General Discussion

malaise

(269,022 posts) Wed Oct 10, 2018, 06:58 PM Oct 2018

WTF! Man arrested for 200lb election day bomb

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fbi-says-man-with-200-pound-bomb-had-election-day-plot/2018/10/10/df9e6e12-ccd6-11e8-ad0a-0e01efba3cc1_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7539c87f5c31

NEW YORK — Federal authorities have charged a New York man with building a 200-pound (90-kilogram) bomb they say he planned to detonate on Election Day on the National Mall in Washington.

Paul Rosenfeld, 56, of Tappan, was charged Wednesday with unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device and interstate transportation and receipt of an explosive.

Prosecutors said he planned to use the bomb to kill himself and draw attention to a political system called sortition, in which public officials are chosen randomly rather than elected.

14 replies

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WTF! Man arrested for 200lb election day bomb (Original Post) malaise Oct 2018 OP

Is it too late to get an absentee ballot? Its getting scary. Meadowoak Oct 2018 #1

they want to keep us away from the polls AlexSFCA Oct 2018 #2

That was my first thought malaise Oct 2018 #9

He was going to detonate the bomb on the National Mall? gratuitous Oct 2018 #3

The bomb had 8 pounds of black powder / explosives in it. joshcryer Oct 2018 #4

Josh, it is not the amount of explosive powder that does the damage. Blue_true Oct 2018 #7

There are videos of people exploding that much powder on YouTube. joshcryer Oct 2018 #8

Thanks. nt Blue_true Oct 2018 #14

great d_r Oct 2018 #5

Like the guy in Mesa az..found to have pipe bombs in his car.. ,,,and enough in his garage asiliveandbreathe Oct 2018 #6

Yeah and not far from me either ... mr_lebowski Oct 2018 #10

I wouldn't want to shine this poor light on a very nice neighborhood...but you asiliveandbreathe Oct 2018 #11

Yeah, I'm not far from there ... mr_lebowski Oct 2018 #12

The Rethugs were planning to bomb the election?? clementine613 Oct 2018 #13

Meadowoak

(5,546 posts)

1. Is it too late to get an absentee ballot? Its getting scary.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:02 PM

Oct 2018

AlexSFCA

(6,137 posts)

2. they want to keep us away from the polls

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:05 PM

Oct 2018

malaise

(269,022 posts)

9. That was my first thought

Reply to AlexSFCA (Reply #2)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 08:12 PM

Oct 2018

Fugg 'em!

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

3. He was going to detonate the bomb on the National Mall?

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:08 PM

Oct 2018

I'm unaware of too many polling places on the National Mall. This fellow sounds like a kook, to use the non-partisan term.

joshcryer

(62,276 posts)

4. The bomb had 8 pounds of black powder / explosives in it.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:12 PM

Oct 2018

Why do journalists do this.

Blue_true

(31,261 posts)

7. Josh, it is not the amount of explosive powder that does the damage.

Reply to joshcryer (Reply #4)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:20 PM

Oct 2018

It is the nails and stuff that gets packed around the charge.

joshcryer

(62,276 posts)

8. There are videos of people exploding that much powder on YouTube.

Reply to Blue_true (Reply #7)

Wed Oct 10, 2018, 07:57 PM

Oct 2018

While it is a decent amount you can the stuff by the pound at any specialty shop (for muzzle loaders).

With the remaining mass of the bomb mostly plywood, it would have caused damage but it may not have even killed the guy.

Now if it was 200 lbs of actual explosives (or say 100 lbs with the rest as charge material) then yeah...