3 ms·

Special agents have a lot of power. I think many are running little fiefdoms of their own. My eyes opened when I heard about the plot to kidnap the governor

by starkd 5y ago

Special agents have a lot of power. I think many are running little fiefdoms of their own. My eyes opened when I heard about the plot to kidnap the governor of MI was actually led and instigated by FBI agents. It was reported by BuzzfeedNews.

mc32 5y ago
It’s bizarre the things they cook up to “attract” people to honeypots that many of those people would never venture to. We see the most egregious cases in the news , but that means there are many more less notable cases with the same degree of injustice for lots individuals who aren’t always bright. It’s as unseemly as having some guy in highschool talking the slow girl in class to go out with him. There are enough bad people trying to do bad things. Go after them, do it professionally. Not this “I got Martha for lying, gimme my promotion” quickie stuff.
- rtkwe 5y ago
  Yeah I wonder how much safer we actually get when someone who's only criminal contact is with the FBI/Police, eg a 'terrorist' who only ever talked to, planned with, and bought for the police about or for their planned attack. Sure they probably didn't entrap them technically but it feels like it accomplishes very little except keeping people afraid and justifying the careers of agents.
tfigment 5y ago
Sounds like you heard the sensationalized version. They knew about but we're contacted by someone who did not found it but became an informant and ultimately a leader because that person was ex-military and skilled. That was my understanding of how it was ultimately not successful.
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  The Buzzfeed article makes it seem like the FBI had a dozen plus informants controlling the plot at every level.
ALittleLight 5y ago
Apart from civil rights concerns another problem is the possibility for a terrorist to get away from them. If you get some guys together and convince them to do some terrorist plot and give them the plans and maybe some of the tools - how possible is it that some number of them actually perpetrate a crime as a result and kill or hurt some innocent person?
stjohnswarts 5y ago
And yet grown men jumped at the chance to kidnap the governor and took steps to enact it. I don't feel one whit of sympathy for such individuals, especially the militant proud boy types that preach white supremacy and violence. What balanced adult would go along with a kidnapping of a governor?
- starkd 5y ago
  True, but not sure how much they really "jumped at the chance". The agents involved played a significant role in leading the effort. That's entrapment.

by starkd 5y ago

mc32 5y ago

It’s bizarre the things they cook up to “attract” people to honeypots that many of those people would never venture to. We see the most egregious cases in the news , but that means there are many more less notable cases with the same degree of injustice for lots individuals who aren’t always bright. It’s as unseemly as having some guy in highschool talking the slow girl in class to go out with him. There are enough bad people trying to do bad things. Go after them, do it professionally. Not this “I got Martha for lying, gimme my promotion” quickie stuff.

rtkwe 5y ago
Yeah I wonder how much safer we actually get when someone who's only criminal contact is with the FBI/Police, eg a 'terrorist' who only ever talked to, planned with, and bought for the police about or for their planned attack. Sure they probably didn't entrap them technically but it feels like it accomplishes very little except keeping people afraid and justifying the careers of agents.

tfigment 5y ago

Sounds like you heard the sensationalized version. They knew about but we're contacted by someone who did not found it but became an informant and ultimately a leader because that person was ex-military and skilled. That was my understanding of how it was ultimately not successful.

ALittleLight 5y ago
The Buzzfeed article makes it seem like the FBI had a dozen plus informants controlling the plot at every level.

ALittleLight 5y ago

Apart from civil rights concerns another problem is the possibility for a terrorist to get away from them. If you get some guys together and convince them to do some terrorist plot and give them the plans and maybe some of the tools - how possible is it that some number of them actually perpetrate a crime as a result and kill or hurt some innocent person?

stjohnswarts 5y ago

And yet grown men jumped at the chance to kidnap the governor and took steps to enact it. I don't feel one whit of sympathy for such individuals, especially the militant proud boy types that preach white supremacy and violence. What balanced adult would go along with a kidnapping of a governor?

starkd 5y ago
True, but not sure how much they really "jumped at the chance". The agents involved played a significant role in leading the effort. That's entrapment.