What makes someone a terrorist? Someone who has an inclination toward violence to get their way. Someone who can't be reasoned with using logic or facts. They will not or cannot see any other view but their own- typically some unsustainable egoism that protects their limited world view. While often religious, any sufficiently normalized belief of false entitlement can generate extremism.
Overinflated egos and sneering disrespect prevent extremists from feeling the warning emotions like shame, guilt, or empathy. By whatever twisted doctrines they defend, anyone who disagrees with them is a Combatant needing neutralization. Any doubt or self-questioning is seen as "weakness" to brutish Neanderthal mentalities, making obtusely pigheaded macho bullshit revered as a "strength."
Both the Democratic party leadership and the Republican party easily qualify as terrorists. Both maintain constant war- for oil, power, or political advantage. Both consistently ignore reality and rationality to uphold their own self-serving agendas. Both only stay in power by eroding accountability, representation, oversight, recruiting ignorant citizens to fight each other on their behalf.
That's how Trump came to power- a convergence of both the anti-intellectuals and intellectuals rejecting this status quo. Some in full-on desperation, others thinking they've found a Hero Bully to justify their own character flaws. We do have more in common than most realize, but the impasse lies in humanitarianism vs imperialism- the same issue currently emptying the Democratic party base.
That's why I keep hammering on the point that, as Noam Chomsky stated, we have one party in America- the Business Party- with two branches. Differences between each vary by approach, speed, and rhetoric, but not direction (center-right). Real change would be having a party that defends its majority population, not just the controlling minority's power and profits; neither Dems nor Repubs can.
Our enemy isn't Muslims, or Russians, or Mexicans, or even ISIS. The overwhelming majority of American citizens who are oppressed, killed, imprisoned, or manipulated by threats and coercion are victims of our own political domestic terrorists, not foreigners. They are the new Third Reich millionaires- hiding mass killing, profitable poverty and global conquest behind suits, ties, and smiles.
By being "good citizens" who "support our troops" and swallow the establishment's "unity" narrative, we're supporting terrorism. By paying our taxes, we're funding it. By being part of either Side of the entrenched corporate cabal, we join terrorist organizations. That reality might be hidden through normalization or apathy, but it's one we must recognize to begin the work of rising above it.
My name is Michael, and I'm an Independent who rejects the legitimacy of our currently hijacked, non-representative puppet government. We the People must either wage a successful 'War on Terror' here at home first, or we must admit that all military actions under that excuse is merely hypocritical posturing which renders our country the most untrustworthy, violent world power ever known.