Why would anyone send fake bombs to political targets?
In about two hours, there apparently will be a press conference to discuss the Florida man who has been apprehended in connection with the pipe “bomb” mail case, in which fake bombs were sent to various political targets on the Democratic side.
No doubt we’ll know more in a few hours. But that doesn’t mean we’ll know all that much. We may learn something about his politics, although if recent cases of political perps are an example, much of what we learn may not be true and will later need to be corrected. We may learn more about his mental state and motives, with that same caveat.
Whatever we learn, I think it’s safe to bet that the MSM and the left will blame Donald Trump.
But before that press conference occurs (and I may be away from my computer by the time it does), I’d like to advance a few reasons why a person might send fake bombs through the mail at political targets.
(1) The person is politically opposed to the recipients of the packages, but is so incompetent that he doesn’t even know the rudiments of bomb-building and unable to look them up and execute them. He constructs a cartoon bomb that conforms to his idea of a bomb, and assumes it will explode.
(2) The person is politically opposed to the recipients of the packages, but is merely trying to scare them and not to hurt them.
(3) The person is trying to test the system to see whether packages with what look like bombs can get through to their supposed targets. The goal might be to point out flaws in the system.
(4) The person is mentally unbalanced and wants notoriety.
(5) The person is politically allied with his targets and wants to create a situation in which there is no actual danger to them but there is the appearance and danger that will be blamed on the opposition and will hurt them politically. This is the “false flag” scenario.
(6) The person is merely trying to wreak havoc and confusion (for example, this was the supposed motive for the actions of Russia during out 2016 election).
These five possibilities are not mutually exclusive. Number 4, for example, can coexist with any of them. And although I’ve used the singular “person” and the male “he,” it’s possible that it could be “people” and that a woman or women could be involved. And perhaps I’ve left out some possibilities without realizing it.
In a little while we might learn more.
[NOTE: See also this, based on preliminary information about the Florida suspect.]
A good summary of possible motives.
I know a man who, except for his lack of funds and location in Washington state, might be a suspect in this case. This man is a high functioning autistic individual. He is very smart in math and is obsessed with politics. He is very emotionally involved with political events and expresses his feelings of frustration and helplessness quite often. He would like to be able to influence political events. He does not read social signals well. Because of that he is shunned by many people, which makes him feel picked on and isolated. He dreams up non-violent ways to get even with those who have shunned him. His ideas usually exhibit an odd sense of humor. What is humorous to him is not obvious to most other people. Sending fake pipe bombs with the Arabic lettered “Git ‘er dun!” note is the type of thing he would find humorous.
I was relieved to learn that the packages didn’t come from Washington state. It relieved me of the duty to report this person as a possible suspect.
I don’t know if his personality type is a match for Cesar Sayoc. Sayoc seems to be much more outwardly aggressive than my acquaintance. Sayoc’s a registered Republican, yet doesn’t seem to support law and order. Odd that. Is he a Never Trumper Republican or an alt-right Republican? It will be interesting to learn more.
The perp needs a change in his meds.
“And perhaps I’ve left out some possibilities without realizing it.”
(7) It really was Debbie W-S.
Very good point-by-point analysis, Neo.