[extropy-chat] terrorist self-hatred?

[gts]

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 23:15:19 -0500, spike <spike66 at comcast.net> wrote:

> This is a critically important distinction.  Not only do
> terrorists kill civilians, but in some cases they target
> children intentionally.  I have heard of two cases....

Middle-eastern suicide bombers appear in our world as very evil people, no  
question about that.

Lacking real material weapons, terrorists use a form of psychological  
warfare (terror) in hopes of winning a war against the west.

But what kind of processes occur in their psyches? Do they really act out  
of self-hatred? I doubt it.

> But if it did happen and such a terrorist does not have a burning self  
> hatred,I sure don't see why he would not.

Why do you consider the suicide bomber to hate himself? Perhaps he  
considers his cause more valuable than his own existence, much like the  
Japanese kamikaze pilot. His suicidal act might seem irrational to us, but  
we in the west have a different concept of self.

-gts