Do you think terrorists are rational political actors?

I don't think any political figure, activist or ANYONE has NOT used a form of terrorism. It's one of the most basic and easiest methods of control, everyday people do it all the time perhaps without even realizing it. A parent telling a child to go to bed or else Santa won't come? Things as simple as that all the way up to making someone think if they don't do as you say, that a variety of harm-financial, legal, bodily harm, whatever-will come to them. Making people think you are their protector or that you have the power to ensure their safety is another form. Usually comes with a "threat" of sorts, threat of attack or persecution from some outside source, the actual existtance of the threat isn't even important as long as the subject believes it exists.

Police, military and other authority figures accomplish "terrorism" via their uniforms, formations and organisational habits, haircuts, badges and other such harmless but powerful images.

The simplicity, effectiveness and logic/psychology of terrorism works, always has and always will so I'd hardly call anyone who uses it "irrational". Depending on their agenda, the whole terrorism part is possibly the most logical thing they are doing.

Fuckin eh yeah. How else do you keep the sheep moving? You just cant talk a manifesto through, you have to show and prove it.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. that's so true

Your professor a devotee of Gary Becker?