Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 91

Thread: Lone Wolves in the USA (new title)

  1. #21
    Council Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    3,169

    Default

    Posted by Bob's World

    I take a unique perspective on strategy (I find how unique this is as I deal with others who blend the word into their job titles with no apparent impact on it actually affecting the jobs they do, or with no particular training, experience or aptitude for strategic thought)
    This statement comes across as extremely arrogant. All struggle with both strategy and planning for a wide range of reasons. Plans are flawed largely due to our doctrinal process for writing them and the expected formats driven by JOPES. Furthermore commanders are seldom engaged in the planning process, so their impact are often nil or at best minimal. The fact is DOD is more focused on fill in the blank products that add up to a plan (product) they can put on a shelf than a plan they can actually operationalize. I think an argument can be made that those trained to do planning/strategy or actually handicapped by their training.

    As for strategy, our nation will continue to struggle with it until we have a functional interagency process; however, you assume incorrectly in my view that you have unique insights that others don't, and you assume some things aren't happening because you're not aware of it. In our system the military doesn't do what you often recommend, but it is being done by others (admittedly often executed poorly and rarely synched, and military activities often don't support strategic objectives, etc.). More people get strategy than you give credit for, but the system doesn't facilitate its execution. If you want to see our nation blossom strategically, then direct your energies at fixing the broken system. Until then good ideas will be nothing more than good ideas.

    1. on "Root Causes" vs. "Energy Sources": Most things have roots of some sort, and many things have common aspects in their roots. But roots are below the surface and therefore impossible to see and hard to assess. Better, perhaps, to think in terms of "energy sources." Do not ask "what are the root causes" as this will spark knee jerk responses on complexity, impossibility, difference of opinion, etc. Instead look for and discuss what energy sources might be at work driving the particular activity one is concerned about.
    Root causes are generally readily apparent in my opinion, but can't be fixed. Causes are often just that, causes, and are something that can be repaired with our current level of knowledge. I surfaced the energy concept years ago on SWJ, and argued when we put more energy into a system we'll get an equal reaction (unless we apply overwhelming energy to a military problem), which is why small footprints for enduring operations, and short duration for large operations are generally best. "When" the root cause can't be addressed we scope the mission to address the threat and minimize the potential of creating other problems. A strategist addresses the problems that can be solved and is wise enough not to waste national resources on the problems that can be solved.

    2. One key way Strategy and Planning are the same: Like planning, it is not having a strategy that is important (most strategies are, IMO, vague, highly biased documents of questionable value; while most plans are overly detailed guidelines for some program of tactics with little connection to truly solving a problem in any kind of enduring way); but rather it is the process of thinking about a problem in holistic and fundamental ways to better understand the energy sources behind it that is important. Too often we skip this step, and either just go with what the boss or some "expert" feels, or we take a doctrinal answer off the shelf and dive straight into a hasty plan followed by a long, frustrating program of engagement.
    Select text, right click, hit paste repeatedly, and you effectively captured the history of both our foreign and domestic policies. It just isn't the boss, but often what the media drives the boss to focus on, because the media (gun violence) will describe the problem to the public and the public will want that problem (even if it is defined incorrectly) solved.

    3. Thinking about questions is often more important than knowledge of answers. I admit, I sometimes state what I currently think in far too certain of terms. That is a flaw I am working on. But I also abandon concepts when necessary and evolve them continuously as this is all part of thinking. Once one "knows" the answer they are almost certainly wrong. The military is a culture that prioritizes knowledge and action far more highly than understanding and thought. Nature of the beast. There is a time when action is critical, but most times we could use a lot less smoke and noise and a little more pause and think.
    So, do not presume one can find the "root cause" of excessive gun violence and mass murder such as this recent event. But do resist the urge to knee-jerk action and pause to think about it holistically and in ways that force one to step outside their particular paradigm to do so. Identify some energy sources and considers ways to disconnect from or to turn down those sources. To just put armed guards in every school and to put greater restrictions on guns is the same type of senseless, symptomatic approach we applied to 9/11. Have we learned nothing? We cannot simply cling to things we do not want to change while generating powerful programs to guard against and attack the products of those things. We must evolve. But first we must think.
    Again this comes across as arrogant and misinformed. You are confusing a public statement by the NRA with government strategy. The government TF groups working this now at the national level emphasized the importance of a fresh and holistic look. Once again you are pointing to yourself as the only one who gets this, yet the reality is the vast majority of our government officials get this. They also get the real world limitations that will limit their courses of action. You already demonstrated bias by writting off the potential value of putting an armed guard in schools as a temporary or enduring tactic to help mitigate future attacks, which surely are coming. Very opinionated, but not supported by any facts. All options need to be on the table, as you said above there are times to take action and this may be one of them, on the other hand it may not.

    You would be more convincing if you toned down the I'm smartest cat in the world language, and it wouldn't be that hard to do if you actually listened to what others are saying. All of us have the same struggles.

  2. #22
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,366

    Default

    Rightly Carl asks, after I had posted:
    Can the leviathan of counter-terrorism be re-targeted?
    Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
    What would it be pointed at? The article states that you can't pinpoint these people.
    My point from afar was that some of the CT leviathan effort, political as much as other parts of government, could be refocused. In my reading there are obviously gaps in the legal and administrative structures - not just to regulate guns.

    To give two examples. There is no legal requirement for gun owners to report a firearm stolen; I'm not sure whether this means ATF, FBI, state or local have responsibility. Sorry I cannot link to a source article. Secondly the reporting to the FBI of mental health concerns for NCIS use is haphazard and clearly flawed. See:http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...ing-adam-lanza
    davidbfpo

  3. #23
    Council Member Dayuhan's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Latitude 17° 5' 11N, Longitude 120° 54' 24E, altitude 1499m. Right where I want to be.
    Posts
    3,137

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    So, do not presume one can find the "root cause" of excessive gun violence and mass murder such as this recent event. But do resist the urge to knee-jerk action and pause to think about it holistically and in ways that force one to step outside their particular paradigm to do so. Identify some energy sources and considers ways to disconnect from or to turn down those sources. To just put armed guards in every school and to put greater restrictions on guns is the same type of senseless, symptomatic approach we applied to 9/11. Have we learned nothing? We cannot simply cling to things we do not want to change while generating powerful programs to guard against and attack the products of those things. We must evolve. But first we must think.
    Have you any course of action to suggest?

    Lots of people out there thinking, and lots of proposals, but I'm not seeing anything terribly compelling. Given that we're dealing with a tiny number of deeply disturbed individuals, I'm not sure we're going to accomplish much by looking for root causes or energy sources, which are likely to be different in each case.

    Better mental health care is desirable certainly, but even mental health professionals admit that they cannot reliably predict who may be involved in these events. My concern when we discuss greater alertness or anticipation on the mental health side is that kids that just happen to be a little strange (there are many of them) may be stigmatized as potential mass murderers, which is going to mnake already difficult lives even harder. Aside from being unfair to those individuals, that could provoke precisely the behavior we seek to avoid.

    Those with pre-existing biases against guns and video games will have predictable suggestions, but I personally see few solutions there.

    I don't have any good ideas, and I'm not seeing many I think are good. I think it would be great if the identities and histories of those involved could be kept out of the media completely, but realistically I can't see how that is to be done.
    “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”

    H.L. Mencken

  4. #24
    Council Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    4,021

    Default "Cops in Schools" - Clinton, Bush II & Obama Admins

    The "Cops in Schools" projects (plural; a number of different pilot projects developed) came to life because of President Clinton's Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, as part of "Community Oriented Policing Services" (COPS).

    According to the Sep 2000 AG's Report to Congress:

    p.12 pdf

    COPS has been at the forefront of one of the most pressing issues facing our country today – violence in our nation's schools. Through its COPS in Schools program, COPS has funded the addition of over 2,600 officers in our nation's schools. These school resource officers are partnering with students, teachers, and parents to become an important part of the fabric of the daily school environment.
    See p.18 pdf: COPS in Schools was initially awarded (Oct 1998) $294.4 million (Salary/benefits costs over $125,000 for a 3-year period).

    The program continued into the Bush II Admin with a 2005 258-page guide, A Guide to Developing, Maintaining, and Succeeding With Your School Resource Officer Program - Practices From the Field for Law Enforcement and School Administration. E.g., p.116

    Finally, programs may wish to consider providing training in other areas addressed in COPS in School trainings, including:

    - community policing in the schools (e.g., the SRO as a community liaison and problem solver),

    - youth culture and diversity (e.g., the challenge of school bullying), and

    - promoting mental health in schools, including intervening with at-risk students (e.g., detecting early signs of trouble).
    Obviously, there is much more in the 2005 Guide from Bush II.

    The website for the Obama Admin's version of "COPS" appears as I write this. I was especially interested in "The Latest Information on Community Policing"; but alas, after going there, I found of material interest to me only "Campus Safety":

    With over 15 million students and several million more faculty and staff at U.S. institutions of higher education, it is not surprising that campus safety is a field of great interest within community policing. That is why the COPS Office provides a range of resources to help administrators and security personnel create safe and secure environments on our nation's colleges and universities.

    The Scope of the Problems

    Security services on the nation's campuses vary considerably in size, role, authority, and quality. They include full-service police departments, private security operations, contractual services, and more. Campus police departments also vary greatly in how they relate to and share information with local and state public safety agencies.

    In light of tragic violent events on several campuses, more than 20 institutional, state, professional association, and governmental reports have recommended that colleges and universities develop and implement threat assessment and management tools to enhance campus safety. The COPS Office offers a variety of resources aimed at helping the campus public safety field address these and many other issues.

    COPS programs focused on institutions of post-secondary education have included the 2004 National Summit on Campus Public Safety hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Community Policing Institute, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement's Fellowship Program and Accreditation Pilot, the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation's Campus-Community Policing Partnership Program and, most recently, the Margolis Healy and Associates Campus Threat Assessment training seminars.
    So, there is some current Federal LE emphasis on "higher education" safety.

    However, in the publications, I scored more success re: school safety (at the secondary and primary levels). Thus, we have 2009 COPS Secure Our Schools Grant Owner’s Manual (SOS):

    Abstract: Provides funding to municipalities to assist with the development of school safety resources. SOS funding will allow recipients the opportunity to establish and enhance a variety of school safety equipment and/or programs to encourage the continuation and enhancement of school safety efforts within their communities.
    and, 2010 Assigning Police Officers to Schools:

    Abstract: Nearly half of all public schools have assigned police officers, commonly referred to as school resource officers (SRO's) or education officers. Assigning Police Officers to Schools summarizes the typical duties of SROs, synthesizes the research pertaining to their effectiveness, and presents issues for communities to bear in mind when considering the adoption of an SRO model.
    Exactly what the present status of this program is = ? to me. Is it funded, defunct, etc. ?

    This little backgrounder may help in reading through the extreme left and right wing posts on this specific topic.

    Regards

    Mike

    PS: I thought it a bit humorous to see an argument develop on the application of doctrinal (and non-doctrinal) military strategy and the military planning process to what is such a basic local domestic political question. Well, what the hell !; this is a military site and it's the holiday season - so, go to it.

  5. #25
    Council Member Bob's World's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    2,706

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dayuhan View Post
    Have you any course of action to suggest?

    Lots of people out there thinking, and lots of proposals, but I'm not seeing anything terribly compelling. Given that we're dealing with a tiny number of deeply disturbed individuals, I'm not sure we're going to accomplish much by looking for root causes or energy sources, which are likely to be different in each case.

    Better mental health care is desirable certainly, but even mental health professionals admit that they cannot reliably predict who may be involved in these events. My concern when we discuss greater alertness or anticipation on the mental health side is that kids that just happen to be a little strange (there are many of them) may be stigmatized as potential mass murderers, which is going to make already difficult lives even harder. Aside from being unfair to those individuals, that could provoke precisely the behavior we seek to avoid.

    Those with pre-existing biases against guns and video games will have predictable suggestions, but I personally see few solutions there.

    I don't have any good ideas, and I'm not seeing many I think are good. I think it would be great if the identities and histories of those involved could be kept out of the media completely, but realistically I can't see how that is to be done.
    I fall back to where I began in post #6. A call to look at the problem holistically and to not leap to any program of activities designed to simply mitigate or prevent the obvious symptoms. There are many factors coming together within the context of American history and culture to feed this problem. We could begin that analysis by building a list of as many of the factors as possible, and then working to backtrack each of those, both independently and in the context of how they interrelate with each other in a effort to better understand how we got to where we are, and then also how to better get to where we want to be.

    I believe that both the 1st and 2nd amendments play critical roles in keeping a healthy balance of power between those who govern and those who are governed; but recent trends have been to increasingly remove restrictions on the first, while increasingly place restrictions on the second. We tend to think of these amendments in isolation, or at least not in the context of why they were created in the first place. The result is that we are out of balance. We need to find a balance across these important rights that is tuned to the overall mission.

    We need to see this trend of these tragic attacks as a powerful metric that the health of our society is trending in the wrong direction. We overly focus on the individuals who act out. We can't prevent individuals from acting out, but we can look to ways to address the trends in society as a whole. This very thread is named in the context of the individual, the "lone wolf." That is tactical thinking: How do I stop the lone wolf. I think strategic thinking would be: how do I change this trend in the society as a whole.

    The approach to the attacks of 9/11 share this same flaw. We focus overly on how do we "defeat, disrupt, deny" organizations such as AQ, rather than on how do we better understand and address the trends in society that are fueling the rise of such organizations.

    The tactical approach provides immediate gratification of action, and also allows us to not have to take responsibility for how we have all contributed to the conditions that feed the problem. It enables the same type of avoidance of personal (or societal) responsibility that one sees in people wrestling with addiction.

    We all want better answers, but first I think we need to spend more time working on getting to better questions.
    Robert C. Jones
    Intellectus Supra Scientia
    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

  6. #26
    Council Member Bob's World's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    2,706

    Default

    Bill,

    I don't claim to be, nor do I think I am smarter than others who work in "strategy" related fields. I claim only that I think about thing differently than most, and that I tend to spend more time attempting to sort out why things are the way they are in a quest to find insights to offer to guide the efforts of the decision makers above me.

    Most strategists focus on identifying and cataloging lists of things that are, and then applying against those lists the framework of guidance from their own boss and bosses higher in the command structure. This is important, but is the science of strategy. What can I measure, what have I been told to do, how do I apply that at my level. This is objectively assessable.

    What I am talking about is the art of strategy. What does one understand about the things going on around them, how does that make them think about the guidance they have received, and what recommendations or questions does that suggest to inform how everyone can get to a better place at the least possible cost and with the lowest likelihood of negative consequences.

    I don't think we prioritize the art of strategy as highly as we should, nor do I think we attempt to identify early and nurture over time that type of artistic talent in the US military.

    Instead we seem to think that once one achieves a certain rank or educational degree, or is assigned to a headquarters commanded by a person possessing a certain number of stars that one is automatically "strategic." That, IMO, is "arrogant."

    We are, too often, the very type of "intelligent fool" as discussed by Mr. Einstein below. I too often count myself within that number of intelligent fools. The only difference in me is that I actively seek to avoid that natural tendency that Einstein described. I realize sometimes that makes others uncomfortable. Just shut up and color, right? There is a comfort in following orders and applying tactics with vigor and effectiveness. We have become too comfortable in that regard. We need to start trying to make ourselves uncomfortable, as that is what leads to discovery and growth.
    Robert C. Jones
    Intellectus Supra Scientia
    (Understanding is more important than Knowledge)

    "The modern COIN mindset is when one arrogantly goes to some foreign land and attempts to make those who live there a lesser version of one's self. The FID mindset is when one humbly goes to some foreign land and seeks first to understand, and then to help in some small way for those who live there to be the best version of their own self." Colonel Robert C. Jones, US Army Special Forces (Retired)

  7. #27
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
    To give two examples. There is no legal requirement for gun owners to report a firearm stolen; I'm not sure whether this means ATF, FBI, state or local have responsibility. Sorry I cannot link to a source article.
    There is no requirement to report stolen property of any kind. Even if there was, I don't know what good it would do with firearms. Almost nobody knows what the serial number of the weapon was. One thing I always thought would be helpful was if the manufacturers made the serial number big on the gun and in some sort of contrasting color. That makes it easier for the owner's to see and record the number. It's great when you get a guy and can actually prove that any weapon he had is stolen, frustrating though because you mostly can't.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  8. #28
    Council Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    3,169

    Default

    Posted by Bob's World

    I think about thing differently than most, and that I tend to spend
    more time attempting to sort out why things are the way they are in a quest to find insights to offer to guide the efforts of the decision makers above me.
    I don't disagree and your insights are often helpful and informative, but as you know one size seldom fits all. This gets to my or our next point.

    What I am talking about is the art of strategy. What does one understand about the things going on around them, how does that make them think about the guidance they have received, and what recommendations or questions does that suggest to inform how everyone can get to a better place at the least possible cost and with the lowest likelihood of negative consequences.
    No daylight between us on this observation. At least in the military, and I see it in other government agencies also, we're quick to label a problem (insurgency, terrorism, gun violence, drunk driving, drugs, etc.) and then apply some doctrinal approach and adjust our foolish measurements or what we measure so we can demonstrate success (and maintain funding for our efforts). Despite lip service to the contrary we spend very little time gaining understanding of the problem, to include the real root causes (even if we can't fix them, we should endeavor to understand them). Einstein allegedly said something along the lines that if I had an hour to solve a problem I would spend 59 minutes gaining understanding of it first, and then a minute to solve it. We don't produce thinkers like that in our mass education system, and that includes the military PME system. I don't know if it is possible to produce thinkers like that, but when they're identified they should be treated as a high value item that needs to be protected, but more often than not we send them to our version of re-education camps to ensure they conform to our "group think."

    Most strategists focus on identifying and cataloging lists of things that are, and then applying against those lists the framework of guidance from their own boss and bosses higher in the command structure. This is important, but is the science of strategy. What can I measure, what have I been told to do, how do I apply that at my level. This is objectively assessable.
    I think, but I'm not sure, what this paragraph is getting after?

    I don't think we prioritize the art of strategy as highly as we should, nor do I think we attempt to identify early and nurture over time that type of artistic talent in the US military.
    As stated above we tend to destroy it, the only ones that can openly express this type of talent are Admirals and Generals (assumed they had and retained this ability after years of suppressing it). The critics in the media still serve us well.

    Instead we seem to think that once one achieves a certain rank or educational degree, or is assigned to a headquarters commanded by a person possessing a certain number of stars that one is automatically "strategic." That, IMO, is "arrogant."
    Couldn't agree more.

    We are, too often, the very type of "intelligent fool" as discussed by Mr. Einstein below. I too often count myself within that number of intelligent fools. The only difference in me is that I actively seek to avoid that natural tendency that Einstein described. I realize sometimes that makes others uncomfortable. Just shut up and color, right? There is a comfort in following orders and applying tactics with vigor and effectiveness. We have become too comfortable in that regard. We need to start trying to make ourselves uncomfortable, as that is what leads to discovery and growth.
    Lot's of people are uncomfortable, discovering, and growing. Perhaps more than you give credit for. The issue is changing the system that does become more complex and engrained overtime. That is the nature of bureaucracies. They don't tend to gravitate to simple and effective, rather their processes and rule books just get thicker and thicker, and result in serious snagnation.

  9. #29
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    We need to see this trend of these tragic attacks as a powerful metric that the health of our society is trending in the wrong direction. We overly focus on the individuals who act out. We can't prevent individuals from acting out, but we can look to ways to address the trends in society as a whole. This very thread is named in the context of the individual, the "lone wolf." That is tactical thinking: How do I stop the lone wolf. I think strategic thinking would be: how do I change this trend in the society as a whole.
    I don't see the murderous actions of mostly deranged young men as a metric of anything other than a trend among deranged young men. As frightening and disturbing as these things are, they are still the actions of very isolated individuals. There is nothing society wide about it. Something like murder rates as a whole going up and down says something about society. These don't because they are individuals taking advantage of some fairly obvious vulnerabilities.

    Individuals can be prevented from acting out. That is done every day in prisons and families and everywhere. Individual humans aren't a like cells in a Portuguese man 'o war, each an animal in its own right but acting as a whole. Individuals humans aren't Borg parts. They are individuals and make individual decisions. If they are likely to get frustrated or thumped, they probably won't act in a way that will get them frustrated or thumped. Getting thumped hurts.

    It is nice to think about the big picture but what is the object of the big picture thinking? It is to stop those little picture things that hurt. If short sighted superficial tactical things reduce greatly mass shootings, then the object is accomplished.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    The approach to the attacks of 9/11 share this same flaw. We focus overly on how do we "defeat, disrupt, deny" organizations such as AQ, rather than on how do we better understand and address the trends in society that are fueling the rise of such organizations.
    An object of things done after 9-11 was to prevent attacks of a similar magnitude from happening in the US again. That has been (knock on wood that it continues) accomplished. That isn't a flawed approach. It has worked.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  10. #30
    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    4,818

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    Bill,

    I don't claim to be, nor do I think I am smarter than others who work in "strategy" related fields. I claim only that I think about thing differently than most, and that I tend to spend more time attempting to sort out why things are the way they are in a quest to find insights to offer to guide the efforts of the decision makers above me.
    Bob, I love you man but........you think like a prosecutor!!!you think everything can be analyzed into a pure cause and effect. When it comes to dealing with people especially very disturbed people that kind of thinking is going to break down. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that really bad stuff can happen to really good people.
    Last edited by slapout9; 12-23-2012 at 11:05 PM. Reason: stuff

  11. #31
    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    4,818

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
    There is no requirement to report stolen property of any kind. Even if there was, I don't know what good it would do with firearms. Almost nobody knows what the serial number of the weapon was.
    carl, you can work around that somewhat. If the weapon was bought at a legal gun store,etc. the serial number will be recorded by the seller, which can be matched with the name of the purchaser.

  12. #32
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by slapout9 View Post
    carl, you can work around that somewhat. If the weapon was bought at a legal gun store,etc. the serial number will be recorded by the seller, which can be matched with the name of the purchaser.
    Now i find this out. How long do they keep the records?
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  13. #33
    Council Member slapout9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    4,818

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by carl View Post
    Now i find this out. How long do they keep the records?
    Can't remember the exact time limit but it is a good while(years) ATF will know it is done by their regulation.

  14. #34
    Council Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    4,021

    Default Record "Warehousing"

    I'd be willing to bet that somewhere, someplace a warehouse exists that houses seller's records showing that I purchased .22 cal rimfire match ammunition by the "brick" - late 70s and early 80s.

    I'd also bet that the bet can't be proved one way or the other because the old handwriten records are not in a form that can be "data mined". On the other hand, those records may be in some landfill or gone up in smoke.

    Not that it makes any difference because all of that ammo was expended on punching paper decades ago.

    Regards

    Mike

  15. #35
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    I just got back from the grocery store and at every check out stand there were two racks of the National Enquirer with the name and a big photo of the criminal who killed the children in Connecticut displayed on the front page. There he was, where everybody could see. He made it up there with Oprah. And every disturbed evil young man sees that and will be imagining his face there.

    I talked to the store manager and told her of my outrage at this sight. She said she understood, agreed and would pass it on but there was nothing she could do about it. All the suits were at home and wouldn't be in until tomorrow. So I will do my best to follow it up tomorrow.

    There is nothing anybody can do about the Enquirer doing what they do but the stores that sell that paper maybe can be got to. My local store is King Sooper, a branch of Kroger. If you care to, maybe that is something we as individuals can do, tell them that they don't have to dance to the tune the Enquirer plays. They don't have to sell that issue.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  16. #36
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,366

    Default

    Carl,

    Elsewhere I have read, possibly on Mother Jones, that a Californian public workers pension fund has withdrawn support for an investment in a gun-maker and others using the power of the US$ have taken action.
    davidbfpo

  17. #37
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    David:

    That is true and it is the left coast unions being self righteous, mostly. Let's see if they do something that will affect the future actions of the disturbed young men like go after the Enquirer. They won't.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  18. #38
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,366

    Default An Analytical Method for The Identification of Lone Wolf Terrorist(s)?

    An attempt to provide some answers by a post-grad LE student, before the Newtown murders; 'Analytical Method for The Identification of Lone Wolf Terrorist', just over ninety pgs, double-spaced and it can be downloaded from:http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.c...act_id=2041939

    From the Abstract:
    A case study approach is used to explore and reveal common themes across three different incidents of lone wolf attacks. The research results revealed what has been termed as rhetoric shifts that act as markers in the evolution of a lone wolf terrorist. Based on the results of case study, an analytical method is explored and proposed for the identification of lone wolf terrorist from within the broader population they exist
    On my first read it is interesting, although without direction and resources (including training and data-sharing) it is easy to see this approach floundering. At least the author has tried, which makes his paper of value.

    The shorter version is:
    The Newtown school shooting has re-awakened debates not only on gun control and mental illness, but also on the role of law enforcement in detecting and eliminating emerging threats. Quietly emerging is a solution that means not more guns, but more militarization.
    Link to an article:http://www.opendemocracy.net/opensec...st-911-america

    The author, now in the private sector, has a short bio on:http://www.pennassoc.com/OwnerAndFounder/index.html
    davidbfpo

  19. #39
    Council Member carl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Denver on occasion
    Posts
    2,460

    Default

    A friend of mine in CA was able to get three stores in his town to pull the Enquirer from the news stand or turn the issues so the back cover was showing not the front. All he did was ask them.
    "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." Gen. Nathanael Greene

  20. #40
    Council Member davidbfpo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,366

    Default A retired soldier says

    I spent a career carrying typically either a M16, and later a M4 carbine..And a M4 carbine fires a .223 caliber round, which is 5.56 millimeters, at about 3,000 feet per second. When it hits a human body, the effects are devastating. It's designed to do that. That's what our soldiers ought to carry.

    I personally don't think there's any need for that kind of weaponry on the streets and particularly around the schools in America. I believe that we've got to take a serious look -- I understand everybody's desire to have whatever they want -- but we have to protect our children and our police and we have to protect our population. And I think we have to take a very mature look at that.

    I think serious action is necessary. Sometimes we talk about very limited actions on the edges, and I just don't think that's enough.
    Asked what his message was to the National Rifle Association and the House Judiciary Committee:
    I think we have to look at the situation in America. The number of people killed by firearms is extraordinary compared to other nations. I don't think we're a bloodthirsty culture, and we need to look at everything we can do to safeguard our people.
    Stanley McChrystal said this today on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

    Will this make a difference? The article says:
    ..he is still revered by many as a top general, and his comments are significant for a former member of the military. If he does continue to advocate for gun control, he could be a significant voice in a movement whose opposition appeals to machismo.
    Link:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2431063.html
    davidbfpo

Similar Threads

  1. Lone Wolves: outside the USA
    By hildebrand in forum Global Issues & Threats
    Replies: 33
    Last Post: 04-14-2019, 02:21 PM
  2. Terrorism in the USA:threat & response
    By SWJED in forum Law Enforcement
    Replies: 486
    Last Post: 11-27-2016, 02:35 PM
  3. Replies: 4772
    Last Post: 06-14-2015, 04:41 PM
  4. Arizona Rep. Giffords' shooter called very disturbed.
    By IntelTrooper in forum Americas
    Replies: 52
    Last Post: 01-17-2011, 04:37 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •