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Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

justice.gov

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Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#2
Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the undercover employee" etc.

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#3

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

I think it may be more complicated than this. They may have had a lot of evidence that the would-be perpetrator was involved in other serious hate crimes and they decided to ramp up charges by doing this. That said, it’s not necessarily clean and yes, it may merely be a case of entrapment.

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#4

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

Idk. If an undercover FBI agent can convince you to order C4 with intent to blow up infrastructure, who says someone else couldnt. Id rather it be an agent locking him up, than real seller, while an agent dont notice.

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#5
post #4

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

Idk. If an undercover FBI agent can convince you to order C4 with intent to blow up infrastructure, who says someone else couldnt. Id rather it be an agent locking him up, than real seller, while an agent dont notice.

But then the label "for attempting to destroy ..." is misleading, because a priori all they’ve really proven is he is susceptible to being convinced to attempt to destroy it.

It seems to me your argument can be extended to justify any form of entrapment: "if an undercover police officer can convince you to buy a gun with the intent to rob someone at gunpoint, who says someone else couldn’t?"

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#6
post #3

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

I think it may be more complicated than this. They may have had a lot of evidence that the would-be perpetrator was involved in other serious hate crimes and they decided to ramp up charges by doing this. That said, it’s not necessarily clean and yes, it may merely be a case of entrapment.

Entrapment is specifically inducing a person to commit a crime they wouldn't normally commit, e.g. by coercing them to do it.

Without knowing any details about this case, this could be true, however it sounds like he was quite willing to go ahead with the purchase of the C4 to destroy the infrastructure.

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#7
post #5
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idk. If an undercover FBI agent can convince you to order C4 with intent to blow up infrastructure, who says someone else couldnt. Id rather it be an agent locking him up, than real seller, while an agent dont notice.

But then the label "for attempting to destroy ..." is misleading, because a priori all they’ve really proven is he is susceptible to being convinced to attempt to destroy it. It seems to me your argument can be extended to justify any form of entrapment: "if an undercover police officer can convince you to buy a gun with the intent to rob someone at gunpoint, who says someone else couldn’t?"

They said he wanted to shoot it but decided that wouldn't do enough damage.

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#8

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

So this in your opinion is a more rational explanation than: the man believes in white supremacy which has movements advocating accelerationism?

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#9

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

It might be some sort of bias that make it look like that. I.e. people in 'fringe movements' just calls the police like a normal person when exposed to a way to fringe plan from a way too nutty sympathizer.

It seems that the FBI might have been tipped off.

"Beginning in June 2024, Philippi told a confidential human source (CHS) about his desire to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility"

Re: Man arrested for attempting to destroy Nashville power site

#10
post #4

Isn't it always the same story? FBI targets some mentally unstable, near mentally challenged dude, feeds him some propaganda, gives him ideas and encourages him to do some terrorist stuff, then they arrest him claiming huge victory? The guy literally wouldn't be able to do any of that stuff if it wasn't for undercover agents pushing him to do it. "he ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other expl…

Idk. If an undercover FBI agent can convince you to order C4 with intent to blow up infrastructure, who says someone else couldnt. Id rather it be an agent locking him up, than real seller, while an agent dont notice.

Let’s say, for sake of argument, that only 10% of crimes committed due to entrapment would have been committed without entrapment. Are you still okay with that outcome? At what percentage does entrapment become a good thing? 50%? We can use statistics and models to estimate this I think, it would just be a lot of work.
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