Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
Peter Bergen has an op-ed in the NYT which starts with:

He ends with:
Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/opinion/why-do-terrorists-commit-terrorism.html?

After recent reporting, notably that the murderer had been inside the venue many times before and the incoherent views expressed I am less inclined to think this attack was really Jihadist.
David,

I'm of the opinion that a substantial number (or even majority) of "jihadists", at least in the "lone wolf" context, use the ideology as form of escapism and empowerment from some other internal torment. When people are alienated from the mainstream, they frequently adopt beliefs and behaviors to rationalize their condition - and sometimes a violent response to it.