Week One - Michael r. vest



Part One

Choose “one" discussion question from the chapter 12 discussion box in which to respond. After reading the chapter and the discussion box, you are to “repeat” and comprehensively answer your selected discussion question.

Chapter 12, pg. 427

“What is the likelihood that the new millennium will witness a resurgence of a rightist movement on the scale of the 1990 Patriot’s movement? What trends indicate that it will occur? What trends indicate that it will not occur?” (Martin, 2013)

This is an interesting concept and question. In reality, the potential is there for a resurgence of the Patriot movement in the upcoming future. There are many things that may trigger a possible resurgence. For example, there is the Mayan calendar and the potential end of the world in December 2012. While this seems unlikely to happen (given that the date listed in December 2012 doesn’t account for leap years and so the date is inaccurate), the conspiracy theories are abound about this subject. There are websites that are dedicated to this end of the world act and have provided evidence that the government knew about it years ago. It is believed that the government has shelters in place for select individuals in the event of a world ending event.

There is the media coverage of nearly every shooting across the country and the typical media spin for gun control and the taking of weapons from American citizens. We have seen the case of illegal immigration action being ignored by the government to the point of removing arresting power of local law enforcement officers as in the case of Arizona.

In a recent arena among the security circuit is the use of UAVs to control and monitor American skies and its citizens. There is the stories of American citizens being tracked via their mobile communications devices and their data and activates being tracked and recorded in databases in secret locations.

The ongoing fight over the president’s birth certificate and is he trying to establish a socialist government due to his background and upbringing due to his father and his childhood. It has been stated that being a good community leader is the first step to socialism. If one can easily convince communities what is good for them, the county is next.

All of these examples are real and occurring today. Can they cause a Patriot movement, maybe? One of the big differences from the 1990’s till today is digital media. During the 90’s, communication was limited and slow to get around verse today’s media methods. People have the ability to research their own facts through multiple sources and are able to make up their own minds.

Media of today is also a very powerful tool that could actually start a Patriot movement faster than in the 90’s. With the advent of smart phones, Twitter, Facebook, Wi-Fi hotspots, news is able to travel the instance it happens. It also has the ability to take on a life of its own and can create a media wildfire than can escalate into a full blown forest fire if not controlled.

Conspiracists love the internet. It allows them to pass information out quickly and to create that instant doubt when the president refuses to show a simple piece of paper. In this case, he is actually fueling potential movements by ensuring the conspiracists have fuel to cast doubt and call for action against him. We have had generals within our own military disobey his orders because of his birth certificate issue.

All of these events provide fuel for movements of the future. The media even helps supply fuel for these arguments under the heading of news and investigative reporting. Conflicts give the media their stories and ratings.

We will have a movement in the future. It is part of developing a new and growing country. The movement may change America forever or it may change our government forever, but change will occur. Influence and presentation are two powerful tools that can change history and start revolutions.

Many years ago, a movie company decided to produce and run a “War of the Worlds” type scenario produced by Orson Wells; however, they did it through the television networks verse radio. It was a Halloween night and it started at 6 p.m. as a breaking news story across all networks. While it didn’t provide as much terror and turmoil as the original radio broadcast, there were stories later reported of towns looted, people having heart attacks, and emergency lines being tied up for hours on the night of the surprise showing. Although the movie was entertaining (told it was entertainment at every commercial like the original radio show), people thought it was real and occurring because the media was telling them it was happening.

It will be this influence and direction that will cause the next movement to fail or succeed. Humans are a complex species that can be easily manipulate with the right tool, beliefs, and guidance that will change American history.

Part Two

Using the recommended web sites at the end of the assigned reading chapter, partially complete “one” Understanding Terrorism end of chapter web exercise. However, rather than answering each exercise question, only choose “one” of the questions to thoroughly answer. Clearly identify the chosen exercise question.

Chapter 12, pg 428

“3. If you were an American dissident extremist (leftist or rightist), how would you design your own website?” (Martin, 2013)

First and foremost, the website would have to target the American sense of Americanism. The site would need to have information that was fairly accurate but twisted in such a way to gain your support and trust. For example, I would pick a subject that was hot in the news and creating a discord among the American people like immigration, citizen rights, or government oversight over American activities.

Once the subject or subjects were picked, the site would start to provide information of cases that supported the organization’s mission statement and goal. In the case of immigration, the site would target items like providing tax payer services free to illegal immigrants. Articles would also be posted showing American people, like in Arizona, standing up to the government due to the immigration problem. Cases would be displayed in which illegal immigrants were given citizenship easily verse your family member who is still awaiting status through the proper process. The site would show local, state, and federal agencies that are encouraging illegal immigrants to apply for free services that are paid for by American taxpayers.

If the subject is citizen rights, the site is going to have sections of the Patriot Act posted and highlighted to show Americans the rights they have agreed to give up. Some of the rights include blind search and seizure without cause or legal documentation, logging of all cell phone communication in the name of network efficiency but being stored at the NSA, and show how the minority population is influencing individuals to change the laws to benefit them verse having laws written and approved by the majority of the people. Expose case like the New York Governor who is taking the freedom of choice out of American hands and the federal government is allowing his actions to occur without question.

Once the site has your attention, your anger, your disgust, and your thinking, the site now provides ways for you to help fellow American like you that want to combat this evil. This support can be through joining an organization and practicing its rules and policies or it can just be hitting the “PayPal” link and contributing money to the cause as a hidden benefactor. Because you are now into my site and supporting the cause, the site design will start to make you question your faith and America’s ability to survive as a nation with its current government. The site is starting to plant the idea of a lynch mob mentality into you.

Because you are excited about the site, its cause, and you are upset with current government, you act as my organization’s recruiter. You tell your friends and they tell their friends. Soon our cause is not only gathering momentum but members that can create a real problem for the government. Now that the site has become popular, the government is interested. They raid the internet provider without warrants and take the systems. No problem, the backups are running from another secure location and now the illegal search and seizure attack is rapidly infiltrating across the media. CNN reports the illegal search and seizure over the air as a new flash. It grabs headlines.

As everyone flocks to the site before it is targeted again, the hit exceed 30 million. Of those 30 million hits, the organization will gain one percent of new followers for the cause. That is 300 thousand new members and supporters. As the government attempts to recover and justify the raid to the American people, our organization stages multiple strikes across the states that initially hurts no one but gets media attention towards the cause. Our mission statement and goal is now being broadcast America and it is causing people to take note.

At this point, the federal government must take us down or it stands a chance of having to deal with a new home grown organization that will fight them. They now classify us as a terrorist group so that they can circumvent the law and use such tools as the Patriot Act and other anti-American policies to wage war against us. At this point, our website has done its job. Not only does our organization have members and support, it has created a thorn for the government that they must now address to control the people. Our organization has become the lynch mob for America.

Part Three

Identify, select and report on three key terms and/or concepts from chapter 12 that you were previously unfamiliar with or knew little of prior to your reading. Provide the appropriate key term/concept definition or explanation.

Chapter 12, pg. 426

Earth Liberation Front (ELF) – The ELF is an organization that was founded in England by a group of individuals that split from Earthfirst! Because of the decision to abandon criminal activities in the action for the cause, the ELF tends to focus its attacks on the facilities verse human attacks (Martin, 2013). While most of their attacks have been aimed at stopping actions like logging and laboratory testing on animals, they have engaged in poisoning that did target the human population verse facilities (Martin, 2013). The FBI currently believes that the ELF has caused around $100 million dollars in damages and committed over 1,200 criminal acts in their effort as an organization (Martin, 2013).

Waco – The incident involving the Branch Davidian cult and the federal law enforcement will be long known throughout history as an exercise in what went wrong with tactics, procedures, and overall communication (Martin, 2013). The Waco incident not only brought the attention of the handling of domestic power dominance, it also showed government power running full amok. Even to this day, evidence contradicts the federal government and their actions. Evidence also contradicts the Branch Davidian references to events that occurred during the standoff. The story behind Waco may never be solved to a point in which everyone accepts the answers. It is a case the conspiracy theorist love. Because of failed communication, selected media spin coverage, and other factors, we may never truly figured out what happened or who shoot first or why the complex was set afire with women and children inside.

Lynch mobs – Lynch mobs came to symbolize the racial nature of right-wing terrorism in the U.S. during the late 19th Century (Martin, 2013). It typically was a group of people that took justice into their own hands even to the point of hanging the local law official with the condemned. While these mobs have made American history, they still exist today. Organization like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) still practice this today. In today’s modern day lynch mobs, the racially motivated act may not be a hanging but a dragging behind the back of a moving truck as was the case a few years back. It is groups like the KKK that are still highly influential that make lynch mobs a common place among their practice. They and other groups believe the American government is corrupt, polluted, and contaminated with inter-races and other factors that make the government unfit to lead the people. It is the same as with the lynch mobs of old times, once a mob is influenced in the right way, they are unstoppable.

Part Four

List and fully explain “two” salient points (key/important/significant point) from any of this week’s assigned reading. Ensure you “identify the chapter” in which your point was taken. Before explaining, first “succinctly state your point” (don’t just discuss a general topic), then fully discuss the point.

Chapter 12, Moralistic Terrorism

Moralistic terrorism is terrorism that focuses on acts of violence that are motivated by moralistic views and beliefs (Martin, 2013). Examples of moralistic terrorism are attacks against abortion clinics, gay bars, and stem cell research facilities. Moralistic terrorism in becoming more prevalent in today’s society thanks to the media and the internet.

Many of the moralistic terrorist groups are focus around religious organizations that are attempting to press their views and beliefs on the greater whole of society. These organizations are willing to carry their tactics to the extreme to deliver their message of a moralistic wholesomeness. They take the teaching of religion word for word and use that interpretation of the document that their calling to execute the orders directed in various religious texts.

The problem with moralistic terrorism organizations is that they ultimately hurt the very cause they are fighting for due to their actions. For example, when these organizations bomb a medical clinic that helps low income families in general medicine but also offers abortions, the public fails to take their side. This hurts the organizations that are trying to stop abortions through non-violent tactics because they are now associated with terrorist. The radical extremist of moralistic groups hinders the real mission of the following.

When moralistic organization like the “Army of God” kill indiscriminately, their cause is lost and the public is actually persuaded to the other side of the argument. Most people will listen to non-violent arguments and actions verse violent actions. When groups kill and injure people in the name of a moralistic cause, their fate is sealed in the public eyes.

Society is changing and acts that were considered extreme moralistic problems like abortions and homosexuality are now becoming more widely accepted. There is the “morning after” pill that is now offered over the counter. Gay rights activist have succeeded in changing laws, policies, and culture view of their lifestyle. It is now accepted in the military.

Morals will always change as society changes. For this reason, moralistic terrorism will continue and may even increase as more and more moralistic views are being accepted that were once taboo. Morals are something that one learns and believes. It can be changed with the right information provided in the right way; however, violence in the name of morals will only create more violence as the public turns against these groups for their violent acts following the moral of “though shall not kill”. In turn, the moralistic terrorist organization now becomes the hunted by the very people they are trying to gain support and power.

Chapter 12, New Terrorism in the United States

September 11, 2001 changed America forever. America was shaken. It had been invaded. It had been invaded by a threat that most Americans, to include the government, thought would never reach our shores. After all, we were the last power nation of the world from the Cold War era. We were big, mean, and you didn’t mess with America. Wrong!

On September 11, 2001 terrorism came to America with a bang. This bang was so big that it put America into shock and causes the security community to scramble to address the new threat. That new threat was a holy war against America specifically by Middle Eastern Radicals (Martin, 2013).

September 11, 2001 became known as the day Americans became a terrorist target just like the rest of the world. America had a new problem that now had to be addressed and contained. America was at war with extremist groups on our own soil. This battle continues today.

One would think, terrorist attacks in America should be easily contained and all Americans would not stand for the act. America was wrong! With the advent of technology and a young generation attempting to find its place in history, terrorism became a part of American life. Young intelligent Americans converted over to radical Islam and started to follow in the practice of the extremist radicals. They traveled to foreign countries and joined training camps to become holy warriors against America. America was no longer their home but now seen and a snake that needed to be beheaded.

Many Americans chose to join the new terrorist movement because they hated America. Some joined out of a wanting to belong. Other joined to make a name and become the one known holy warrior. All bringing the holy war to American soil in the hopes of eradicating the snake.

In recent years, the Middle-Eastern terrorist organizations have made deals with drug cartels in Mexico to smuggle operatives into America and other countries for missions. Sleeper Cells lie dormant awaiting the call and a chance to bring about the holy war against the great beast. The internet and other social media tools have allowed a wealth of propaganda to flow to influential minds just as it did in the 60’s with the McCarthy trials and the communist movement.

With the events of September 11, 2001, neighbors started to turn against neighbors. Moralistic terrorism started against Mosques and people of the Islamic faith. These individuals were driven out of towns, beaten to death, or ostracized within their own communities for talking with government agencies. It was a time similar to the holding of Japan citizens after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

America has proven that even the biggest and best nation cannot escape the hands of terrorism. Terrorism is a movement that will continue to grow and become more violent. Terrorist groups have demonstrated that they will use any tactic and tool necessary for their cause. These tools go from bombing to using chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons against an enemy. America is the new battlefield and the more we press our beliefs, morals, and so-called good will onto individuals we make ourselves more of a target for extremist that do not want change or see America as the enemy. America must now face the fact that not only is terrorism here in our soil; some of our very own citizens have chosen to join the cause and are holy warriors for the extremist cause. America, welcome to a new way of life and enjoy a new fear of living. Welcome to the rest of the world, we have invaded your country and taken the battle to your doors.

References:

Martin, G. (2013). Understanding Terrorism Challenges, Persepectives, and Issues (4th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd.

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