*SIGH* ... I can't stand this kind of college level pontification. It's usually a little pretentious, and or didactic.
Though if you're riddling, which at this point I'm not sure if you are ...
Is it because we cannot declare war on an emotion ?
Or because when you retaliate, you are in fact "terrorizing" someone else ?
Or am I in a completely different ballpark ?
Are you talking specifically about post 911 "terrorism", or the more old school, home-grown, militia-extremist style terrorism, or both in the sense that they are mostly decentralized, and capable of operating without a specific "leader" ?
Is there is an actual answer ? Because my wife is a college professor that teaches a Terrorism class. So maybe I should ask her.
EDIT: We stray OT.