Ft. Hood...(moved)

IMHO this is a terrorist act motivated by a hatred of America and American ideals.

Isn't this better labelled as an "anti-modernity" act of terrorism?  What little ideology I see in the Jihadists' statements seems to be a yearning to make the world adhere to its strict, literalist, fundamentalist version of Islam.  Something tells me that this conflict between the demand for absolute servitude to a religion, and the human desire for individualism has been with us since time out of mind with the former being historically dominant.

Quote from: ccvortex on November 14, 2009, 07:42:33 AM

IMHO this is a terrorist act motivated by a hatred of America and American ideals.

......What little ideology I see in the Jihadists' statements seems to be a yearning to make the world adhere to its strict, literalist, fundamentalist version of Islam.....

I don't believe that this particular individual was/is a terrorist.  But he certainly did adhere to a "strict, literalist, fundamentalist version of Islam". 

What is scary is that I have seen/heard the same sort of slavish devotion to a strict, literalist, fundamentalist version of Christianity being preached/taught/disseminated/propagated by its "believers" in the West.  They state that the Bible is The Truth, and they want everyone to follow it and to believe the way that they do.  And some of them are willing to force this view onto others, or impose harsh penalties on "others" to "persuade" them to see the error of their ways, and to conform to their (strict, literalist, fundamentalist) version.  Even to the point of maiming or killing the un-believer, or his/her family.

It is, after all, for the good of the other person's soul.....as they would say.  Can anyone say Inquisition?

I can't say that I see all that much difference between fanatics of any religion.  Some of the words may change, but the intent remains the same, IMHO.  "Repent or Die" is a motto that applies equally well, no matter which view is being espoused.

like i said on the other thread, from what i've read i would class this as a lone nutter who cracked up rather than an organised attack

he did happen to be a muslim, but i don't think it was terrorism, i put it more along the lines of the columbine massacre or raymond cho or the washington sniper

my guess is that his drift towards sympathy for extremism was more a symptom of his declining mental state than a cause

like i said on the other thread, from what i've read i would class this as a lone nutter who cracked up rather than an organised attack

he did happen to be a muslim, but i don't think it was terrorism, i put it more along the lines of the columbine massacre or raymond cho or the washington sniper

my guess is that his drift towards sympathy for extremism was more a symptom of his declining mental state than a cause

I agree.

And a declining mental state would preclude the death penalty and instead require treatment.