mujahadeen or the rioters in Vancouver?? lol I think there is a big different between terrorists/rioters/traitors!

@johnpowell Is there a difference? If so tell me of it, please.

@Schroedes13 Good, what are the differences,aside from effectiveness, in your estimation?

Well, I believe the traitors should be punished much more harshly for their actions. I believe very firmly in the death penalty. Since traitors are acting against their own country in committing a treasonous act, I think the consequence should be more stiff.

As for terrorists, I also think the death penalty can be warranted under the grounds that they are usually attempting homicide at the very least.

However, rioters are usually people just acting completely irrationally, stirred up by a small percentage of fundamentalists. So for the most part, unless one could find out the actual planners/organizers, rioters should just face jail time.

@Schroedes13 Foregive me, you did say you were Canadian?
Then, any such as fit the criteria stated above would qualify for your scale of punishment?

@throssog Yes I am Canadian. If I was in power, yes. Any who fit that category would qualify for that scale of punishment.

@ Ah, one of your fellow Commonwealth citizens, a certain Dr. Johnson, as I recall, endorsed this stance as well – though sometime back. Good to see that little changes.

@Ah? well nations are made up of individuals, so luckily, one can almost always find people of like mind.

@Schroedes13 Do you know Dr. Johnson?

No I don’t, could I get a first name? And what exactly he was known for?

@Schroedes13 His denunciation of the American Colonists ( then in rebellion) as criminals who should be grateful for whatever we don’t do to them.
Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, etal., were qualified under all of our , above listed, criteria, additionally were the master minds of the terrorism/insurrection. Wouldn’t you agree?

@throssog I guess from a historical standpoint, it would all depend if I was a Revolutionary or a Loyalist. At this present time, I can’t answer which one I would have been.

@ Schroedes13 Does rather , doesn’t it.:) One mans patriot, etc., etc., eh? Been a pleasure talking with you, thanks for the input.

It was a pleasure. I’m glad we could somewhat extricate ourselves from the previous quarrel. You seem like a somewhat civil fellow. lol!

Also, if I could be Mel Gibson’s character from The Patriot, I would most definitely have chosen Revolutionary. Hands down!

@Schroedes13 I know the feeling. I , too, endorse all that “old tired cliche’ ridden non-sense” about the rights of man and equality before the law, etc., etc., and so on. Thomas Paine is one of my favorites. Of course, Voltaire is also :). Have you looked into how the Crown lost the American Colonies? Fascinating, to me.

No, I actually have never gotten into North American history specifically. It’s sad, I know. I’ve always focused on classical, western, and oriental. I really should start learning more about my own continent’s history.

@Schroedes13 Having looked at your profile I wonder :
Have you read “On the Art of Indian Governance”? Contemporaneous with “Art of War” but written by an Indian Brahman. Hard to get a full copy and the section on spies is usually quite truncated.
Can it be, you say you’d like to travel in the middle east, that you have read “Khalila wa Dimna”
Lovely Aesopian sort of thing . Written for Persian Princes.
Lived in India for a bit and enjoyed it very much. Been ‘round a few places and found N.America more to my liking. :) Be well.

I actually read Sun Tzu’s book, but not it’s Indian counterpart. It does sound quite interesting though.STOP GIVING ME MORE BOOKS TO READ! I need more time. I have not read the second script you mention either. :(

@Schroedes13 Which translation of Sun Tzu have you read? Yes, I’[ll stop giving you books to read…three days after I expire :).

One person’s terrorist is another’s free fighter…

Before considering how to punish them we have to define who they are. For example many governments fit your definition of terrorists.

of course that should be freedom not free (too many things on the go).

Depends on which side of the fight you’re on. Why would the police be shot at? Why are any of those things taking place on a large scale? Something tipped it. People just don’t up and rebel out of boredom.
Whichever side prevailes is going to make examples of the losers for sure.

Seems that freedom fighters and terrorists aren’t clear cut categories, hmmm?

There’s really nothing we can do about it unless you’re ok with killing them, which I am not. When we try to “fix” these problems, all we’re doing is making them worse. You CANNOT fight violence with violence, it just doesn’t work!! When are we going to realize this?? It doesn’t make the problem go away, it just pisses more people off! I mean, it’s about time we find another way to fight this problem because our previous solutions obviously aren’t working if we’re still having to deal with the issue at hand.