Nascondere con le parole. La normalizzazione del concetto di “terrorismo”

The chapter deals with a less obvious but, nonetheless, no less effective tool of denial of mass violence: the definition and redefinition of concepts. The case of terrorism is, from this perspective, exemplary. Not only because the notion of terrorism itself is relatively recent and representative, therefore, of a break in the dominant political and legal culture. But, more importantly, because the concept of terrorism has undergone an abrupt evolution over the past three decades. Such transformation has even expanded the recognition of the terrorist nature of certain acts and subjects in one direction but, on the other hand, has ended up denying the nature of a terrorist act to others. In particular, it has severed the relationship between the state and terrorism that, on the contrary, had been commonly recognized throughout the twentieth century.