Since Sept. 11, 2001, we’ve not had a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil. I would not have believed that on the evening of 9-11. Through a combination of response and dumb luck, our government has managed to protect the American public from the horrors of ideological death and destruction, a horror that has become too familiar in other parts of the world. Our “homeland security” protections on American soil, together with our international intelligence efforts and pro-active military involvements (too proactive, perhaps, in the care of Iraq) have stopped another “big plot” from hatching in one of our cities. For that, we must all be grateful.

Unfortunately, while the big plots haven’t gotten anywhere, a different kind of terrorism has asserted itself in recent years, with small but fatal consequences and unsettling implications. I’m thinking about the “one man”, self-inspired terrorist plots, such as the shooting spree by Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, and the airplane explosion attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab over Detroit on Christmas Day. These kinds of terrorism are harder to detect and stop. They involve a certain kind of person with a certain mentality, who absorbs an “idea in the air” like an infection; i.e. what some psychologists and sociologists call a “meme”.

It only takes one big, well-publicized terror incident (e.g., 9-11) to publicize the idea behind it, i.e. the idea that the American establishment is the enemy and must be attacked in the name of some imagined righteous cause; and that giving one’s life to that cause will assuredly gain an eternal reward (or at least an eternal relief from the tormenting demons in one’s head).

This reminds me of what Tertullian said about the spread of early Christianity in the Roman Empire; i.e., the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Every time the Empire killed a fanatic, it spread a message that will surely inspire new fanatics, people who may previously have nothing to do with the cause. Our country is probably more vulnerable now to “entrepreneurial” Islamic terrorism than it is to another well-planned, multi-actor scheme. One can imagine future one-man nightmares in subway cars, shopping malls, highway tunnels, etc.

Furthermore, entrepreneurial terrorism isn’t limited to Islamic triumphalism. Unfortunately, there is another “meme” out there, lurking just below the surface of public awareness, regarding hatred for big government by white supremacists. Up until recently, this variety of terror seemed rare; the last big incident was in 1995, with Timothy McVeigh’s bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

What we do know is that one-man domestic anti-government terrorism made a comeback a few weeks ago in Austin, Texas, as Joseph Stack, a disgruntled software engineer with a vendetta against the IRS, flew a small airplane Kamikaze-style into the local IRS offices. Stack is supposedly being held up as a hero by white supremacist groups.

The anthrax mailing incidents of late 2001 might have had anti-government inspiration, given the targeting of two U.S. Senators. However, the main targets appeared to be the big TV media networks. The main suspect, Bruce Ivins, committed suicide before facing charges. There is some evidence that Ivins’ inspiration might have been based on his strict Roman Catholic faith and anti-abortion views. He also was reportedly having psychological problems at the time. Still, one has to wonder if the 9-11 attack, which happened shortly before he started mailing his anthrax-laden envelopes, helped to push him over the brink.

We are living in strange times, when one person acting alone can gain enough force and advantage to kill and injure many others. And furthermore, the inspiration to do so can arise from many different directions; it’s not solely an Islamic thing. Political / religious / ethnic terrorism of an entrepreneurial sort has become an American meme within the past two decades, a social infection previously unknown. I truly hope it doesn’t get worse.