"It's no more possible to be successfully be at war with "terrorism" as it is to be at war with artillery, or at war with bombs. We may as well declare war against ghosts. We can declare war against those who use those tactics, but that would be honest."

Here is an attempt at defining terrorism:
http://www.therationalradical.com/dsep/other/terrorism-definition.htm

"Terrorism is a tactic used by small forces deprived of an armed force. It is a tactic used by George Washington in the War of Independence, but not by Sherman in the Civil War."

I think you are refering to guerrilla warfare. Terrorism is usually used when civilians are attacked- the Britsh civilians would been for most part over in England. Sherman tactic of removing a source of food for the opposing army, would affect the civilians in the area also.

"The only reason his "making Georgia howl" wasn't terrorism, it was indiscriminate war against the civilian population, after all, is because it was done by an army. Just as the Palestinians are "terrorists", but the Israelis, lobbing random artillery shells into Palestinian cities, are not "terrorists"."

I would define any miltary or non-miltary attack intended to affect civilian populations as terror attacks. Of course if non-uniformed guerrilla forces is fighting among civilians it is involving the civilian population in the war. Even a uniformed guerrilla force has some responsibility if it is fighting among civilians. Forcing civilians to remain in the combat zone, rather than allowing them to flee, is a more obvious example of involving civilian- or even more extreme, using them as human sheilds.

"There are people behind the terrorist tactics. We would do well to learn who and why, and not fall for the jingoistic nonsense that "they hate freedom". People don't sacrifice themselves because "they hate freedom". That's just BS peddled by politicians for the masses."

Well, if these guys don't want people to have freedom of speech, or people to have "comforts" such as running water, electricity or more the "fancier stuff"- stuff other than a mud hut. The idea that people get weak willed or lack the need for religion when they are not living in poverty. It not jingoism to call this "hating freedom".

"Beating terrorism? It's not an organized force against one can declare war. It's nothing more or less than a tactic."

The point is that it is an organized force. These people aren't simply "out of the blue" deciding that today would nice day to strap on explosives, board some bus, and detonate.