You can’t really volunteer to be a terrorist. You have to know somebody. At some point, that person will bring you in after talking with others in the group. While you may know that someone in your circles is a terrorist, they will not speak with you about it unless they have zero operational security. If they do speak about it, they are an asset, not a terrorist.

Once you are brought in, you are not brought in as a terrorist. You are brought in as a person sympathetic to their cause who is willing to help by completing small tasks. Over time, these tasks become larger, more illegal, and the information that you would know about the network becomes more in depth.

The hard truth is, that unless you are running a cell or the movement, you are never really a terrorist. You are a disposable asset that can be used by terrorists to further their own ends. Sort of in the way that cheering for the Chiefs doesn’t make you a football player. Sure, you have the gear and you know the talking points, you may even inspire others to similar action, but when push comes to shove, you will be cut off without a second thought. This is similar to how many intelligence agencies treat their assets.

If you were to go the lone wolf route and carry out an action in the name of a specific terrorist group, you would still not be a terrorist. You would be someone who was radicalized by the terrorist group.

Finally, no self-respecting terrorist group will refer to themselves as a terrorist group. Their cause is always righteous and those in power have eliminated all acceptable courses to express their grievances.