Great English Short Stories (1957), selected and introduced by Isherwood, p. 267 <!-- [Laurel TM 674623] -->
Context: Horror is always aware of its cause; terror never is. That is precisely what makes terror terrifying.
“Desire can attain the darkest human terror and give an actual ideal of hell and its horror.”
Source: Where There's a Will: Thoughts on the Good Life (2003), Ch. 15 : Interesting Times
Context: Of the old, violent anarchist groups it was said that they always contained one pathological killer, one selfless idealist and one police spy. It was difficult, at first glance, to tell which was which, but the idealist was always the most dangerous. A "war against terrorism" is an impracticable conception if it means fighting terrorism with terrorism. The feelings on both sides are not that they are taking part in some evil and criminal act but risking their lives heroically for what they consider to be a just cause. You could understandably reduce terrorism by improving security and increasing the number of police spies, but it can only finally be reduced by removing the number of just causes. ANC terrorism was pointless after the end of apartheid. Terrorism in Israel will stop only when a just solution has been agreed to and the occupied territories handed back. Terrorism has existed in Ireland since Elizabeth I sent the Earl of Essex out in an unsatisfactory attempt to quell the rebels. However, since former terrorists have become government ministers in Northern Ireland, some progress has been made and sometimes the signs are hopeful.
“In defeating terror, Israel’s cause is our cause.”
Hanukkah dinner speech at Yeshiva University (December 2005)
Senate years (2001 – January 19, 2007)
“In horror, in terror, she accepted the metamorphosis — gnat, foam, ant, until death.”
Last lines
All Men are Mortal (1946)
Context: In horror, in terror, she accepted the metamorphosis — gnat, foam, ant, until death. And it's only the beginning, she thought. She stood motionless, as if it were possible to play tricks with time, possible to stop it from following its course. But her hands stiffened against her quivering lips.
When the bells began to sound the hour she let out the first scream.
“Tony Blair: Military occupation causes terrorism.”
On being arrested during a one-man protest October 14, 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3192224.stm
“Whoso causes terror is himself more fearful.”
Qui terret plus ipse timet.
Panegyricus de Quarto Consulatu Honorii Augusti, line 290 http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Claudian/De_IV_Consulatu_Honorii*.html#290.
“State terror is almost always much more extreme than retail terror, and this is no exception.”
Interview by Tony Jones on Lateline, April 8, 2002 http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/20020408.htm.
Quotes 2000s, 2002
Context: [Q: do you think the Palestinian suicide bombers are freedom fighters or terrorists? ] They're terrorists - they're both, actually. They're trying to fight for freedom, but doing it in a totally unacceptable immoral way. Of course they're terrorists. And there's been Palestinian terrorism all the way through. I have always opposed it, I oppose it now. But it's very small as compared with the US-backed Israeli terrorism. Quite typically, violence reflects the means of violence. It's not unusual. State terror is almost always much more extreme than retail terror, and this is no exception.
Source: Straight with a Twist (2000), p. 27.
The Tonight Show, 11 September 2006
Context: In a world where there is enlightenment, intelligence, kindness, awareness of others' needs and others' well-being, there is no terrorism. And in a world of viciousness and narrow-mindedness and only one way, there will be terrorism. Our challenge, in our country, is to find a way to disagree amongst ourselves without being so awful about it.
[Wired, 2006-08-24, http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,71642-0.html, Refuse to be Terrorized, Schneier, Bruce, 2006-09-08]
Human perception of reality, risk and terrorism
