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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"stochastic terrorism" - defining the vague
This is from a DailyKos diary from January 10th 2011, and in my opinion defines the current state of the country regarding the series of "lone-wolf" right-wing terrorist attacks that we have been suffering through the last few months. Sadly, with the Republican primary process still in its youth and the general election 11 months away, I fear 2016 will be a bad year.
It's a good read and not too long.
By G2geek
Monday Jan 10, 2011 8:37 PM EST
Stochastic terrorism is the use of mass communications to stir up random lone wolves to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.
This is what occurs when Bin Laden releases a video that stirs random extremists halfway around the globe to commit a bombing or shooting.
This is also the term for what Beck, O'Reilly, Hannity, and others do. And this is what led directly and predictably to a number of cases of ideologically-motivated murder similar to the Tucson shootings.
<snip>
The lone wolves.
The term "lone wolf" is used in law enforcement and intel to refer to an individual who is emotionally unstable, who lacks obvious ties to known criminal gangs or terrorist groups, and who pops up seemingly out of nowhere to commit a violent or terrorist act.
The three-letter agencies can keep an eye on organized groups, and do a damn good job at stopping violent actors associated with those groups. At least three intended car bombings were stopped last year by the FBI intercepting the bombers and substituting fake explosives in time to save hundreds of lives and arrest the would-be bombers.
Lone wolves don't have obvious connections through which they can be discovered. They don't communicate much if at all about their intentions. They keep their plans to themselves. And then, apparently at random, they pop up from obscurity and commit murder. They are law enforcement's and intel's worst nightmare, and on Saturday one of them became America's nightmare.
<more>
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/10/934890/-
Note to Hosts: I quoted more because the paragraphs were very short.
Anyway, the linked diary contains some examples, which I think this most recent RW terrorist (and the South Carolina church shooter) would easily fall into.
I saw this on DU2 years ago and saved the link, but I think it was in the old GD and it seems to be missing. Took a half hour to find it; I though it was "stoiciometric terrorism" and I couldn't find anything except post about internal-combustion engines and fuel efficiency.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)There are a lot of us who miss Jackpine Radical.
ms liberty
(8,610 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I think this term is going to start becoming a lot more relevant in this country, unfortunately. There are just too many hate-mongers in positions of power, legitimizing the violence.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)krispos42
(49,445 posts)The false narrative is that "both sides do it"
Yeah, well, I don't see Rachel Maddow or Chris Hayes doing this crap. This drumbeat of "Tiller the Baby Killer", for example. Or the raging xenophobia.
L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Control freaks want you to behave in the manner they dictate so they can profit, same old same old.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)napi21
(45,806 posts)I just heard about it today when a caller to the Stephenie Miller Show read it on air. It is by far the best description of who the domestic terrorists REALLY ARE!
krispos42
(49,445 posts)Or the DailyKos one?
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)wreak some sort of unspecified havoc seems like a mighty big reach to me. Why tailor propaganda to the unstable when it works so well on people who are ready to believe it?
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)The point that should be made forcefully is the fact that aformentioned weasel wasn't speaking to him, they were speaking to them, the behavior of whom *can* be predicted.
It's a weak excuse to blame the mentally ill when they've done such an effective and deliberate job of gathering them around their TV's and Radios.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)Joe Nation
(963 posts)The only difference between ISIS and the GOP is that ISIS is anxious to take credit for their inspired acts of terrorism while the GOP is anxious to deny any connection between their words and the terrorism that inevitably follows.