Define These

             Define These

 

Hamas accuses Israel of genocide. Israel calls Hamas terrorists. Logic is irrelevant in passionate politics, but I ask anyhow, because I identify as a nerd:

Define “genocide”. What percent casualty rate qualifies? Does 15000/2100000 = 0.71%? If so then do annual traffic deaths qualify?

Define “terrorism” in terms that do not include the routine behavior of states at war. Was the Cold War terrorism?

          The worst actors in this war fight for religion. Define “God”.

Bonus question:  “Semite” includes both Arabs and Jews. Is Netanyahu anti-Semitic? (I recommend a more precise replacement term: “Judaophobic”, in parallel with “Islamophobic”.)

Some statistics:

Annual USA traffic deaths = 43000 out of 333000000 = 0.013 %. So it does not qualify as genocide, by Hamas’s definition. Annual USA gun deaths = 48000 out of 333000000 = 0.014 %. Another non-qualifier. Annual USA heart attack deaths = 376000 out of 333000000 = 0.11%. So heart attacks are close to qualifying. Total USA covid deaths = 1300000 out of 333000000 = 0.39%. That’s closer.

You can legitimately say that for the Gazans, this war has been worse than covid. That’s a valid point.

The Oxford online dictionary defines ‘genocide’ as:

“The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.”

“Large” is ambiguous, and needn’t involve percentages. The key seems to be deliberation and aim. I think this weakens the definition, for I cannot read minds. At most I can judge from stated intentions.

The IDF claims that they are minimizing civilian casualties. Hamas’s charter calls for maximizing civilian casualties. So IDF might not fit, but Hamas definitely does.

The Oxford online dictionary defines ‘terrorism’ as:

“The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.”

So states at war would definitely be terrorist organizations, except for a loophole: “lawful” violence and intimidation of civilians for political gain.

So define “lawful”. Is the Mafia code of omerta a legal system?

The definition is circular. Violence against civilians is not terrorism if it is lawful: and it is lawful if it is committed by non-terrorists. In practice law and terrorism are defined by who won. Not who’s right but who’s left.

Please note that I slam both Hamas, with ‘define genocide’, and the IDF, with ‘define terrorism’. ‘Define God’ slams theocracy; ‘define lawful’ slams the state; but maybe these are trick questions. Here’s a third tricky question: define money.