I think the semantic summersault was an attempt to shake the moral relativists off their perch. Slap them across the face with what they are sanctioning. Unfortunatley I fear it is a futile effort. Somehow "suicide bomber" doesn't convey the magnitude of the horror that is being created, or perhaps we just became desensitized to the word and wanted something new that carried the same sense of horror as it did before.

Suha's excuse is a little thin given the last few attacks by female suicide bombers.

I like the change. As BCM suggests, it does break up the monotony. I've been using "Exploding Arabs" myself, because I'm not getting paid (nor edited) and I'm determined to highlight both the horror and the absurdity of the tactic.

I'm going to start to use "human bomb."

I sympathize with those who refuse to acquiesce to public parlance that subtly does our cause ill, by cloaking the full evil of a despicable act. Also I don't agree that suicide is the worst aspect of this behavior, either in its horror or its effectiveness. But it is the suicide part of it that is the biggest attention grabber because of the peculiar world-view it manifests, and I don't doubt the term "suicide bomber" will survive our feeble efforts to kill it.

Words matter, names matter, because they influence the way people think about things.

I propose "death cult bombers" ...

Why not kamikaze? It's a well-understood term.

I don't like kamikaze. I can't explain how it's happened, but that term has taken on an almost positive connotation. Besides, the kamikaze pilots of WWII primarily targeted warships -- not civilians.

I kinda like that "Exploding Arabs" idea, myself. Is that wrong?

Bjorn Staerk prefers suicide terrorist, which I think captures it nicely. The language matters not for Arabs, but for Europeans who need to be reminded that these aren't martyrs; they're killers. Suicide bomber makes it sound like the Palestinian is something other than collateral damage in an effort to kill Jews, but this is all about homicide. How about genocide bombers?

The terrorists hate the term "suicide bomber" since anybody who commits suicide goes straight to hell. That's why they they a point of calling them matyrs. I say we keep calling them "suicide bombers" or "suicide killers" since it pisses them off.

How about "the latest impediment to a Palestinian State"? Or, en masse, "Arafat's willing executioners"?

And the crime should be labelled "murder-suicide", just like you see in the newspaper when some guy kills someone (his wife or his family or his co-workers) and then kills himself.

Yes, "murder-suicide bomber" is the best term. Dropping a word for brevity buys you what, in this case?

Yes, "murder-suicide bomber" is the best term. Dropping a word for brevity buys you what, in this case?

how about...ILSAMAKAZI?

catchy huh?

sorry...ISLAMAKAZI.

I kind of like "suicide murderer", though I'm not sure I can explain why that term seems more accurate than "suicide bomber", "suicide terrorist", or "homicide bomber".

I think it has something to do with the fact that it emphasizes the purpose of the attacks - to murder people - while not dancing around the fact that these people commit suicide, not out of despair, not even out of the desire to instill terror, but for hate's sake. To commit suicide is nothing if you can kill people while doing it. The two in conjunction point up, for me, the absolute horror of committing suicide for that reason and motive, better than any of the alternatives.

How in the world can anyone say "kamikaze" has a positive connotation?

I think that's the most accurate term for the terrorists:

o The kamikazes thought they were performing their divine duty; they were primarily young men brainwashed into the role.

o Those running the kamikaze operations knew they were nothing more than guided bombs; they were primarily middle-aged men who knew they couldn't win a straight fight.

o The psychological effect was greater than the mililtary effect.

Exploding Arabs is very funny. Unfortunately it doesn't convey the tragic, brutal nature of the act. But it did bring a smile to my lips...

I've been noodling over this for a few hours.

What I've come up with:
Shrapnelistinians
Explodespersons
Intefadetonations
F[bigoted word]s
Arabombs
Humunitions
Gazakazies
Ramallahbombs
Husseinicidal Maniacs (or Saddamicidal Maniacs or Fahdicidal Maniacs, depending on who picks up the tab)

Still not as good as the Islamikazi term. Very catchy.

"Cowardly murderer who makes most reasonable people hope against hope for the existence of a just God and therefore the eternal torments of Hell for said cowardly murderer." Or maybe "splodeydopes."

Mr. Crawford, I beliveve the usage of the term "kamikaze" was the issue, I would not flinch at someone using the term to describe a barreling baserunner or hard-hitting hockey player.

For this reason the term has lost its effectiveness.

I would not flinch at someone using the term to describe a barreling baserunner or hard-hitting hockey player.

For this reason the term has lost its effectiveness.

I disagree. I don't see people using it that way, at least not enough for it to have lost its meaning -- a suicidal attack motivated by fanatic zeal.

"Suicide terrorist" is perfect. It captures the meaning and intent of the act in full. I'm going to use it from now on.

Sorry: final thought: "Suicide Terrorist" also catches the attacks where a terrorist picks a spot and makes sniper attacks until being killed by the military response. Obviously such a person isn't a suicide bomber.

The kamikazes at least attacked legitimate targets, American warships engaged in actions against Japan.

Julie McCarthy of NPR--wouldn't you know it?--has come up with a different term. The other day she referred to a woman "protestor," the fourth such who blew herself up to protest Israeli occupation or massacres or existence or whatever.

Ms. McCarthy didn't see the need to mention that this "protestor" blew up six people with her.

of course palestinians should have nothing but stones...to face up to the fourth largest army in the world!!! would that make u all happy?

repeat...palestinians should have nothing but stones...to face up to the fourth largest army in the world...then u will all be happy!!! no?

I like:

Suicide-Homicide Insane Terrorist Bomber, which can be abbreviated as

S.H.I.T Bomber.

I think it captures both their smell and their worth to the planet in one simple, eloquent statement.

"of course palestinians should have nothing but stones...to face up to the fourth largest army in the world!!! would that make u all happy? "

Ghandi managed to face down the British Empire without semtex OR rocks. But then, he had a functioning brain.

How about Tom Clancy's name for them in Executive Orders: "Not-so-smart bombs" or "Men wearing C-4 jackets"?