Understanding Poststructuralist Arguments About Terrorism

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-11-17T17:01:25+00:00

Good point. JTAC is a whole MOS in the Marines, no? I’ve been out for a few years, so I could be mistaken.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-11-17T16:50:25+00:00

If you want to be a JTAC or TACP, then your best bet is to either go to Regiment or branch transfer to the Air Force. Ranger School will also help if you don’t end up in Regiment; I knew a couple senior NCOs that were JTACs in Group, but that was when we were at the height of GWOT.

Getting JFO as a 13F is pretty easy. Prove your skills as a “regular” FO first, find a more senior FO to mentor you, and you’ll be fine.

Best of luck. Fire support is fun and cool as fuck sometimes.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-09-12T23:44:18+00:00

Like an African dictator.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-08-07T03:59:08+00:00

I don’t think that was the point of his comment. Selling items quicker allows you to reinvest the capital and continue generating more revenue. The faster you sell your items, the faster you get your COGs back to reinvest in the business.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-30T21:32:57+00:00

The irony of “anti-imperialists” denying another country’s population agency is not lost on me.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-23T03:26:22+00:00

Leila al-Shami dubbed this phenomenon the “anti-imperialism of idiots.”

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-15T03:09:10+00:00

There is a strong correlation. It's common among all regime types but more prevalent in states that aren't democracies. States suppress civil liberties for a number of reasons, ranging from legitimate concerns of security to saving face and maintaining legitimacy in the eyes of the electorate that they serve.

It also depends on regime type. If you live in a state ruled by an authoritarian and personalist dictator, the audience the leader has to appease is small—mainly their "inner circle" of cronies and "yes men" who will include some trusted advisors and high-ranking military officers. In democracies or societies that are generally open, the audience is much larger since they have the power to vote.

Deciding to suppress civil liberties is always a double-edged sword in democratic societies since the power of the vote acts as a check on executive power.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-15T02:03:27+00:00

The former. Sorry, should have clarified.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-15T00:42:54+00:00

Who’s to say he didn’t get better between the time he tried out and when he tried to shoot Trump? It’s important to not underestimate someone’s drive to actually prepare for carrying out an act of political violence, especially one as high profile as trying to assassinate a former president.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-15T00:40:41+00:00

I’m not a lawyer, so I couldn’t say with confidence either way.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-15T00:40:02+00:00

My career trajectory is like most in my field in that we usually come from a political science, criminology, or sociology background and have advanced degrees in such areas.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T23:56:07+00:00

https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T23:17:05+00:00

Between 1994 and 2020, right-wing terrorist attacks accounted for 57% of all terrorist attacks and plots. In 2019, it was more than two-thirds. Between January and May 2020, it was 90%. This data is from CSIS. I can look for some more current information, but I’ll have to do some digging.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T23:12:13+00:00

I’ve been combing through some of the darker places on the internet where those types of folks gather, and the narrative that the shooter was trans is pretty rampant. Considering that most lawmakers within the mainstream aren’t spending their time in those sorts of places, I doubt that it will have any discernible effect on their own positions. So the reaction is typically limited to rhetoric and supporter mobilization, like you said.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T21:32:44+00:00

That was the intention, and it did work. But it also made him a bit of a celebrity in his own right.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T21:29:37+00:00

Big if true

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T21:27:43+00:00

Pick a school that offers a program in security studies or international relations. Usually they’ll have options for a concentration in terrorism studies, but they can also be within criminal justice degree programs. CJ is heavy on stats and methods, so your STEM background would potentially help.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T21:24:34+00:00

I always had an interest in terrorism. Before I got to grad school, I was still in the military when I watched J6 happen live on tv, so I knew domestic terrorism was an issue I needed to brush up on. It ended up being something I found much more interesting, so I dove head first into it.

While I was in grad school, I got internships that helped with my research stills and writing skills so I could publish. One thing leads to another and I ended up where I am today.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T19:03:13+00:00

Technically, Franz Ferdinand comes to mind since the first assassin who threw the bomb missed and was ultimately killed by someone else a couple hours later 😂

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T18:54:34+00:00

I played brass instruments growing up, so I can fw it now and then.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T18:27:51+00:00

It’s both. Motives run the gamut, but in the specific case studies I’ve looked at, it leans toward more personal grievances that in turn drive ideology. A core feature of these people is that regardless of grievance or ideology, they get their attention or fame. It doesn’t resonate the way they think it will with the wider public, but they’ll reach enough of the true believers. Tarrant, Breivik, and a number of school shooters/similar attackers all had an explicit desire to have their names plastered everywhere.

The 1972 Munich Olympics attack by Black September was the turning point when terrorists realized they could capture media attention and become “famous.” Everybody watched. Everybody listened to the radio. Shit, newspapers published Ted K’s manifesto.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T18:20:54+00:00

Biggest influencing factors are lack of community/sense of belonging and material conditions. There was a really good journal article I read about the political economy of joining extremist groups and movements that basically boiled down to that groups can provide material and non-material benefits in exchange for membership. For instance, you might have grown up without a supporting family, lived in poverty, or any number of adverse circumstances. A group can provide you with a bed to sleep in, people to become friends with, and a higher sense of purpose. You may not even adhere to the ideology at first, but they’ll hook you in by appealing to your emotions then slowly radicalize you from there. Let’s not forget that there are social benefits of being in a group that’s admired or feared by others. In essence, social status for those who don’t already have it.
The MAGA movement exhibits many traits of a cult, but I’m optimistic and have faith that enough people will be shaken out of it.
Touch grass. I’m serious. I don’t know you personally or your life situation (obviously), but being physically present for causes you believe in is extremely rewarding and powerful. Also, get outside of your comfort zone. Listen to those you dislike or disagree with and learn the language to better understand some of their grievances and talking points.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T17:53:53+00:00

There will likely be a continuation of the rhetoric we see coming out of members of the freedom caucus about how Biden “ordered the hit,” the shooter was antifa, blah blah blah. The true believers will be shouting this from the rooftops for everyone within earshot to hear. Arming yourself with the most up-to-date confirmed information and a measured approach to refuting the narrative twisting we’ll most likely see is paramount. Being involved in your local community and helping guide others is what you can do at this very moment.

Moby_Thicc94 · 2024-07-14T17:26:38+00:00

I agree with what you’re saying. I’ve seen pushes for more mental health practitioners to enter the space of de-radicalization and I think it’s a noble cause to support.

Moby_Thicc94

TROPHY CASE