How to Grow an American Terrorist

The enemy within and the complicity of the U.S. government.

A small selection or “lone wolves” grown in America. Compiled from public domain.

Terrorism perpetrated by Americans toward Americans is predominately a “lone wolf” phenomenon, defined by in his work for the as follows:

… an individual terrorist perpetrates an attack on his/her own or with the assistance or involvement of others (acquaintances, family) but without any operational connection to any specific terrorist organization. (p. 25) ¹

In other words, the planning and execution of an attack are entirely the responsibility of the lone-wolf actor. This is true even if the individual claims to be associated with an established terrorist organization.

Based on the lone-wolf actor’s exclusive responsibility for perpetrating his or her terrorist attack, Ganor identifies motivations, triggers, and inhibitors for committing an attack.

The motivations (M) are:

1. Ideological, including nationalistic, religious, and political reasons.
2. Personal, including economic, interpersonal, and familial reasons.
3. Psychological, including honor predisposition, mental disorders, and suicidal reasons.

The triggers (T) are:

1. Imitation of another lone-wolf attack.
2. Traumatic events generating anger, humiliation, and/or revenge.
3. Information is interpreted as a message inciting an attack.

The inhibitors (I) are:

1. The mental ability of the lone wolf to contain crises.
2. Belief system constraints.
3. The lone wolf’s cost/benefit analysis.

Based on all of the above factors (M, T, I) Ganor provides the following predictive formula for a lone-wolf terror attack (TA):

TA = (M + T) > I

As described by Ganor,

If one can collect the relevant data, the above formula enables, prima facie, CT- [counter terrorist] professionals to calculate the total motivations, triggers, and inhibitions that affect “lone wolves”, prospectively or retrospectively (i.e., before or after the attack). It also enables the analyst to simultaneously examine the “lone wolf’s” basic personality traits, the ideological set of beliefs, the societal effects that are at the core of his/her decision to attack, as well as to evaluate the role of triggers, personal events, and external circumstances that influenced the “lone wolf’s” decision to attack. (p. 28) ¹

Although Ganor’s formula explains terrorist attacks in terms of the conditions under which a lone wolf actor could and should be responsible for controlling them, I believe it omits a factor that would significantly strengthen its predictive value, particularly in America.

The complicity of government.

As noted by Ganor, indirect information propagated by terrorist organizations may contribute to a lone wolf’s decision to attack.

Their incitement “fertilizes” over time the volatile atmosphere in the “lone wolves’” community and the explicit calls for attacks register in the “lone wolf’s mind….” (p. 29) ¹

It shouldn't be surprising that a government might also “fertilize” a country’s atmosphere with volatile rhetoric which an unstable lone wolf interprets as a call to attack.

As Americans, we are proud to call our country the “home of the brave,” and rightfully so. There is much bravery in the United States. Unfortunately, our country is also home to less flattering attributes, such as hypocrisy, xenophobia, vindictiveness, injustice, divisiveness, and blame.

Consider the 2025 presidential cycle and ask yourself what the primary idea or concept was that induced one-half of the voting public to support Donald Trump’s reelection. I submit it was the idea of “retribution” as in “I will be your retribution.” Trump’s pronouncement exemplifies the manurer, that is, the “fertilizer” (F), which helps grow American terrorists by lowering their inhibitions (I) to act in Ganor’s formula.

Another example of how the government is complicit in the growing of American terrorists would be Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric against immigrants. Again, manurer/“fertilizer” (F) straight from the elephant’s posterior.

Now the likelihood of a terrorist attack is increased by adding the “fertilizer” (F) factor into the Ganor formula:

TA = (M + T) > I — F.

And this is the formula for growing an American Terrorist.

References

1. Ganor, Boaz, Understanding the Motivations of “Lone Wolf” Terrorists, Source: Perspectives on Terrorism, April 2021, Vol. 15, №2 (April 2021), pp. 23–32, Published by: Terrorism Research Initiative, Stable URL: