What's worse, gangsters or terrorists?

[Nero Stormchester]

They are for their own goals via intimidation. If you need to intimidate people who are causing you no harm in order to reach your goal, your goals are not going to benefit anyone but yourself. Democracy is worse then this to you?

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Because they discarded other's nuances to begin with by using intimidation to reach their own goals. They do not deserve anyone to look past that until they stop their intimidation.

And politicians aren't ? Don't kid yourself, this world is run through intimidation and money. It's just the worst kind happens on the grandest of scales , people are intimidated into doing what they needed to . The worst 'gangsters' don't need to break the law , they make the law. The system is also built to preserve the illusion of choice and the necessity of straight up ridiculous social constructs .

[Rucati]

Terrorists are worse for sure.

Gangsters do shit for money or power, that's respectable as far as I'm concerned.

Terrorists do shit for religion, and religion is nothing more than a cancer in society. Christian extremists in America are by far more dangerous than any gangster organization or foreign terrorist organization, so I'm counting them as terrorists in this situation.

[Nanaboostme]

This should be obvious... Gangsters dont directly go out to hurt random, innocent people in mass casualties as their sole purpose for being in a gang

[Xandrigity]

They are both bad for different reasons. There really isn't a comparison to me.

[Kellhound]

One is motivated by ideology, the other by simple greed. On that, I would say the gangsters are worse.

[Tijuana]

Unless you line up gangsters with terrorism since the term is pretty broad.

But the reason I felt like asking this is because I thought over it out of boredom, and I absolutely despise shows like Black Lagoon, movies like The Departed, and most Grand Theft Auto games (plot-wise) that try to give a neutral/gray perspective on gangsters or organized crime in general. It never lines up with me because I view it all as pitch black evil and don't understand why these stories would try to feed you something else instead of basing their stories around what is realistic, even if it's all fiction.

Now terrorists (the ISIS kind) are universally agreed to be evil, so I just wonder what you think is worse and why.

You have literally never played GTA for even 5 seconds, if you think the main character is presented as gray/neutral. The entire fantasy is to act like a criminal.

I think both are bad, in real life. However, I would argue that terrorism is worse, because it's just hatred with nothing gained. A mobster might kill you, but he doesn't necessarily want to kill you just to watch you die.

[Ave07]

Terrorists

At least gangs usually fight other gangs while terrorists attack innocent people.

[Slirith]

Same difference to me.

[Alvito]

Doesn't really change my statement or sentiment. Number of deaths caused is not a factor in my thinking on this topic.

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Economically motivated street criminals not centered on changing the political and cultural landscape of a nation is indeed more okay.

I might change my stance when the Gangster Disciples on Lamron start driving tanks, flying planes into buildings and posting execution vids of infidels on Youtube because religion instead of just trying to sell me coke and weed.

Some of that is just due to your proximity to these things. The cartels in Mexico are ruthless and dangerous tank or no tanks. They have gone toe to toe with the Mexican military plenty of times. Just last year they shot down 2 military helicopters on TV in a shoot out chase. Both are horrible and kill people in mass. At some point we are talking about if it is better to be eaten alive by a tiger or a wolf, both suck and nobody wants either.

[Hawthorne Wipes]

Terrorists basically share the same thing, they follow a certain ideology and exploit it through fear, murder and torture.
There are all kind of Gangsters archtypes.
You cannot compare the Yakuza, the Cosa Nostra, the mexican cartels, the city gangs..
Ones have been seen helping the population after a natinal disaster, while others can just kidnap you while ypu happily walk on the street and behead you if your family do not pay.
Other gangs you will never be able to encounter them unless you are into the criminal world yourself.
Their motivations are usually money and a certain degree of power, and violence is not meant to be the basic tool of work.
Its better for the bussiness to keep a low profile.

[Adamas102]

Terrorists are worse for sure.

Gangsters do shit for money or power, that's respectable as far as I'm concerned.

Terrorists do shit for religion, and religion is nothing more than a cancer in society. Christian extremists in America are by far more dangerous than any gangster organization or foreign terrorist organization, so I'm counting them as terrorists in this situation.

That's exactly why I would say the opposite.

Terrorists (of the religious fundamentalist variety, at least), are pretty much just brainwashed nutjobs who believe that higher powers demand they do all sorts of awful shit. Gangsters (like the cartels and other organized crime syndicates) will do the exact same horrible shit simply for greed. In my opinion, that is as low as you can go. To cause pain and misery to others just for money.

As to which is more dangerous, that depends entirely on where you live.

[Theodarzna]

Someone who believe fervently their actions are both righteous but ordained by heaven are a terrifying force. Under the command from on high, one could enact something truly devastating and feel no guilt in it.

I suppose I chose terrorist because there is a level of security that gangs won't do anything suicidal. Someone out to remake the world, to reshape mankind, to create a better world can be an unstoppable force, and can leave nothing but death around them.

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That's exactly why I would say the opposite.

Terrorists (of the religious fundamentalist variety, at least), are pretty much just brainwashed nutjobs who believe that higher powers demand they do all sorts of awful shit. Gangsters (like the cartels and other organized crime syndicates) will do the exact same horrible shit simply for greed. In my opinion, that is as low as you can go. To cause pain and misery to others just for money.

As to which is more dangerous, that depends entirely on where you live.

One has to factor in risk. A Gangster isn't likely to say engineer a super disease. A sufficiently dedicated and disgruntled individual or group (Religious or just dedicated) could do that for purely ideological reasons.

[Orange Joe]

Doesn't really change my statement or sentiment. Number of deaths caused is not a factor in my thinking on this topic.

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Economically motivated street criminals not centered on changing the political and cultural landscape of a nation is indeed more okay.

I might change my stance when the Gangster Disciples on Lamron start driving tanks, flying planes into buildings and posting execution vids of infidels on Youtube because religion instead of just trying to sell me coke and weed.

You say deaths don't matter. Then go on to compare how terrorist seem to murder more... Not to mention I can get you some videos of Mexican and South American gangsters doing plenty of executions. Don't see how adding religion makes it any worse. Murder is murder.

[Mormolyce]

I don't think it'd be hard for organised crime to beat terrorism's 9 per year death toll.

Organisations in your own country are always more dangerous than those outside, for obvious reasons. Vast majority of the world's terrorist attacks take place in the Middle East.

[Deleted]

You can reason with gangsters. You can't with fanatics.

[Zython]

Probably Nazis.

[Waynhim]

You can avoid organzied crime, but you can't avoid the effect of it. Junkies stealing stuff to afford drugs etc.

I also view kidnapping/trafficking just as bad as as terrorists actions, in some cases worse.

[PaladinBash]

Worse? Gangsters, allowed to thrive as they do in America, do far more and undermine a society in a way terrorists can only dream of. I'd argue that both just want money and power and murder/intimidate/corrupt innocent people in the process, sometimes with that being both the means and the end. It's just that gangsters are much more numerous and successful at the moment. I'd argue terrorism is at least moderately successful in Europe as it's weakened the resolve of the country's leadership in response to it's goal of making way for Islam but that is inevitably going to backfire, meaning that the whole thing will die down afterwards.

People that collectively murder thousands and massively undermine social order over years of action are worse than people that plot out a single massive attack that kills dozens.

[Deleted]

The answer is clear: terrorist gangsters ... from out of space!

One side does it for money, the other does it for their god... now the question is which you consider to be greater.
I'd say both are pretty bad.

[Lumineus]

Terrorism, because it degenerates further the larger it tries to expand.

As gangsterism expands into an international enterprise, power plays become more about commerce control than violent shows of force or territorial skirmishes. It lends an air of legitimacy. International terrorism, on the other hand, shows a marked increase in the scale and audacity of violence committed because for the terrorist organization, violence is an end unto itself.

There's also the issue of culture clash. It's rare for gangsters to deal in places where their upbringing is completely incompatible, so even abroad you see things like Yakuza operating in China, the long stretch between Colombia and Mexico, and of course the "old families" from Europe establishing themselves in America through their descendants. Likewise, you see a lot more empathy for "home grown" terrorists because at least locals can actually understand their motives, but international terrorists have goals that are fundamentally incompatible with the society they are terrorizing, along with ideals that are increasingly delusional the larger their operation has become.