Monday, January 23, 2006

Murdericide

Is the term "suicide bombers" right? Aren't they plain murderers?

In the
January 23 issue of Scientific American, Michael Shermer coins the term "murdericide" for the acts of people who kill others by killing themselves too. He says such terrorists don't commit suicide.

He quotes from Florida State University psychologist Thomas Joiner's scientific treatise Why People Die by Suicide, "People desire death when two fundamental needs are frustrated to the point of extinction; namely, the need to belong with or connect to others, and the need to feel effective with or to influence others."

2 comments:

  1. Yes, they are plain murederers. And we do not need to coin any word which conveys the sense that they get killed too in the murder as it is purely incidental and their death does not need recognition.

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  2. "Is the term "suicide bombers" right? Aren't they plain murderers?"

    whatever it be, there had been suicide bombers in imperial japan b4 WWII. they did the job assigned to them by the then govt., according to the political mindset at that time. i dont think it is apt to call them murderers.

    similarily, most of the other suicide bombers could be brain-washed people assigned by so-called terrorists to do the job.. hence may be the brains behind these henious acts shud be called murderers.

    oh, just talking ;)

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