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Stochastic Terrorism is the use of mass communications to stir up random lone wolves to carry out violent or terrorist acts that are statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.It's a term that you don't hear used very much, because it's difficult to prove, and casts an insinuation upon well-known people popular with certain groups. It's easy to deny intent, and easier to deny culpability should actions happen.
During the Bush Administration, what started out as a fairly innocuous term in office changed instantly on 09/11/2001. What had been a common political game of painting your political opponents with a bad brush became very ugly. It suddenly became unAmerican to criticize anything President Bush said or did. To do so was "aiding and abetting" the terrorists. This was the mantra from the Republican spin machine. Small acts of intimidation and violence followed, generally not worthy of reporting.
However, on Sunday July 27, 2008, 58 year old unemployed Jim D. Adkisson walked into a UUC church in Knoxville, TN and
opened fire. His reason? He hated the "liberal movement" and blamed it for his woes. The result was 2 people dead and 8 injured. It seems like an odd reason for a person like him to target a church, but the steady drumbeat from right-wing political commentators provided him with the rationale. Unable to find a job and losing his food stamps provided the trigger to make him a "lone wolf".
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