Terrorism and Ordinary People
Essays on Terrorism
Benjamin Kuipers, PhD, Professor, Computer Sciences, University of Texas at Austin The following three essays discuss the causes and cures for terrorism. They were written at particular points in time and include references to specific events, but the principles they describe are timeless, I believe. “How to Defeat Terrorism” was written in May 2004, at a time when the U.S. occupation of Iraq could see no light at either end of the tunnel. “Identifying Terrorists as a Diagnosis Problem” was written in December 2002 as a critique of the proposed “Total Information Awareness” program. It has been lightly edited to remove references to TIA, since many people have forgotten it. “The Seeds of War (a parable)” was written shortly after 9/11. In all three essays, I highlight tempting courses of action that not only won’t work but which would make things much worse. Do you remember learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle? First you learn to steer, to turn the bike in the direction you want to go. Then, you learn what to do when the bike starts to lean over. Since you want to go back upright, there is an irresistible temptation to steer towards where you want to be. Do this, and you’re flat on the ground in an instant. The hard part about learning to ride a bike is learning to do just the opposite: to steer into the lean. Then, the bike picks itself right up and you can stay balanced. Your first instinct is exactly wrong. You have to learn to overcome that instinct and do the opposite in order to ride a bike. It’s much the same with fighting terrorism.
How to Defeat Terrorism
Terrorism is a tactic used by a small set of extremists to fight against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent while surrounded by a large population that mostly just wants peace and quiet. Terrorism can be defeated. To do this, first we need to understand how terrorists are kept away in the best case, then how terrorists can fight against this mechanism, and finally what works and what
Benjamin Kuipers, PhD, Professor, Computer Sciences, University of Texas at Austin The following three essays discuss the causes and cures for terrorism. They were written at particular points in time and include references to specific events, but the principles they describe are timeless, I believe. “How to Defeat Terrorism” was written in May 2004, at a time when the U.S. occupation of Iraq could see no light at either end of the tunnel. “Identifying Terrorists as a Diagnosis Problem” was written in December 2002 as a critique of the proposed “Total Information Awareness” program. It has been lightly edited to remove references to TIA, since many people have forgotten it. “The Seeds of War (a parable)” was written shortly after 9/11. In all three essays, I highlight tempting courses of action that not only won’t work but which would make things much worse. Do you remember learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycle? First you learn to steer, to turn the bike in the direction you want to go. Then, you learn what to do when the bike starts to lean over. Since you want to go back upright, there is an irresistible temptation to steer towards where you want to be. Do this, and you’re flat on the ground in an instant. The hard part about learning to ride a bike is learning to do just the opposite: to steer into the lean. Then, the bike picks itself right up and you can stay balanced. Your first instinct is exactly wrong. You have to learn to overcome that instinct and do the opposite in order to ride a bike. It’s much the same with fighting terrorism.
How to Defeat Terrorism
Terrorism is a tactic used by a small set of extremists to fight against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent while surrounded by a large population that mostly just wants peace and quiet. Terrorism can be defeated. To do this, first we need to understand how terrorists are kept away in the best case, then how terrorists can fight against this mechanism, and finally what works and what