Fear Itself

Recent headlines pose this question: Has al-Qaeda become more organized? The bombs found on airplanes in Dubai and Britain are signs of a new, more dangerous wave of terrorism. I guess they want to differentiate from the kinder, gentler waves of terrorism that existed prior to last week. Maybe they're trying to distinguish these guys from the ones who carried their explosives around in their underwear or shoes.
Maybe the folks who make such distinctions about our level of fear have a point. According to reports about one suspect in the most recent attempts to blow things up, suspect Ibrahim Hassan Al Asiri, was described as a young man so ruthless he once hid a bomb inside his own brother in an attempt to kill a top Saudi counterterrorism official who was encouraging jihadists to reform. I'm an older brother, and while I have used my younger brother as an accomplice for numerous despicable acts, most of them centering around getting out of practicing the piano, it never occurred to me to use him to blow up the piano.
That's why they call them "terrorists." If the intent is to strike "intense of overwhelming fear" into the hearts of their enemies, then I believe they are doing their job. It will certainly give little brothers across the globe pause, but I remain less impressed and here's why: entropy.
I know. This is my answer for so many things, but it hasn't let me down yet. Think of every group you've ever belonged to. As it has become more and more "organized," has it become more and more efficient? I, for one, will be happy to see layers of bureaucracy eventually choke off the relative effectiveness of al-Qaeda. Imagine the United States Congress, but with high explosives. How long do you suppose something like that could survive? Be afraid, but take solace in the third law of thermodynamics. I do, and so does my little brother.