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What we're seeing is a "stochastic insurgency" where loosely affiliated groups and individuals conceive, plan and execute infrastructure attacks and targeted as
by olefoo 6y ago
What we're seeing is a "stochastic insurgency" where loosely affiliated groups and individuals conceive, plan and execute infrastructure attacks and targeted assassinations. Relatively little operational coordination; but lots of online showing support and post-crime support.
I hope all congressional representatives and local government officials are reviewing their safety plans.
- drak0n1c 6y agoStochastic terrorism abound indeed - a couple days ago in WA there was a massive train derailment and fire at a Berkshire Hathaway railway previously targeted by arrested saboteurs. They were anarchists rallying under the cover of Antifa, one such decentralized stochastic phenomenon. https://komonews.com/news/local/oil-train-derailed-near-site-of-earlier-terrorist-attempt-officials-say https://komonews.com/news/local/oil-train-derailed-near-site...
- jamroom 6y agoThe linked article mentions anarchists opposed to the pipeline in British Columbia. I see nothing about Antifa.
- drak0n1c 6y agoThe website where the claim of responsibility was posted was itsgoingdown.org. Many of the posters openly refer to themselves as regional "Antifa". Here is the mission statement: "It’s Going Down is a digital community center for anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements. Our mission is to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action." https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/pair-charged-interfering-safety-railroad-tracks https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/pair-charged-interferin... https://heavy.com/news/ellen-reiche-samantha-brooks/ https://heavy.com/news/ellen-reiche-samantha-brooks/
- macinjosh 6y agolol at HN downvoting your facts because they don't like them.
- octoberfranklin 6y agoActually the saboteurs were part of the "INDIGENOUS LAND" group. See page 5 of the indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/press-release/file/1341141/download https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/press-release/file/1341141...
- numpad0 6y agoThat's almost straight out of Ghost in the Shell...
- CyanBird 6y agoStand Alone Complexes, yeah
- bilbo0s 6y agoI hope all congressional representatives and local government officials are reviewing their safety plans I know I likely don't have to tell this to the experts out there, but it might first be advisable to have your counter terrorism guys review "all congressional representatives and local government officials". No one minds fighting a war, at the same time, no one wants to charge out of a foxhole and be shot in the back.
- bigbubba 6y agoI wonder what other crimes have stochastic forms... could violent video games be stochastic murder, if among the thousands of players there is one disturbed person who might be inspired by depictions of violence to act violently? Could songs glorifying violent lifestyles also be called stochastic crime? Folk songs glorifying cartels come to mind. If an unrealistic war movie inspires teenagers to join the army, might the producers of that movie have some share of the blame for the actions undertaken by that army? Where is the line drawn between stochastic crimes and free speech?
- chrisweekly 6y agoI dob't think the word "stochastic" means what you seem to think it means.
- bigbubba 6y agoI'm pretty sure I know what it means. If you want a more substantial reply, give me one first.
- Treblemaker 6y agoCan you elaborate on what you mean by "stochastic forms"? The meaning and usage of the word that I am familiar with don't seem to fit here, so I don't think I'm getting your meaning. Thanks
- bigbubba 6y agoSure. From Wikipedia: > A derivation of Dr Woo's stochastic terrorism model was proffered by an anonymous blogger posting on Daily Kos in 2011 to describe public speech that can be expected to incite terrorism without a direct organizational link between the inciter and the perpetrator.[31][32] The term "stochastic" is used in this instance to describe the random, probabilistic nature of its effect: whether or not an attack actually takes place. And, although the actual perpetrator of a planned attack and its timing is not under the control of the stochastic terrorist, their actions nevertheless serve to increase the probability that a terrorist attack will occur.[33] The stochastic terrorist in this context does not direct the actions of any particular individual or members of a group. Rather, the stochastic terrorist gives voice to a specific ideology via mass media with the aim of optimizing its dissemination.[33] So if 'stochastic terrorism' is speech that will probabilistically inspire acts of violence when it reaches a large number of people, why can't this be generalized to crimes other than terrorism? If the (now banned) subreddit r/shoplifting publishes messages glorifying shoplifting to a large number of people, it will likely inspire some portion of those exposed to commit these crimes themselves. Does that make the subreddit a form of 'stochastic theft'?
- drefanzor 6y agoyou'll be ok
- Apocryphon 6y agoHaven’t mass shootings been a form of this despite the lack of unified motive or ideology? They’ve certainly spread terror.
- betwixthewires 6y agoYou can conclude all of that from one attack? Where are the other infrastructure attacks? Or targeted assassinations?
- Latty 6y agoRecently there was the attempt to kidnap the Michigan's governor and the cell that was planning an attack on a power plant. Both stopped by intelligence services, but that doesn't stop them being data points for people being extremists. Not saying there is a guarantee this was people with the same objectives, but it seems like a plausible theory. I wouldn't make strong assertions as though it was fact, but I also wouldn't act like there hasn't been a trend recently.