Social Science Discourse and the Biopolitics of Terrorism

Abstract

This article weaves social science discourse into the fabric of a genealogy of terrorism. The power struggles associated with the US lead global war on terrorism are producing many new objects of knowledge and possible lines of research (e.g., Islamic terrorists, jihadists, suicide bombers, experts on counterterrorism, and ISIS). This process is modeled as a cycle involving power struggles and power elite orchestrated political victimage rituals and a biopolitics of knowledge. This dynamic is explored in terms of social science discourse and the biopolitics of terrorism. The limits of current thinking in “counterterrorism” and the possibilities of future research are highlighted

The mind of suicide terrorists

“…It is now evident that every country, every activity, and every person not sharing their beliefs and values are potential targets. Third, if previous terrorist activities were characterized and motivated by more or less declared political aims (e.g., the Red Brigades in Italy, the Rote Armee in Germany, and the IRA in Ireland), [3][4][5][6][7][8] the latest suicidal attacks are driven by religion and carried out by extremists who claim to serve as God's instruments to destroy the West, which they consider impure and corrupted. 9,10 This is crucial, because it implies that these terrorists are (perhaps) not afraid to die, or at least they do not show any reluctance about abandoning their lives while at the same time killing innocent victims, without any apparent regret or overt emotionality.…”

Psychiatry and terrorism: exploring the unacceptable

“…The impact of economic crisis on young generations all over the world is similarly fundamental, as it may foster frustration and uncertainty when facing or projecting the future 1 , 2 . The combination of such elements with loss and/or refusal of traditional values in second- and third-generation immigrants may trigger a sense of emptiness and isolation, which can be easily manipulated by some evil leaders and directed toward novel and “higher” ideals within a “religious” framework 3 , 4 . The concomitant use of CNS stimulants, such as Captagon or others, may perhaps lead to abnormal behaviors of destruction and self-destruction in vulnerable subjects.…”