Fear and Terrorism

So on the day I decide to discuss fear, we have a terrorist attack in London.

Here is a power based analysis of Terrorism.

Terrorism is all about power.

Terror. Fear of a possible random imposition of pain or death resulting from an act of violence by a perceived enemy.

Terror can be used as a type of power interaction to affect the choices made by others.

Usually it is targeted at rulers or those with the ability to make decisions which affect the terror user. Therefore they can include heads of corporations.

Remember – power is personal. It is not abstract. It is about people by people.

However like any power dynamic, the power comes from the emotional response to a help or hinder ability on the part of the actor against the need of the subject. That help or hinder ability does not have to be actual and executed. It is sufficient if it is applied in degrees or not at all. It can be no more than a believable threat or promise.

And the help or hinder effect does not have to be direct to the subject. It may be applied to someone the subject is attached to or is competing with.

Therefore, terror can generate feelings of control, influence or seduction when it is nothing more than a credible threat to hurt the basic requirement of life in someone the subject cares about.

And we can care about those we do not know.

A politician has as great an obligation to care for those they do not know as they do to those they do know. Heads of corporations can care about many people whether or not they are shareholders or customers.

Along with the feelings of power, - control, influence and seduction, - there will be feelings of anger as well as feelings of fear. Fear is created when the power dynamic is anticipated.

Fear is a strong motivator. It focuses on Requirements. Those are the Needs which are about human survival and avoidance of pain. These are Needs we are compelled to satisfy without thought or intention. Our instincts and reflexes will typically be sufficient.

Hence we can understand why our immediate reaction to terrorism is with fear, violence and usually some small amount of compromise.

Terrorist. One who has the ability and willingness to impose a random act of violence resulting in pain or death of a targeted enemy. Typically we see them as the Actor in the power dynamic. They are ones who have decided to use power to get what they are looking for.

The BiPolar Nature of the power dynamic tells us that they are using power because they want something from the Subject. They want to have some control, influence or seduction over something the Subject may do, say or think. That is their need. That is their motivation to use power.

So we see terrorism as an act by an actor against the needs of us, the subjects, to get us to choose to do something differently and ultimately in their benefit.

Our need to be free of random acts of violence, our need for survival, our need for avoidance of pain, is the source of the power the terrorist has over us.

That something that they want from us – the reason they are using power – is our source of power over them. Their need is our source of power.

So what do they want and how can we use it?

Unfortunately we do not conduct this analysis. We stop thinking at the imposition of their violent act and respond with violence of our own. Thus we actually lose the opportunity to have power over them. We rely on their need for survival and avoidance of pain – direct or indirect – as means of creating power. Unfortunately, they are willing to lose their lives. They are willing to sacrifice for their real goal. They willingly suffer pain to get what they really want.

So what do they want?

A more important question is why don’t we spend time answering this question rather than responding with meaningless and ineffective violence of our own?

Our responsive violence is not working. In fact it obviously only makes it worse.


Terrorist Act. The imposition of random violence intended to create fear. Usually motivated by political, moral, cultural or financial goals on the part of the Actor.

The Bipolar nature of the power dynamic tells us that they want something. What is it that they want? They are motivated by moral, cultural, political and financial needs.

Of course those who are on the other side of this power dynamic see it differently. They don’t see themselves as the Actors. They see themselves as the Subjects. They are subjects responding to the power imposed upon them.

They say that foreign governments wanted to control their geography for military reasons. Foreign governments wanted to have free access to their resources at less than fair market value. They say that foreigners wanted to sell their goods in our markets without concern or care for our culture and heritage.

They say as a result of these wants of foreign governments and the willing greed of a few in their home land they have been subject to cultural decay, wars, revolutions, coups, immorality and non-democratic governments bought and installed by foreign powers.

They want this to end. They will use power if it is necessary.

Power is bipolar. Power is about needs and abilities and choices and feelings.

Terror doesn't just happen. It comes out of an already existing power dynamic.

When we start listening and respecting, the terror will end.

Isn't that obvious?