freedom fighter/guerrilla

[panicmonger]

Hi, hello, happy new year.

Could you tell me what the difference is between a freedom fighter and a guerrilla?

Thank you so much.

 

[Tdol]

A guerilla is a particular type of fighter- guerillas fight in small groups, are not regular army, and use strategies like sabotage to fight a stronger force. Freedom fighter is a wider term for people struggling for political freedom- they don't have to be engaged in acts of warfare.

 

[Raymott]

Hi, hello, happy new year.

Could you tell me what the difference is between a freedom fighter and a guerrilla?

Thank you so much.

There's a political difference which is not linguistic, but you'll find it in the (Western) news, etc.
In less literal terms, a "freedom fighter" is a person who is fighting against a regime which you also disagree with. That is, you are on the side of someone you refer to as a "freedom fighter", since 'freedom' is an avowedly Western value, and fighting for freedom is therefore a good thing.
"Guerrilla" is a more neutral term, tending towards disapproval.
A "freedom fighter" against a Western country might, in Western newspapers, be referred to, loosely, as a terrorist.

Note, these are only tendencies. But there are a lot of coded words in the media.

 

[vgv8]

Could you tell me what the difference is between a freedom fighter and a guerrilla?

Freedom fighters do not hide and engage legal methods of fighting while guerillas are the opposite. The cause of the former is clear for friends and enemies but of the latter is eventually blurred even for their own close friends, relatives and allies

 

[vgv8]

A guerilla is a particular type of fighter- guerillas fight in small groups, are not regular army, and use strategies like sabotage to fight a stronger force

I would not say so.
Guerilla Tactics are widely accepted by quite organized armies of corporations for project management, Marketing, etc.

 

[Raymott]

I would not say so.
Guerilla Tactics are widely accepted by quite organized armies of corporations for project management, Marketing, etc.

You can't use a metaphorical use to argue about the literal meaning of a term, though, in this case, I think it rather tends to support Tdol's definition (which is dictionary correct).

 

[Tdol]

I would not say so.
Guerilla Tactics are widely accepted by quite organized armies of corporations for project management, Marketing, etc.

Have you actually read those articles? Apart from the obvious point Raymott made that they are both figurative uses of the word, the first has a discussion about guerilla warfare that says this:

So what exactly is guerilla warfare? It is a form or irregular warfare, which is any warfare that is waged by a non-standard military group. In this case we're talking about a small group of combatants using mobile military tactics such as ambushes and raids to combat a larger, less mobile army. Their goal is to slowly erode their adversary's power, influence, and will.

I said:

guerillas fight in small groups, are not regular army, and use strategies like sabotage to fight a stronger force

I can't see how something confirming what I said disproves what I said.

 

[Barb_D]

I think it's worth pointing out the validity of Ray's point.

People opposed to the government, and you don't like the government: Freedom fighters, possible (depending on their objective) separatists

People opposed to the government, and you like the government: Traitors, terrorists (depending on their methods)

 

[vgv8]

Freedom fighters, possible (depending on their objective) separatists

separatists from what?

 

[bhaisahab]

separatists from what?

There are many examples of "separatist" movements around the world. People who want their region of a particular country to separate from that country and become independent.

 

[Tdol]

I think it's worth pointing out the validity of Ray's point.

People opposed to the government, and you don't like the government: Freedom fighters, possible (depending on their objective) separatists

People opposed to the government, and you like the government: Traitors, terrorists (depending on their methods)

Like the saying One person's freedom fighter is another person's terrorist.

 

[Barb_D]

If the British had won what we call the Revolution War, our "patriots" would be "traitors."

 

[vgv8]

If the British had won what we call the Revolution War, our "patriots" would be "traitors."

You seem all confuse Freedom with Independence (or Separatism, or Nationalism)

If to follow your logic, the creation of European Union was the victory of the enemies of Freedom
Are they correct sentences?

Is
"You seem to confuse Freedom with Independence"
correct?

 

[NikkiBarber]

Although freedom and independence can mean different things I think that in this case they are almost interchangeable. Most freedom fighters would say that they are fighting for independence from something.

 

[vgv8]

But which of the sentences are correct?

 

[Barb_D]

You seem to confuse ... there is no need for capital letters on the nouns that follow.

 

[vgv8]

You seem to confuse ... there is no need for capital letters on the nouns that follow.

What did you want to tell by bolding "to"?