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Notes -
But the point of both terrorism and many partisan actions is to create fear, provoke a vast overreaction by the victim, and to inspire further action from others through what 19th century Russian nihilist social revolutionaries called “Propaganda of the Deed”. If Osama Bin Laden had secretly bought the Hostess company and increased the amount of sugar and trans fats in each Twinkie by 10 percent, he could have killed far more Americans than 9/11 did, and he would probably still be alive. But I doubt that would have fulfilled any of his political or strategic goals.
Except when has this ever actually happened? My understanding, from what I've read on the topic, is that "Propaganda of the Deed" never actually worked, not like the revolutionaries hoped, and was in fact counterproductive.
(If I thought such an act would inspire others on the same side to follow suit, well…)
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