Why Are Terrorists Often Engineers?

An anonymous reader writes "As a follow up to their September 2008 article, IEEE Spectrum revisits the question of why a disproportionate number of terrorists have engineering degrees. According to their own summary of the interview with political scientist Steffen Hertog, 'nearly half of [individuals involved in political violence] with degrees have been engineers,' a rather ambiguous statement especially for a publication targeted at engineers. The interview makes some interesting points (lack of job opportunities for engineers despite a relatively high social status) and some suspect ones (e.g. framing Islamic culture into the western left vs. right politics). Above all, IEEE Spectrum tries really hard to associate engineers with terrorism for some reason."

Re:Aptitude

[Lurker2288]

But I bet he could write a really scary business plan! OOOH!

Just the kind of headlines we need

[saisuman]

Excellent. I can already see more guys being apprehended for using "white text on black screens."

Makes sense...

[Spazntwich]

The only thing a humanities degree will teach you to blow up is your future.

Re:Aptitude

[Pojut]

The bombs dropped on Japan in WWII weren't just the products of scientists, you know...it's hard to build a bomb with a crowbar.

Re:Aptitude

[TheGratefulNet]

There are millions of engineers in this country that aren't going around blowing stuff up and killing people.

right. that's management's job.

Re:Aptitude

[east coast]

Just look at Faisal Shazad, the guy from Connecticut who tried to blow up Times Square. He tried to build his bomb with a toy clock and M80 firecrackers. He had a business degree.

In all fairness, it was a very economical bomb.

Re:Makes sense...

[gbjbaanb]

and the only damage you'll cause with a MBA or Economics degree is... oh wait a minute....

Re:Aptitude

[Darth_brooks]

The difference between engineering majors and business majors:

The part of the flowchart that says "then a miracle occurs" is a joke to engineering majors. For business majors, it's a required step that makes perfect sense.

Why?

[MarkGriz]

We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you.

Re:Just the kind of headlines we need

[zill]

Death to all infidels who do not use green on black displays! Monochrome CRT Akbar!

It's simple, really

[Bill Dimm]

I remember reading once that men were much less likely to engage in terrorism if they had a wife (or was it a girlfriend -- I'm too lazy to hunt down the reference). The real problem is that engineers can't get laid, so they become terrorists. So, ladies, for the sake of world peace, sleep with an engineer.

Engineering site sloshdotted?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Surprised IEEE site is not able to handle the load.

Re:Aptitude

[Yvan256]

I bet MacGyver could do it with only a crowbar.

Si vis pacem, para bellum

[zill]

OS wars,
Distribution wars,
Browser wars,
Editor wars.
Let's face it, regardless whether you choose to engage in radical Islamism, engineering is a violent and dangerous discipline.

Re:Aptitude

[msauve]

Chuck Norris wouldn't need a crowbar.

Re:Aptitude

[barzok]

There have been news articles about terrorist organizations specifically recruiting engineers for their skills so they can build weapons. This is not some coincidence of psychology, it is a fact of necessity.

I had a bunch of Iranians ask me to build them a nuclear bomb. I gave them a box full of pinball machine parts & kept the Plutonium to use as fuel for my time machine.

IEEE Spectrum's motivation

[DoofusOfDeath]

Above all, IEEE Spectrum tries really hard to associate engineers with terrorism for some reason.

They're trying to show that engineers can get jobs even in this economy!

Re:Aptitude

[HeckRuler]

Chuck Norris wouldn't need to build anything to drop on Japan. He'd just jump out a plane.

Those freakin MCSEs

[not5150]

I always knew Active Directory was part of some global terrorist plot.

Re:Actually...

[Anonymous Coward]

Madame Thérèse Defarge would like to have a word with you. ;)
She was working on the executioner's to-do list with her knitting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Defarge [wikipedia.org]

Consider The Competition

[nick_davison]

The terrorists have actually recruited exactly the same number of liberal arts students as engineers. But it's only been nine years and the liberal arts students haven't got out of bed yet. They totally intend to attack something and have some really great ideas that'll totally change the neo facist world order but, well, Oprah was on. Plus, do you know how hard it is to hide explosives on your crotch when you're wearing your little sister's skinny jeans!

Pffft...

[killmenow]

MacGruber could do it with a stick of guBOOOM!!!!!

Re:Aptitude

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm guessing that your solution to a beehive in your backyard is to run up and kick it.

Re:Aptitude

[hedwards]

It's probably because the liberal arts degree is arguable the most useful degree of the ones you listed. The other degrees are virtually useless outside the intended field, and with the science degree in particular, even within that field it's very limited.

The other degrees set you up in a field, the arts degree sets you up to think.

Re:It's simple, really

[AnonymousClown]

My sister, Bertha, is looking for a nice intelligent man. The only requirement is that you can bench press 300lbs - it's for your safety when you have sex with her and she's on top.

Re:Aptitude

[DeadCatX2]

The limit of an engineering major as GPA approaches 0 is a business major.

Re:Just the kind of headlines we need

[couchslug]

"Death to all infidels who do not use green on black displays! Monochrome CRT Akbar!"

If it weren't for the great Text Editor Schism, we'd be doomed.

It's the 72 virgins

[andy1307]

Isn't it obvious? Engineers can't get laid in this life. They're only chance of getting laid is the 72 virgins.

Re:Aptitude

[Anonymous Coward]

Chuck Norris wouldn't need a plane.

Re:Aptitude

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I give you a little piece of advice? Tape that letter back together. Trust me.

Re:Aptitude

[Digital Vomit]

Contrary to common wisdom, the two atomic blasts that rocked Japan in 1945 were not the end result of a concerted effort by the Allies to build an atomic bomb. The first blast was actually Chuck Norris' conception, and the second blast three days later was his birth.

True story.

Re:Aptitude

[Phoobarnvaz]

Just look at Faisal Shazad, the guy from Connecticut who tried to blow up Times Square. He tried to build his bomb with a toy clock and M80 firecrackers. He had a business degree.

As long as he talked to both Bob's and had his TPS reports in order...nothing would have happened to him. On the other hand...if they took his red Swingline stapler...I can understand why he did what he did.

Be that as it may....

[Anonymous Coward]

...the REAL reason terrorists tend to be engineers is because we get so damn frustrated with the way people outright REFUSE to give us the level of respect (and wealth) that our superior intelligence warrants.

You small-minded bastards deserve what you get!

Re:Aptitude

[AtariEric]

If I were you, I'd make a habit out of wearing a bullet-proof vest. Y'know, just in case they want a refund.

Re:Aptitude

[Facegarden]

The difference between engineering majors and business majors:

The part of the flowchart that says "then a miracle occurs" is a joke to engineering majors. For business majors, it's a required step that makes perfect sense.

You mean they actually *teach* ????->PROFIT?

Re:Aptitude

[AC-x]

"All right, here's your last question. What was the cause of the Civil War?"

"Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists, there were economic factors, both domestic and inter--"

"Wait, wait... just say slavery."

Re:Aptitude

[Hognoxious]

I call bullshit. If I get stolen from the answer for me is not a bullet to my own fucking head. I am not that weak.

If I steal your house and throw you out of it into the street, and it's minus 20 outside, then you're dead in minutes.

But I didn't kill you. No no no. Exposure and/or hypothermia - natural causes.

Fuck me, I'm almost agreeing with dave420 - and he's a total cunt. Look what you've done. Are you proud? Are you? I'm Waiting. Waiting. Waiting for an answer. Well? ARE YOU PROUD OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE?

Re:Aptitude

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, unfortunately there's no shortage of people like you inserting yourselves in OUR discipline, blocking OUR career paths.
You walk in off the street and are hired by people just like you who are already in situ.

Together with the faceless bean-counters, you make the brainless, short sighted and shallow decisions that make us technical people, (who generate the actual profit to the company), beat our heads against the wall.

We already know, thankyou, how to "evaluate shades of gray and formulate arguments on subjects that don't have objective right/wrong answers" what - you had to learn that at college!?!? Good god.

You are that pointy-headed boss.