I think there are two different types of Islamic terrorist, both of which have a striking parallel in the modern United States. Type #1 is the shiftless dope like the London bombers who have way too much time on their hands because "survival" takes far too little effort for them. If the criminal/thug element in our urban areas were prone to suicidal tendencies, these types of attacks would occur with boring regularity right here in the U.S.
Type #2 is an intelligent Muslim who could very easily be successful in today's world, but whose secular mindset has made him utterly bored with his worldly existence. He becomes a "revolutionary" of sorts simply because he feels a need to somehow make his life relevant in any way he can. Mohammed Atta was this kind of terrorist. His U.S. parallel is not a career criminal from Detroit, but a spoiled, snot-nosed sh!t from a well-to-do family. He's probably remarkably similar to Lori Berenson, that dip-sh!t from New York who joined the Shining Path revolution in Peru and who will probably spend the rest of her life in a Pruvian prison 15,000 feet up in the Andes.
Interesting, thanks.
AC, your comments make sense to me.
The problem is that Rodney was drawing a parallel between Jews who study Jewish law in Jewish religious schools and Muslims who study in Wahhabi-sponsored Muslim religious schools. That parallel is no more apt than a comparison with Monks who spend all day studying in their monasteries.
The issue is what they study, not the fact that they are studying. From what I have read (and, certainly, I am no expert on radical Islam) the teachings in the radical Madrassas are dramatically different than Jewish or Christian religious teachings. Spending all day studying, as far as I am concerned, is not idleness. It may be indoctrination, but it is not idleness. Instead, it can be highly disciplined and very hard work.