Jay Honeck wrote:

What motivates people to attack others, sacrificing their lives in the
process? Does that not seem like an act of ultimate desparation, borne
out of frustration and a sense that there is nothing more to lose?

Actually, it is a sign of mental illness.

I'm eternally amazed that there are people trying to analyze brutal acts
of terror, as if there is some root cause that "we" (whoever "we" are) can
address.

Face facts: People who blow themselves up on a crowded school bus full of
kids are not rational beings. If they were, they would be working to make
the electoral process in Iraq (or Afghanistan, or Iran, or wherever) work
better -- or any of a thousand other positive, constructive acts -- rather
than killing innocents.

To glorify their "cause" by analyzing their motives plays directly into
their hand. They do not deserve such an honor.

One does not glorify or honor anyone by analyzing them. And in the case of
terrorism, the penalty for not attempting to understand is more terrorism.
Attempting to obtain a glimmer of understanding of what motivates someone
else does not imply support for the actions.

The current crop of terrorists, usually defined as radical fundamentalist
Islamic youths, are certainly 'mentally ill' when measured by the standards
that apply on Main street USA.

Young men do not willingly commit suicide when life is good and/or there is
hope for the future. But it is easy to see that a 17 year old in Palestine
or Iraq can readily be convinced that there is neither. They know nothing
but poverty and oppression. Their education, if they have any, comes from
fundamentalist run schools that certainly don't spend any time expanding
their ability to think for themselves.

The issue of terrorism is a complex one. There are some aspects we have
control over and some we do not. Trying to simplify it by trivializing the
enemy removes one area we do have some control over and so hurts our cause.

--
Frank....H