• Todd Bonzalez@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      Drug Cartel violence can sometimes cross the line to terrorism, but usually isn’t classified that way. Terrorism is generally defined by targeted attacks against civilians in order to achieve political goals. Most drug cartel violence does not meet that definition.

      Drug cartel violence is basically just gang violence. Violence for the sake of maintaining power.

      I suppose “terrorism” is a more powerful word that evokes greater emotion from people, but we shouldn’t use it inappropriately or we risk separating the word from its own meaning.

      • lennybird@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        6 months ago

        I’d say their routine targeting of journalists, celebrities, kidnapping of school children fits that definition of terrorism.

    • kent_eh
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      6 months ago

      Those aren’t mutually exclusive terms.