Friction

In this ground-breaking and important book, Clark McCauley and Sophia Moskalenko identify twelve mechanisms of political radicalization that can move individuals, groups, and the masses to increased sympathy and support for political violence, drawing on wide-ranging case histories to show striking parallels between 1800s anti-czarist terrorism, 1970s anti-war terrorism, and 21st century jihadist terrorism. In the context of the Islamic State's worldwide effort to radicalize moderate Muslims for jihad, they advance a model that differentiates radicalization in opinion from radicalization in action and suggests different strategies for countering these different forms of radicalization. Their controversial conclusion is that the same mechanisms are at work in radicalizing both terrorists and states targeted by terrorists. The implications of this conclusion are as relevant for policy makers and security officers as for citizens facing terrorist threats.