What motivates a terrorist?

I'll start by saying that I utterly condemn any act of terrorism or violence. I am a peaceful man and in no way approve of terrorists. Just clearing that up for all you fanatical patriots.

Anyway, my question for discussion is in the thread title, "What motivates a terrorist?"

Terrorists are all over the news in this post-modern era and have been for decades past. We all know what they do. Yet we dont always have a very clear picture of why they do it.

Quite often we are told that the motivation is religious hatred. Yet the term "religious war" has been used to label many conflicts over the centuries and is quite often just a guise for an ulterior or political motive.

I do not believe that religion is the sole motive for this new wave of modern terrorists, or indeed the reason why they choose to target the US/West in particular.

So, what are the motivations of modern terrorists? Is it political? Ideological? Economics?

I'd love to hear your ideas.

Peace

If I watch Al Jazera from when I was a kid to a grown man I would probably hate the U.S. too. If someone only shows you selective footage or story's and tells you a message for a good portion of your life you would be surprised at how much you would believe it.

westpoint
You made my point for me, thanks. Totally saved me the time. I'll just make a point of saying works in reverse as well, works on you, yaknow? Or hadn't you thought about that?

In any case, I think it's fairly obvious that many of the things that motivate ordinary criminals motivate terrorists. Power, money (a sort of power proxy), safety, pride, the usual list.

Fundamentalist religious terrorists are presumably also motivated by a desire to be righteous in the eyes of their religion.

Corporate terrorists are primarily motivated by power, and money. They terrorize American consumers every day to sell everything from duct tape to nail polish.

Religeon, Isnt it a Holy War?
We call them terrorists and they bring terror
But then if it is about religeon them dont they know that they are killing many of there own religeon.

Why are they killing people?!
Do they even target people aside people wh oallso want to kill people with them?!

from song
Terror mastermind: "Ok, now, youstrap a bomb to your self and go into store and blow yourself up"
Terrorist: "Why dont we just go in and hide the bomb and walk ou-"
Terror Mastermind: "No! You go in and you g and you blow your self up!"
Terrorist: "But-"
Terror Mastermind"No But! I am mastermind oppreation! Mastermind!"

Originally posted by Abstrakt
So, what are the motivations of modern terrorists? Is it political? Ideological? Economics?
Peace

Most of today's terrorists are indoctrinated to perform the acts that they are known for. Especially the ones who are considered suicide bombers. In some countries, the only education that children receive are through fundamentalist schools who reach in and wash their brains. They are taught from day one the glory of martyrdom and how one sacrifice can save the world and deliver them to heaven. They are also taught the evils of the western mentality. These schools are mostly funded by Saudi money. Anyone who has been in the region can tell you horror stories of the religious police there (Saudi Arabia). They can also tell you of the public beheadings of criminals.

It is a different world with a different mindset. It isn't the religion that does it, it is the people behind the schools who poison their minds. They create weapons 'stronger than steel' who can do EXACTLY as they are told and even sacrifice themselves on command.

Those who cannot enjoy martyrdom, can train those who are emotionally needy (just as you would find in any gang related activities) and bring them into a 'flock' and give their short lives meaning by fighting their enemies at any cost. They are taught killing with no rules of engagement. Like a pitbull off the chain, they can easily kill anyone with no remorse.

Contrary to popular belief, they are not soldiers or freedom fighters, but cold blooded killers.

Most suicide bombers are apparently are not religious at all.

www.parcenter.org...

A lot of them are just desperate.

And terror attacks... what do you concider a terror attack? What is going on in Iraq.. is TERRible and it is causing TERROR but it is not a terror attack, they are fighting an occupation. Same as the french did in WW2 (they were a little more carefull about their targets.. but.. same deal for the most part).

Besides.. I don't trust most reports of 'terror' attacks.

I think the US causes most of them themselves. Look at Bali and Madrid. No way were those done by any 'terrorist' and for that matter.. look at Oklahoma City.. that was a fix too. Probablly to get rid of any opponents to what is going on today.

Besides.. I don't trust most reports of 'terror' attacks.

I think the US causes most of them themselves. Look at Bali and Madrid. No way were those done by any 'terrorist' and for that matter.. look at Oklahoma City.. that was a fix too. Probablly to get rid of any opponents to what is going on today.

Can you back or prove any of this? Let me answer than for you, Nope.
The truth is whether you like it or not is that both of these attack were not done by the U.S. shocking isn't it?

I'll just make a point of saying works in reverse as well, works on you, yaknow? Or hadn't you thought about that?

Yes, I know if one only choose to watch or believe only one thing then it works in reverse too.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Can you back or prove any of this? Let me answer than for you, Nope.
The truth is whether you like it or not is that both of these attack were not done by the U.S. shocking isn't it?

well there isn't much to prove who carried out the madrid or bali bombing's either way,the evidence against timothy mcveigh has been under question since day 1 and the only decent link between 9/11 and al quidea is a statment from osama bin laden, so go ahead, prove it was terrorists. prove it wasn't america.i'm not even a lawyer and i can crap all over the presented evidence.

terrorist's are motivated by despiration and/or patriotism IMO

i would say,

1. hate
being brought up to hate the other side all your life

2. anger
wanting pay back on the people that have ruined their lives
by killing their friends or loved ones.

3. money
when someone is poverty striken, their family could get payed a large amount of money

4. no option
they are forced into as they have no other options of fighting back against the other sides because they arnt a match for them,
like fighting against real guns with bb guns.

5. f**ked in the head
they just do it because they are f**ked in the head as they like to see others in pain.

Originally posted by WestPoint23

Besides.. I don't trust most reports of 'terror' attacks.

I think the US causes most of them themselves. Look at Bali and Madrid. No way were those done by any 'terrorist' and for that matter.. look at Oklahoma City.. that was a fix too. Probablly to get rid of any opponents to what is going on today.

Can you back or prove any of this? Let me answer than for you, Nope.
The truth is whether you like it or not is that both of these attack were not done by the U.S. shocking isn't it?

Agreed, WestPoint.

FWIW, the people allegedly responsible for the 9/11 attacks were not schooled in any "fundamentalist" style of school. At least two went on to further education in European schools, and the majority of the others did not become over-zealous and/or fundamentalist until adulthood.

As to the reasons why...there's a common denominator present. The perception that your people, or a particular group, is being heinously victimized and unfairly treated by another group/nation. Such perceptions come from myriad sources; television, social conditioning, personal observation...the list goes on.

Perhaps the real question is, "What makes a person decide that terrorism is a more appropriate response than other forms of protest?"

In the case of suicide bombers, there's also a common perception that the killing of others is justified (and thus allowable) if it meets certain criteria laid out in their religious doctrine. Of course, all religious doctrine is subject to interpretation...and that's where it becomes a very, very grey area.

I'm not sure if brainwashing is the correct term to use in this context. After all it could be argued that we Westerners are brainwashed to believe all Arabic peoples are either terrorists, or "less than us". Neither of which is true, obviously.

Originally posted by Vis MegaBesides.. I don't trust most reports of 'terror' attacks.
I think the US causes most of them themselves. Look at Bali and Madrid. No way were those done by any 'terrorist' and for that matter.. look at Oklahoma City.. that was a fix too. Probablly to get rid of any opponents to what is going on today.

How can you possibly say the United States causes these attacks?? BTW- are you American? I don't care what the government does that is so dispicable or terrible, no one deserves to get attacked like that!!! Do you think that all the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen that die in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve to die, they brought it on themselves because of what we are doing to Iraq?

Thanks for the responses. I see the general opinion is that terrorists are the way they are due to social conditioning, which influences them to hate western culture by focusing on its more degenerative aspects. And, as many have pointed out, this conditioning works both ways as we can all see by taking a look at western media, which labels all arabs and muslims as terrorists.

I suppose the moral here (if there is one) would be tollerance, something you rarely see in todays world. And I cant see very much chance of it appearing any time soon with the fanatical religious doctrine and crazy war-loving media on both sides.

Whatever the truth, i dont think its quite as simple as dubya would have us believe, "they hate us for our freedoms and democracies"

Perhaps the real question is, "What makes a person decide that terrorism is a more appropriate response than other forms of protest?"

I suppose thats because a bunch a protest banners and flags aren't going to do a great deal against the most advanced military machine in the world. Why on earth it should come down to suicide bombing and ultimately war is another question entirely. Surely there's some other way of resolving differences. Say diplomacy?