"stochastic terrorism" - defining the vague [View all]

[krispos42]

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.

Stochastic Terrorism: Triggering the shooters.
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.