In Joseph Conrad's classic The Secret Agent the terrorist target was the Greenwich Observatory -- an absurdity as it could pose no threat to the terrorist or the foreign power which supported him. But such a target is also logical, because terror depends on inducing a state of unreasoning fear.
Smoking and car accidents account for a far greater number of deaths in any year than does terror -- do we fear these? No, we deal with them. We discourage smoking and encourage safe driving and automobile design. But we accept trade-offs. We don't ban smoking or automobiles.
But to qualify as terrorism, it is not enough that an act causes terror among its victims or among the populace. Even with the worst horrors, social tradeoffs are made. Thus, for cheap goods (i.e. "free trade") we tolerate the crushing of over one thousand workers in Bengladesh. Similarly, we accept such horrors as New Town with not a single action by the national legislature.
Terrorism, unlike most forms of private evil, is done for broader political or social purposes. Generally only government may use violence towards these ends, and it is the involvement of government that legitimates, at least for most purposes, the violent means that are chosen.
For this reason, a government will never compromise with "terrorists" -- not that a government won't negotiate with people who are or who have been terrorists -- it's just that they'll be renamed as "leaders" or something like that, classic examples being the "Northern Ireland peace process" or the cozying up to Moammar Qadaffi before the Arab Spring.
And meanwhile the word "terror" itself, like a magic incantation justifies the establishment of a secret government, capable itself of torture and assassination, even of a 16 year-old boy born in Denver.
Out here in Oregon, there seems to be a custom, whenever a clear cut is made, of leaving a band of about 50 feet wide, paralleling a road, of trees uncut. This way, if you're driving along, you have the illusion of passing through a forest, but if you look closely, the place has been logged off.
The same is true for our country. The written constitution remains unchanged. Elections and protests occur. And the endless talk talk talk of an apparent democracy goes on.
But look carefully through the few trees remaining along the highway -- all the laws beyond have been cut down. And in their place slouches a rough beast, its hour come round at last.