from the archives: the Aum Example

thinking about terrorism through the lens of a death cult

This piece first ran on Monday, June 10th, 2013, on my original blog, most of which does not exist anymore. The piece reflects an America where terrorism was a much more salient political issue than it is now. Yet I think the piece is still meaningful, and that there are resonances here that matter today. Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara was executed …