Boaz, your historical quotes seem very enlightening among the so many using what can easily be termed backyard fence philosophy, ideas coming from the top of the head, rather from deeper in the skull which Socrates must have meant when he said to let the thoughts run deeper.

Possibly Socrates just simply meant commonsense which can only be acquired through experience, as Socrates certainly must have learnt as a Hoplite, equal or better than any Spartan warrior.

Am getting too far on in years, worse luck, but do believe that unlike Boaz, we do lack the historical reasoning that can only be gained by either years of academia, or by attempting the same with deep reading where such books surprisingly lay more of the blame on state terrorism than on the terrorists themselves. Certainly the resultant body counts give very much proof to this, anyhow.

It is also so interesting that historical academics can witness historical playbacks in todays Middle East. Particularly in Dubai, where any practising historian would not deny that the tremendous ultra-Western modernism would not only be adding more support to the terrorists, but would have our historians agreeing that
it is not much different to Palestine during the early Crusades when the knights built grandeous castles, not only for protection but also to impress the beaten population. In fact, anyone who studies history would know that Saladin made a similar comment in a similar situation.

So it can be seen that nothing really changes, with Dick Cheney, not only the dastardliest of mercenary camp followers, but besides second in charge to Dubya Bush, now declaring to make his headquarters in Dubai.

Looking at the whole menagerie in the White House, especially among the Republicans, one wonders whether anyone ever got five out of ten in history outside of the Promised Land.

Sadly, dear Pax America has become so much like Rome when she threw out classic Greek reasoning to let her
Germanic barbarian centurions take over the throne. Looks like the neo-cons will eventually see to that.

Unfortunately practicing jihadists don't talk to ivory tower theorists.

Much of this looks like a parody of a Counter Terrorism Textbook 101.

Author Ballenger can provide an "its like a virus" overlay to terrorism because there are one or two correlations - just like he could provide a market model overlay in his previous OLO article.

Security services are not as helpless as Jeremy would have us believe "...terrorist groups. They are ideally suited to moving about undetected, and continue to do so despite our best efforts at vaccination and control."

The outging head of MI5, DAME ELIZA MANNINGHAM-BULLER, said in her oft quoted Nov 2006 speech http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/Page568.html on counter-terrorism:

"In the years after 9/11, with atrocities taking place in Madrid, Casablanca, Bali, Istanbul and elsewhere, terrorists plotted to mount a string of attacks in the UK, but were disrupted. This run of domestic success was interrupted tragically in London in July 2005. Since then, the combined efforts of my Service, the police, SIS and GCHQ have thwarted a further five major conspiracies in the UK, saving many hundreds (possibly even thousands) of lives."

Theories are commendable when groped at in context. While Mr Ballenger plays with academics hoping for a piece of the skyrocketing security budget he could balance it with some coalface context (like MI5's above) coming from his own city (London).

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/

Terrorism is a political act - not a religious one.

Studies have shown that suicide bombers for example - particularly those from "the West" - are typically well-educated, middle class and well-informed (albeit misguided) about their cause.

The 911 terrorists for example were Arab playboy types, and their team leader was seen drinking, partying and gambling the night before - not quite the act of a religious zealot seeking martyrdom.

It's not so much a disease as a symptom of something else more basic and visceral, and is also probably inevitable in modern society where groups are powerless to act in other ways.

Conveniently blaming it all on some vague notion of a master plan for some sort of secular world domination is a manufactured distraction from the real motive behind it.

WOBBLES:

Maybe the 911 terrorists took out a bit of insurance by partying on before they cooked themselves. They may have had doubts about paradise and the 72 virgins waiting for them and not as gullible as their Mufti's thought.

Bushbred (would love to have a yarn over the backyard fence with you!), Pericles and Wobbles, great to read some commonsense.

I don't quite know what to make of the article itself yet. Though it could be a different way of looking at terrorism. At least it is not emotive and gives the idea that a 'cure' is logical. Not yours Boaz, that only deals with Muslim terrorism. As Hohum I think that terrorism is more than just a case of ideology.

Terrorism of course has been around for a very, very long time. I remember well when living in London in the 80's, how life was dominated by IRA terrorism. It was quite scary. The IRA even bombed Brighton when Thatcher and her Liberals were having a confab there and killed a member of the Royal family. Boaz, the Northern Irish weren't feeling at all grateful about the liberating King William 400 years before.

Yeah and I was living in London in the 80s when the IRA blew two members of the Household Cavalry and 9 horses to bits. A great day for Ireland...400 years ago?

A bit like 15 Saudis having a spat at their parents by bombing the World Trade Centre more recently...

All for good causes? If only young bloods could follow different billionaires...

Pete