Terror Attacks in France and Tunisia

EarthRod

OK John. What you have highlighted in your post is a dissatisfaction by some in the Western way of life, which was my query in the third paragraph of my post #62.

The list of reasons you gave of disillusionment with Western life together with easy access to websites extolling the virtues of another way of life and a religion which insists on fundamentalism including a strict dress code, all this adds up to providing a means of 'looking down' on our easy (decadent) Western way of life.

IMO this is a more realistic view than radicalisation or 'brainwashing'. Although advertising of any kind is a form of brainwashing, so forms a part of the whole.

johntheexpat

Indeed.  I don't think we have, at the moment, any real concept of the power and influence of this thing we have invented and called "the internet".  I think it is going to take some really hard work on the part of society to bring it "back under control" and become a force for overwhelming good and not for bad stuff.

You are right about advertising.  It is brainwashing, but to link it back further in your post, it is about creating dissatisfaction with your life.  Perhaps your whites are white enough after a wash (you probably didn't even notice) , or your car isn't comfy enough, or perhaps for the money you spent with EE you could have had a better mobile phone with more minutes from someone else.  Its all about trying to convince you that what you have isn't good enough and you can easily do better.
Your life isn't good, you can have a better, more fulfilled life blowing up artefacts in Iraq.  Clap your hands and sing along, now.  "Come and join us, come and join us......." as the old hymn used to go

pragmatic

A generation of kids who are brought up told they can be anything if they really want it, a culture of no competition and everyone's a winner, where a degree is a road to riches and the high life (plus you're all so smart with your record exam results), or at least an interesting one where you can have a stake in society ... have come home to roost.

The reality being a job in a shoe or chicken shop at zero hours, with a feeling of little control of your life's journey can lead to huge dissatisfaction.  So when someone tells you, that you are special (like everyone has been telling you since you were a kid) and society is to blame but we have a new one where you will be judged on religiousness (piety), and rewards will stem from that, rather than the 'rigged' system of capitalism in the west.   One where every day is a combination of calm contemplation and prayer, and adventure firing big ass guns and stabbing people in hand to hand combat.  Both to prove yourself to god and earn your stake in this new society.

This is probably why there is such a draw from the educated or at least those in degree education, it dawns on them that the promises, the implied contract they've got with society is a load of bull (the downtrodden already know whats ahead of them).  They'll get a sh*t job and toil for years, while not having a pension in the future the more immediate problems of having to live at home and not being able to find a partner, with pressure from parents on both fronts and society/advertisements/media telling you a different narrative that challenges your parents.

I think the reason we don't see this from any other groups is that everyone else gets sh*t faced on a Friday/Saturday to let off steam, forget how crappy reality is verses the promise, with plenty of comrades of your age living through the same slog, never mind the potential of bagging a partner (for however brief) in the meat markets.  When your sanctioned outlets are curtailed by religion it seems you ironically turn to it for strength (as seen the world over and throughout history).

When it  comes to whole families and in particular led by females, it may be down to the piety and the west's 'corrupting ways', the last thing they'll likely be leader of going to IS ironically.  Younger females may be drawn to the guaranteed life, a husband and a structure, non of the difficult decisions the west forces you through with its 'fake' freedoms, just a women's place in the tradition of cooking and cleaning and baby making as God intended.

Sonic67

Answering-Extremism

Articles on the site are by contemporary Muslim scholars who have been refuting extremism and terrorism for years.

Another:

IslamAgainstExtremism.Com | Rebuttals and Clarifications

Enki

Let the majority in  the Middle East have access to some of what we have, education, having infant deaths on par with ours and life expectancy, decent infrastructure etc.  ISIS recruitment tool disappears to organised crime level.

EarthRod

Thought provoking post John with regards to the internet.

As I, like the majority of people, dip into the internet now and again for news and information, have thought of the internet as a benevolent 'library' where you can browse and pick up useful stuff. The problem being of course is that is how it used to be about 15 years ago and as time moves on with ever changing worldwide events, so the internet gains more and more eclectic baggage and a wider spectrum of subjects to suit all tastes from how to make a pipe bomb, how to make a shrunken head, to how to boil an egg.

In addition to the many, varied and sometimes dubious websites is the advertising within. I've now loaded ad-blocking software to my browser because the flashing and constantly moving advertising is so distracting. Not only that but Windows 'Temporary Internet' folder loads up with about 80MB of useless files after an hour on the internet. Ad-blocking software stops all that crap.

Getting back on track - advertising is a form of brainwashing, especially the forever repeating adverts with a catchy script or tune which eventually get inside peoples' heads. Not sure about advertising causing dissatisfaction with life, I think advertising is purely about getting you to part with your money.

Er... Getting back on track - I agree control of websites is now needed. How that can be achieved though I have no idea!

johntheexpat

And control of the internet is as palatable to the nerds as gun control is to the NSA.  Apparently having a gun and free access to anything you want on the internet are two inalienable rights these days.  And we shall all suffer the consequences of these freedoms.

tapzilla2k

That's not really possible, given some Terrorists already use the dark web. Cut off the normal net and you simply force things underground.

IronGiant

That's a good point.
Unfortunately

Enki

Indeed there is lots of horrible stuff.

However, lot of good stuff on the dark web, its where research papers can be found, before they are picked up by the Davos class, a wealth of good information, home to human right activists and whistle blowers.