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from the when-does-activism-become-terrorism dept.
I was saddened to hear that two individuals who released fur animals and vandalized fur farms across America were busted: http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/fbi-arrests-activists-accused-of-releasing-mink/article_6c169b5d-dbbc-5dd1-adb0-534ee46af88b.html
But the arrest is sort of beside the point and there are two interesting tidbits in there. First and less interesting, is the ridiculous charge of terrorism under the "Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act" -- seriously, what they did is just plain old crime. Before you know it, going 10 over on the freeway will be considered an act of terrorism.
More intriguing, despite a lack of details on how they got busted, is this tidbit:
The indictment states that they covered their tracks by avoiding phones or logging into known online accounts and email. Instead, they used public Internet computers and encrypted email and cash for purchases while traveling. They would allegedly withdraw hundreds of dollars while back home in the San Francisco Bay Area before another trip.
The FBI states that they drafted communiques and posted them online to publicize their actions on websites associated with "animal rights extremists."
I'm going to guess automatic license plate readers were involved. Pure guess.
(Score: 1, Redundant) by khallow on Tuesday July 28 2015, @02:03AM
This fur activism doesn't even vaguely fit the profile of terrorism.
Do you have a reason you think that? It looks awful similar to that paragraph you just wrote about the IRA such as fitting the first pattern of attacking civilian targets with a common connection and delivering the message "We'll keep up the attacks on any targets we see fit until we get what we want!!", the "essence" of terrorism as you admit.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Tuesday July 28 2015, @01:05PM
Sorry, I tried to mod you and then scrolled. Apparently in the mod box. No clue how to undo it.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday July 30 2015, @03:46AM
Taken care of. We check Spam moderations at least daily.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Thursday July 30 2015, @12:05PM
Thanks!
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Tuesday July 28 2015, @10:36PM
Terrorists generally resort to terrorism because they can't take any significant action directly against their foes, instead attacking random targets with only the barest hint of a connection necessary to get the point over that they will continue to hurt third parties until their foes stop/start doing whatever it is. In this case, fur activists directly attacked the farm they opposed and those they consider responsible for it's operation. That's not a terrorist attack - it's just an attack. "Terrorist" is an overused word being overused here just like it is in 90% of cases these days.
(Score: 0, Troll) by khallow on Tuesday July 28 2015, @11:26PM
Terrorists generally resort to terrorism because they can't take any significant action directly against their foes
And we see that here such as vandalism of homes.
Terrorists generally resort to terrorism because they can't take any significant action directly against their foes
Check. Note that the whole story is about hitting easy targets.
to get the point over that they will continue to hurt third parties
Check. Such as targeting homes.
In this case, fur activists directly attacked the farm they opposed and those they consider responsible for it's operation. That's not a terrorist attack - it's just an attack.
But those are random attacks on the parties in question which is terrorism by your bizarre definition. Why strain so hard to fail to apply your very own meaning?