Aurors & the war v terror was Re: Crouch Sr/Jr + WW + DE's mark

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 37750

Grey Wolf wrote:

> Wars involve some sort of big confrontation, like two armies facing 
> each other, or invasion by numbers. Voldemort's Reign of Terror is 
> exactly what's implied in it's name: terrorism, trying to take over 
a country by frightening everyone into submission.
> 
snip

A  possible example of the Aurors vs. DeathEaters similarity is North 
> Ireland's terrorism problem, and the way the English goverment 
tried to solution it: by going in with the army. The trouble is that 
the motives  of one and another are not comparable, but the situation 
is (more or less) the same.
.
I've thought about the comparison between the Aurors and the British 
Army, and their respective fights against terrorism, But I can't 
really see a connection. I think you're right, the motives were very 
different and the situation vastly different.

(Arguably), the problems in NI came about through centuries of 
oppression. The "Troubles" though stem from the fact that the 
majority of the people in whats now NI voted to remain part of the 
UK. The Catholic Minority wished to be part of EIRE. The fact that 
the Northern Catholics felt like secondary citisens only added weight 
to their feelings of oppression. However, they were part of a 
democratic process. The supporters of Voldemort start from a very 
different vantage point: They seem to represent the "Old Order" and 
are in effect involved in a Counter-Revolution against a more 
inclusive Wizarding World as visualised by the likes of Dumbledore. 
The fact that we see the Old Elite as represented by Malfoy against 
barely accepted newcomers like the Werewolf Lupin and the half-giant 
Hagrid is no coincidence.

It would seem to me that the terrorism in Northern Ireland had - at 
least - at its roots a basis for disquiet, and is therefore very 
different to the terrorists under Voldemort who act to preserve their 
self interest - not to gain it.

The British Army were sent into NI to try and maintain a peace 
between 2 opposing but linked communities. The fact that the Army was 
indelibly linked to one side, made this task impossible. However the 
Aurors appear to be individuals fighting against other individuals - 
who unlike some terrorists in NI- do not seem to have been hailed as 
heroes by their own community. A very different scenario. Of course, 
once terrorism takes hold, the feelings of fear it brings will differ 
little whatever its original beginnings. As an ex-Londoner, I have 
vivid memories of hearing - and feeling a bomb go off 1/4 mile from 
my home in the 1970s, and again another bomb going off in my new town 
of Reading, only a few years ago.

 Are you arguing that the British Army stooped to a level that was no
 better than the terrorists they were fighting? It is certainly 
stated in canon that some on the "Goodside" of JKR's war against 
terror used methods such as the Unforgiveable Curses, conviction 
without trial, which seems to me to have toppled them from their 
moral highground. The British Army made some terrible "mistakes", and 
the Government did at one time use Internment as a way of gathering 
suspected, but unconvicted terrorists. Perhaps on this aspect, at 
least there are some similarities.

Ali

This is certainly not an argument in favour of terrorism - which I 
deplore - only a recognition that its necessary to understand its 
root causes, before it can be stamped out.