The murderers of individuals are motivated by a relatively small number of factors. The murder of an individual can be motivated by money, jealousy, or hatred. Individuals are almost always murdered by one of their acquaintances or family members. Some individuals are murdered as a result of illegal substance deals in which one or more parties feels cheated. Legal commercial deals in which one or more parties feel cheated can be and are regularly resolved by civil law. One cannot make recourse to civil law to settle disputes over illegal transactions. There is a high degree of specificity in these crimes which is usually discovered by thorough investigations.
But what motivates the mass murderer? There are specific characteristics associated with many mass murders. There is often a history of physical or emotional abuse. There is often a history of the use of addictive substances. Mass murderers are often social outsiders not adept at social interactions. They may have a deep sense of isolation. The may have a racial, religious, or ethnic predjudice. But with all of these factors, what do these mass murderers have in common?
This issue has not generally been discussed for a number of reasons. An investigation of this issue will certainly make many uncomfortable, and cause many to abandon the inquiry. The mass murderer invariably believes that his acts are in his own self interest as they represent an improvement in his humanity. He sees himself on a journey of self improvement which is advanced by the murder of his victims. His acts are points along the way to his certain perfection. He sees his acts as reaching beyond himself and perfecting society as a whole, even if and especially if his acts end in his own martydom. The implicit religious belief in the mass murderer is the belief in the perfectibility of man... among whom he sees himself as an outstanding example.
These are the same elements which are present with Islamo-fascist mass murderers. Man is a perfectible being who can only be improved through conflict, punishment, or death. Honor killings are efforts to reestablish the 'honor' of the family by eliminating whoever has damaged that honor.
It is all about the perfectibility of man. The attackers of the World Trade Center took the view that they were providing the west with a valuable spiritual service and probably expected the proper response of the west would be gratitude.
It is the dubious belief in the perfectibility of man that drive all of this violent anti-social behavior.
Until this aspect is widely recognized it will be impossible to develop a proactive response.
