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Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

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Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#351

Post by magnetowasright »

graemep wrote: post #239
elzbardico wrote: post #174

The militarization of law enforcement and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.

> The militarization of law enforcement and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. Do you mean for the US, rather than the human race? Some of us live in countries where the only weapons most cops carry are truncheons and tasers.

It's a bit more complicated than just equipment I reckon. Australian cops don't necessarily use literal military equipment (as frequently as US cops) but they sure know how to and make time to beat and rough ride someone within an inch of their lives, harass and arrest political youtuber staff members (friendly jordies) for literally no reason, or tase people to death (a tiny ~92 year old demented lady at a nursing home with a blunt steak knife, for example) at impressive scale. Aboriginal Australians couldn't be the most incarcerated peoples on earth without the dedication of our repugnant police forces. It speaks to militarisation or being a disaster to me despite not rolling out the tanks because of the severity of responses is still utterly beyond reason and has basically the same outcomes including no repercussions for going so far beyond what could possibly be justified even when there actually is danger or a crime happening.

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#352

Post by magnetowasright »

elzbardico wrote: post #339
anonu wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment is a bit off topic IMO. Swatting can occur regardless of how "militarized" a police force actually is.

Can it? Do you really think that dressing in military special ops tactical clothing, with advanced and powerful weaponry, balaclavas, helmets and responding to a call in a armoured vehicle doesn't create any weird expectations on the mind of police officer of how they should behave in a call?

Does playing dress up make any difference to how much murdering they do? I don't think that outcomes would be any different if they were sent in in their regular uniforms with their regular weaponry.

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#353

Post by jrmg »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #291
jrmg wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think many would argue that all deaths by shootings are murder - even if it’s in self defense, and perhaps especially if society grants more power, in the form of immunity, to one ‘side’. I didn’t want to open that can of worms. Even the inclusive stat I cited is small enough to support the point I wanted to make.

Why?

You’re asking me to defend a position I don’t entirely agree with now, which is always dangerous…

I believe the argument is that deliberately killing another person is always wrong. It does’t matter if it’s in self defense - taking a life is such a morally abhorrent thing to do that it’s always indefensible. It’s always murder.

Some who wouldn’t go that far would still argue that for police to do it - people who are in a position of power, and who should know there are risks associated with the job of protecting society - is indefensible even if it would not be for a regular person.

Not my position - self defense if you know you’d otherwise die is, I think, morally justified. But I can see the argument.

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#354

Post by LargeWu »

gruez wrote: post #292
LargeWu wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they can be summoned by just placing an anonymous phone call with an unverified claim, that might be a problem though.

What's the alternative? Waiting for New York Times to verify a home invasion has indeed taken place before sending over cops?

Maybe just sending out a single squad car first to get a credible assessment?

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#355

Post by acureau »

graemep wrote: post #346
cmuguythrow wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FYI this is a reference to the opening statement of the Unabomber Manifesto "Industrial Society and its Future". Don't think OP meant anything by the distinction of US/humans > The Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. https://ia600300.us.archive.org/30/items/the-ted-k-archive-t...

Is this an obvious reference? Do people often know the text of this, or of bits of it?

Fairly obvious for those who've spent enough time online, I'd say most people would only recognize that first sentence. The Unabomber Manifesto has become something of a copypasta

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#356

Post by bigiain »

sirspacey wrote: post #317
bigiain wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wouldn't be a problem, if the "heavily armed response team" was properly held to account when they killed innocent people. Cops kill people on the basis of ludicrous anonymous phone call because they know they'll get away with it when it turns out to be false. And they like it that way. There needs to be a few very public cases of entire SWAT teams getting 20 year sentences. ACAB

You are asserting quite a lot here. Have you spoken with SWAT team members? The few I know would find this attitude of “killing is fine because we won’t be sued” abhorrent

> Have you spoken with SWAT team members?

Not only do I have zero interest in speaking with SWAT team members, I have very real reasons why I choose wherever possible to not talk to any cops at all.

https://youtu.be/d-7o9xYp7eE

The fact that you "know a few" SWAT team members immediately makes me strongly suspicious that you are part of the problem, perhaps not directly corrupt yourself, but very likely to be complicit in hiding the misbehaviour of police you know who are corrupt.

ACAB

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#357

Post by dyauspitr »

stephen_g wrote: post #8
dyauspitr wrote: post #2

You could get 10 year olds to make these calls for you and there would be no legal repercussions.

That's not really how this kind of thing works... As long as they can demonstrate that an older person directed them to make the call, then generally that older person will still have criminal responsibility.

It’s so much easier to blackmail a 10 year old over the internet while remaining completely anonymous.

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#359

Post by llamaimperative »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #342
llamaimperative wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What specific effect would you expect “categorize as less trustworthy” have? Agreed on telephone infra in general

Non-spoofable and local number: trustworthy Spoofable local number: slightly less trustworthy Non-local number: less trustworthy International number: barely trustworthy VoIP: maybe slightly more trustworthy than international. Said infra probably limits the ability to distinguish between these, however, so that becomes the primary issue.

I wasn't clear: what does that change?

Do you tell emergency responders not to turn their lights on en route? To put it at the bottom of the queue after helping the old lady cross the street? To politely knock on the alleged hostage-taker's door instead of kicking it in?

Re: Teen behind hundreds of swatting attacks pleads guilty to federal charges

#360

Post by burnished »

Loughla wrote: post #14
burnished wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect its more about how much national information you're exposed to today than any sort of time based moral failing.

I cannot be convinced that swatting is something that used to happen. Is there a history of this? I legit do not remember seeing anything on the evening national news about that in the past, like from before 2000.

Oh, that could be quite likely, copy cat crimes are a thing after all. I simply mean that people weren't harmlessly interacting before that is all, swatting didn't supplant relatively harmless pranks.
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