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I guess the next one can learn from this one and they will iteratively get better at not getting caught.

• qzw 2y ago
  In the movie "Wag the Dog", Dustin Hoffman plays a Hollywood producer who is hired by the President to create a fake war to take attention away from another scandal. Spoiler alert Near the end, Hoffman's character is upset that the President's re-election is credited to something else instead of his handiwork. Even when told he's risking his life if he says anything, he yells "I want the credit!". I think a similar psychology may be at work in this and other crimes that become (in)famous.
  • elliotec 2y ago
    I _think_ what you're getting at is saying the suspect wants the credit, in response to the parent saying the next one will be better at evasion by learning from his mistakes, right? And implying the next one might not want to evade either? I have no speculation here just looking for clarification on the movie reference.
    • qzw 2y ago
      Yes, that's what I'm trying to say. Obviously anybody who goes to the trouble of penning a manifesto is a hero/protagonist in their own narrative. When they see that their acts have captured the attention or even admiration of a significant portion of the public, the urge to stand up and say "I'm the one who did this great deed, and here's why" will often overpower the instinct for self preservation.
  • ZeroGravitas 2y ago
    This is the topic of the wonderfully named Edgar Allan Poe short story, The Imp of the Perverse: https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/edgar-allan-poe/short-fiction/text/the-imp-of-the-perverse https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/edgar-allan-poe/short-fict...
• EdwardDiego 2y ago
  I look forward to the retro on this.