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Comment by cannabis_sam | Hacker News Reader

Would the same apply for someone who physically took something essential to national security hostage and then demanded money?

Would that change if they, for example, demanded the release of prisoners of a specific political persuasion?

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Terrorism has to have some ideological agenda, which is what makes it dangerous - I doubt you'll see suicide bombers for hire.

Not more than once, anyway.

Only the ones who are bad at it.

Money can certainly help influence someone to wear a bomb vest, they don't need to actually believe in the cause. There could be someone out there that specializes in finding people in vulnerable financial situations that wouldn't mind blowing themselves up if it meant that their family was well taken care of.

> Would that change if they, for example, demanded the release of prisoners of a specific political persuasion?

How would that not be classified as a political motive?

"Would that change if they, for example, demanded the release of prisoners of a specific political persuasion?"

Yes.

"Terrorism is, in the broadest sense, the use of intentional violence to achieve political aims." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

Can drug cartels engage in terrorism? That seems like a useful edge case. They are not ideological but maybe you could say they have political goals.

For sure, it’s about the goals of the attack. If to cause terror, terrorism. If to gain money or advantage, crime.

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