# Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - The Boston Marathone bomber. What was his motive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408 "2015-01-09T16:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/1 "2015-01-09T16:21:44Z")
I’m thinking IMHO would be best for this… Anyway, thread title says it. Why did he do it? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/2 "2015-01-09T16:45:23Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I’m thinking IMHO would be best for this… > > Anyway, thread title says it. Why did he do it? because he’s a stupid kid who listened to his radicalized older brother? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/3 "2015-01-09T16:45:33Z")
The US is big and rich and arrogant and doesn’t give a shit about Chekistan. So there. Seriously, I doubt any stronger or more coherent motive will come to light - and, of course, it will be entirely his conveniently dead brother’s idea; he was just an ignorant pawn following orders. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/4 "2015-01-09T17:57:45Z")
Huh. OK, thanks. I seem to remember talk of some of that now… ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/5 "2015-01-09T18:48:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Seriously, I doubt any stronger or more coherent motive will come to light - and, of course, it will be entirely his conveniently dead brother’s idea; he was just an ignorant pawn following orders. In all fairness, it probably was his conveniently dead brother’s idea. His own motives were likely little more than a general sympathy for the jihadists. (But he’s sure as hell old enough to know better, so he gets no sympathy from me.) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/6 "2015-01-09T18:52:01Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > In all fairness, it probably was his conveniently dead brother’s idea. His own motives were likely little more than a general sympathy for the jihadists. > > (But he’s sure as hell old enough to know better, so he gets no sympathy from me.) Being influenced by someone is not a defense to your own actions. My point was that the trial will undoubtedly pin everything on the brother that can’t be absolutely proven to be the younger brother’s action or intent - and I suspect that he did a lot of his own volition, however misguided or mis-guided he might have been by bro. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/7 "2015-01-09T18:56:23Z")
Being an Arrogant Dumb-Fuck Follower? The chip on his shoulder about Chechnya? Being a Racist Fanatic, who saw that the people around him looked, dressed, spoke and believed differently, so they were fair game for random murder as they went about their day? Hard to say. “You sure there’s water on that sponge?” “Ah don’t much care.” “Well, I don’t either, but there should be a Few drops on it at least…” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/8 "2015-01-10T02:23:02Z")
Hate, pure hate. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-the-boston-marathone-bomber-what-was-his-motive/709408/9 "2015-01-10T16:18:49Z")
Homer Simpson voice: He did it because he’s stupid. That’s the only reason anyone does anything!