Arizona Rep. Giffords' shooter called very disturbed.

[Ken White]

Link to an article about what her former opponent did before the election.

I didn't even know Hamsters could write...

[91bravojoe]

What kind of people get influenced by stuff like this?

[Ken White]

This is not a political discussion board. Let's keep it on topic, please.

[SWJED]

Army: Ariz. Shooter Tried to Enlist but was Rejected - Army Times

An Army spokesman said that Loughner attempted to enlist in Dec. 2008 but was rejected. The spokesman, citing the Privacy Act, could not discuss why Loughner was rejected.

[davidbfpo]

The spectre of individual or loner direct action has been around for a long time, often called the 'Lone Wolves' or Lone Attackers by analysts.

See this recent commentary:http://raffaellopantucci.com/2010/12...one-attackers/

What motivates such people remains elusive; much of the commentary I've seen concentrates on the internet's role in radicalisation and preachers of hatred.

The comments by the local Sheriff no doubt will echo around for awhile:

We have become the capital, the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

Link to Sheriff's press conference:http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2...g+For+Arizona)

[Presley Cannady]

What motivates such people remains elusive; much of the commentary I've seen concentrates on the internet's role in radicalisation and preachers of hatred.

Raises the question, is it useful to consider "lone wolf" assassins a class of criminal apart? Do we entertain such categorical notions when considering other kinds of criminals, even narrowed down to just murderers?

The comments by the local Sheriff no doubt will echo around for awhile:

Link to Sheriff's press conference:http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2...g+For+Arizona)

They've been echoing for longer than that, along with the typical appeals to the ephemeral roots of homeland violence in:
1. video games,
2. heavy metal and gangsta rap, and
3. pot.

Your mileage may vary in how useful these "observations" are.

[davidbfpo]

Presley commented / asked:

Raises the question, is it useful to consider "lone wolf" assassins a class of criminal apart? Do we entertain such categorical notions when considering other kinds of criminals, even narrowed down to just murderers?

With murders and sex crimes notably we do - in the UK - and have borrowed the adjective from the FBI IIRC of 'serial murderers' etc. It is a fact that some criminal suspects specialise in their targeting, such as bogus callers on the elderly. There is a clear difficulty in defining and establishing predictability and the political need, notably with terrorism, to pre-empt such behaviour.

[J Wolfsberger]

The writing and You Tube posts are more typical of someone with schizophrenia than with any specific political leanings. Whatever "radicalized" him was a product of his own mental condition, and had no connection to the external world beyond seizing on certain terms that he took out of context and fit into his delusions. There isn't anything useful to be learned from trying to fit this mentally disturbed spree killer into the category of terrorist.

[slapout9]

This is not a political discussion board. Let's keep it on topic, please.

Ken,I understand why you put that up but IMO it was an assassination not a murder so politics plays a part. Including the fact that the victim was alarmed by the very poster that is displayed in the previous post along with all the violent rhetoric associated with it. You will find that the shooter followed the basic research established by the Secret Service.


Link to Secret Service study on Assassination.
http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ntac_jfs.pdf

[Ken White]

Ken,I understand why you put that up but IMO it was an assassination not a murder so politics plays a part.

Not a problem with your link -- to which I responded with a feeble attempt at humor -- but over the follow on post that displayed the graphic and asked who might be influenced by it. Your post introduced the political angle but it was in keeping with the thread; the other post IMO left the thread and asked a broad political question not particularly appropriate to this board.

As for politics playing a part, they may or may not and if they do the likelihood of particularly skewed variants of political beliefs would appear to be probable. Howsomeever, we can always make standing broad jumps at conclusions... . Grand ol' American pastime...

Including the fact that the victim was alarmed by the very poster that is displayed in the previous post along with all the violent rhetoric associated with it...

She apparently was or she mentioned that 'alarm' as a political tactic -- we cannot know. Her Father blames the "Tea Party" (LINK). While my assessment is that statement by him is rather a stretch, I certainly cannot know what is in his mind and I'm not about to second guess him...

Early days and not enough information to make much of an assessment IMO. Regardless, this is still not a political discussion board so only those political aspects directly appropriate to the topic at hand and based on fact rather than supposition or speculation should ideally be added to discussions.

[Bob's World]

Violence and politics between states is not always war; similarly politically motivated violence with a state is not always insurgency or even Anarchy.

Such events do, however, need to be looked at carefully as a single puzzle piece, a single data-point that helps to assess the overall relationship between a populace and its government. These things are best addressed early, and it is by taking each serious, but not over reacting to any, that such analysis and course corrections can be made by government.

I suspect this guy is a couple of standard deviations out of any such plotting of events that would indicate the relationship between the US people and their government. There are rumblings out there though, and to disregard them until they explode in major ways is folly.

It is times like this that the rock, the core, our contract between the American people and their government is so important. That, of course, is our Constitution. There is little popular support for actions such as this man's, be he just a disturbed individual, or a committed Anarchist. 100 years ago there was a rash of such actions in the West leading up, and into WWI. Trust and protect the Constitution and this too shall pass, and beware any in government that suggest that it is changes to the Constitution that will lead us forward.

In many other countries, (many that we call friends and protect from internal and external challenge), there is no such trusted contract between the people and their government. Those places have far more to be concerned about from such events than the U.S. does.

One can't separate politics and warfare. Paying attention to the acorns of discontent helps avoid dealing with the Oaks of war.

[Ken White]

Violence and politics between states is not always war; similarly politically motivated violence with a state is not always insurgency or even Anarchy...One can't separate politics and warfare. Paying attention to the acorns of discontent helps avoid dealing with the Oaks of war.

Can't separate 'em -- but one should also take care not to conflate an acorn into a pumpkin.

[slapout9]

Not a problem with your link -- to which I responded with a feeble attempt at humor -- but over the follow on post that displayed the graphic and asked who might be influenced by it.

OK, I get it now