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As it burgeoned, the Internet was hailed as an integrator of cultures and a medium for businesses, consumers, and governments to communicate with one another. It appeared to offer unparalleled opportunities for the creation of a forum in which the “global village” could meet and exchange ideas, stimulating and sustaining democracy throughout the world. However, with the enormous growth in the size and use of the network, utopian visions of the promise of the Internet were challenged by the proliferation of pornographic and violent content on the web and by the use of the Internet by extremist organizations of various kinds. Groups with very different political goals, but united in their readiness to employ terrorist tactics, started using the network to distribute their propaganda, to communicate with their supporters, to foster public awareness of and sympathy for their causes, and even to execute operations.
Finally, the point should be emphasized that, unlike the ordinary criminal or the lunatic assassin, the terrorist is not pursuing purely egocentric goals -- he is not driven by the wish to line his own pocket or satisfy some personal need or grievance. The terrorist is fundamentally an altruist: he believes that he is serving a `good' cause designed to achieve a greater good for a wider constituency -- whether real or imagined -- which the terrorist and his organization purport to represent. The criminal, by comparison, serves no cause at all, just his own personal aggrandizement and material satiation. Indeed, a `terrorist without a cause (at least in his own mind)', Konrad Kellen has argued, `is not a terrorist'. Yet the possession or identification of a cause is not a sufficient criterion for labelling someone a terrorist. In this key respect, the difference between terrorists and political extremists is clear. Many persons, of course, harbour all sorts of radical and extreme beliefs and opinions, and many of them belong to radical or even illegal or proscribed political organizations. However, if they do not use violence in the pursuance of their beliefs, they cannot be considered terrorists. The terrorist is fundamentally a violent intellectual, prepared to use and indeed committed to using force in the attainment of his goals.
Originally posted by snowspirit
Definately not cluttered...
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
I haven't run into anyone at Above Top Secret I thought was a terrorist or Fed playing like one. Having said that, I was approached 3 different times over the years while in the Yahoo political chat rooms on a regular basis. 2 of them were recruiters or Feds playing like it because the 'dance' went on for days and across sessions spread out by weeks. Really persistent little buggers and always working the language to "encourage" more exploration into taking anything I'd say just a few steps further. I never could be sure which I was talking about with those.
The 3rd one made absolutely no bones about it and I almost thought that refreshing, if not a little brainless. The IP pinged back to Pakistan when I got one to run though so I'm fairly sure he was what he put forth as being. That one was interesting too.... The politics of the actual AQ fighters are ....well, simple minded for street level but complex and almost intriguing for the educated ones. I had to remind myself who it was I was talking to a couple times before just cutting contact entirely for a bad feeling I was getting.
Anyway... that's my experience....and of course, rumor has it the terrorists use Steganography on anything worth having privacy on. That makes monitoring them about 1/2 step this side of totally impossible when they really DO care, as I've read it.
Originally posted by bekod
reply to post by Wrabbit2000
Got to ask , Did you notify FBI or any Gov agency ? for even going to a chat could link you to them, even if they knew about it, they will know that your not part of, nor wiil you put up with that type of talk er chat.
My self, if it is not emailed form someone or some Co i know i delete it.As far as Chat room this is it, and no i do not even go to "chat" here, U2U when needed.
Originally posted by ffrealmsrider
My guess is the professional terrorists operate on Darknet. Only dumb or computer illiterate criminals post agendas or trade illegal material on public internet forums.
Originally posted by DarknStormy
reply to post by CirqueDeTruth
I have never come across anyone on the internet who I thought was an extremist and even the Muslims I tend to run into are nice respectable people. Though there are some morons who come across that way, I'm guessing they are just keyboard warriors trolling or looking to incite some hatred etc. Most of the time they seem like white people though
In 1993, three eight year old boys were murdered in West Memphis, Arkansas. Within days, the police had arrested three teenagers for the crime – Jesse Misskelley, Jason Baldwin, and Damien Echols. When the police were asked to rate, on a scale of 1-10, how confident they were that these three had committed the crimes, they responded, “Eleven!” The whole town cheered.
It came out during the trial that these three young men were picked up by police because they were “odd.” Damien Echols had a funny first name, a name he chose because, police claimed, he wanted to be Damian from the Omen horror movies. (He actually chose the name to honor Father Damien, the Catholic priest who worked in Hawaii with the lepers – Father Damien was later sainted by the Catholic church.)
I believe that thin slicing put them in jail. It helped an entire community make a rash decision and justify their actions in convicting three teens of murder. Once the town was able to identify the bogeyman, they could rest easy again.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
August 31, 2011 at 11:42 pm
In this case it would have been hard to protect or defend these young boys if the whole town exclaimed in happiness at the arrest. Also, to go against the authorities isn’t the easiest thing to do. Don’t get me wrong though, I am appalled at the situation but I think that the town was scared and desperate to blame someone. It’s because of stories like this and such occurrences that make a positive change in this world. I’m pretty sure there won’t be anymore similar tales like this. In any case, if they do, people won’t stand quiet, i hope.
Originally posted by DarknStormy
reply to post by CirqueDeTruth
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
August 31, 2011 at 11:42 pm
In this case it would have been hard to protect or defend these young boys if the whole town exclaimed in happiness at the arrest. Also, to go against the authorities isn’t the easiest thing to do. Don’t get me wrong though, I am appalled at the situation but I think that the town was scared and desperate to blame someone. It’s because of stories like this and such occurrences that make a positive change in this world. I’m pretty sure there won’t be anymore similar tales like this. In any case, if they do, people won’t stand quiet, i hope.
Ironic how things pan out, hey?
Reply from possible bomber from 2011