9
9
0
Generally the "Christian Science Monitor" gets its reporting/analysis pretty close to the mark.
This article is a good introduction and the follow-up ones should be interesting.
This article is a good introduction and the follow-up ones should be interesting.
Why people become terrorists
Posted from csmonitor.com
Politics
Terrorism
Religion
Middle East
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 6
3
3
0
COL Ted Mc This is a great article and hits on the predominate contributing factors that aren't often talked about socio economic factors, disconnection with society, influence of one's society, and seeking approval. Thanks so much for posting this. Great article!
(3)
(0)
COL Ted Mc
CPT (Join to see) - Captain; As I've said before "Surprisingly enough, the 'Christian Science Monitor' doesn't have much of an 'ideological line' to sell UNLESS the article is actually about Christian Science.".
Equally surprisingly (or not as you prefer) the "Deseret Morning News" runs them a close second (most of the time). [And, where it doesn't it provides a good "control group" to test the ideas against.]
Equally surprisingly (or not as you prefer) the "Deseret Morning News" runs them a close second (most of the time). [And, where it doesn't it provides a good "control group" to test the ideas against.]
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
COL Ted Mc A very interesting article, I have a grad certificate in Homeland Security Studies and have read extensively on radicalization and how one morphs into a terrorist. Dr Mark Sageman examines this phenomenon closely. The middle class individual that becomes a terrorist most likely is educated (Engineers have a proclivity) and is unhappy with his lack of success in achieving employment commensurate with their education.
Of course this isnt true for all terrorists but empirical data seems to bear this out as likely. Many terrorists, many motives, many backgrounds .
Thank you for posting this interesting piece.
Of course this isnt true for all terrorists but empirical data seems to bear this out as likely. Many terrorists, many motives, many backgrounds .
Thank you for posting this interesting piece.
(1)
(0)
COL Ted Mc
LTC Bink Romanick - Colonel; Your comment that "The middle class individual that becomes a terrorist most likely is educated (Engineers have a proclivity) and is unhappy with his lack of success in achieving employment commensurate with their education." got me to thinking about the proclivity for State Licensing Boards to refuse to recognize foreign credentials WITHOUT allowing foreign credentialed people to "challenge" the State Standards. (I have much less of an issue with the insistence on a minimum level of English fluency [and no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who takes the position that someone should be able to take all of their schooling {in the US} in a language other than English, complete their academic medical education in that language, do their internship in that language, and then be able to practice medicine without knowing any English whatsoever].)
I can appreciate that State Licensing Boards have a duty to uphold standards, but simply rejecting foreign trained professionals without actually examining their competence doesn't do anyone any good whatsoever and a PhD
Engineer with 25 years experience in their native country who ends up driving a cab isn't likely to be the most enthusiastic booster of "America, the Land of Opportunity".
I can appreciate that State Licensing Boards have a duty to uphold standards, but simply rejecting foreign trained professionals without actually examining their competence doesn't do anyone any good whatsoever and a PhD
Engineer with 25 years experience in their native country who ends up driving a cab isn't likely to be the most enthusiastic booster of "America, the Land of Opportunity".
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
What is wrong with these people? no matter what the reasons, it's hard for me to believe they are so disconnected that they do not know right from wrong....To me they are all week minded and or VERY VERY SELFISH people who are power hungry.
To bad we can't scoop them all up and put them on an island somewhere with no way of getting off.
To bad we can't scoop them all up and put them on an island somewhere with no way of getting off.
(1)
(0)
LTC (Join to see)
my small group of examples may be statisically skewed but I see alcoholism and substance abuse as being big factors. I recall when I was in Iraq a Saudi crashed his SVBIED into a truck of a local iraqi commander, by accident, instead of his intended target of the the front gate of the Iraqi Air Force basebecause he was stoned out of his mind. This base was right by Kirkuk Regional Air Base where I was working as an LNO at the Warrior TOC in 2005. T
The vehicle had a bunch of 152mm shells ready to command detonate but this guy was stoned and he had to be that way to get the courage, or stupidity, to do this. He failed and many lives were saved. I see this as a common factor..drugs, drunks, druggies and sometimes terrorism.
The vehicle had a bunch of 152mm shells ready to command detonate but this guy was stoned and he had to be that way to get the courage, or stupidity, to do this. He failed and many lives were saved. I see this as a common factor..drugs, drunks, druggies and sometimes terrorism.
(0)
(0)
LTC Bink Romanick
Sgt Kelli Mays The point is that they think they're right "one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter".
(0)
(0)
COL Ted Mc
Sgt Kelli Mays - Sergeant; LTC Bink Romanick has it correct. Those people believe that they are "right".
When dealing with people, "reality" almost always takes a backseat to "belief".
When dealing with people from another culture, "their" culture almost always pushes "our" culture out of the car door (hopefully while the car is moving slowly enough so as not to do significant damage.
LTC (Join to see) - Major; Without actually having direct, personally observed, knowledge of the situation, I'd estimate that the use of "uppers" is EXTREMELY common amongst the "ISISite Line Troops". This works both for and against our side because "stoned" people do dumb things under the impression that they are invulnerable and because "stoned" people are extremely difficult to "put down".
[ASIDE - Consider the British experience in India which caused them to change from .38 to .45 or .50 calibre handguns for "close defense". Or even the American police experience which caused them to change from "Police Specials" to "Glocks". {"Same Number + Heavier Bullets" vs "More Bullets + Same Weight"} I suspect that 5.56mm (.224 cal) is suitable for some "enemies" but completely unsuitable for others and that those "others" require 7.62mm (.30 cal) while others will require 9mm (.38 cal) and yet others will require 11.43mm (.45 cal) in order to be "put down" effectively. This, of course, creates a logistical nightmare which can REALLY complicate the lives of soldiers who can't "put down" the enemy at a respectable distance while using only one or two rounds.]
When dealing with people, "reality" almost always takes a backseat to "belief".
When dealing with people from another culture, "their" culture almost always pushes "our" culture out of the car door (hopefully while the car is moving slowly enough so as not to do significant damage.
LTC (Join to see) - Major; Without actually having direct, personally observed, knowledge of the situation, I'd estimate that the use of "uppers" is EXTREMELY common amongst the "ISISite Line Troops". This works both for and against our side because "stoned" people do dumb things under the impression that they are invulnerable and because "stoned" people are extremely difficult to "put down".
[ASIDE - Consider the British experience in India which caused them to change from .38 to .45 or .50 calibre handguns for "close defense". Or even the American police experience which caused them to change from "Police Specials" to "Glocks". {"Same Number + Heavier Bullets" vs "More Bullets + Same Weight"} I suspect that 5.56mm (.224 cal) is suitable for some "enemies" but completely unsuitable for others and that those "others" require 7.62mm (.30 cal) while others will require 9mm (.38 cal) and yet others will require 11.43mm (.45 cal) in order to be "put down" effectively. This, of course, creates a logistical nightmare which can REALLY complicate the lives of soldiers who can't "put down" the enemy at a respectable distance while using only one or two rounds.]
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google