Craigslist

[hepcat]

The bottom line with the truck threat is that you could never take precautions against it, so how does anyone suggest being aware? Do we look at the hundreds of trucks that pass us every day with suspicion?  Sounds like a useless exercise to me.

Actually, it's not a useless exercise at all.  And yes, there are avoidance measures you can take, including situational awareness. And no, there are times when you're just not going escape whatever fate awaits you...  but you do yourself a favor by knowing who is around you and where the nearest escape route, if one exists, is and how to reach it.    When you're in a crowd, make sure that you can move out of the crowd quickly if need be.  If you can't move to a place you can if possible. Or, if you're a sheepdog, always have a tactical survival plan for your current situation.

But the BIGGEST self-presevation act one can make is to observe and call law enforcement when you see something unusual.  We see things that are unusual, notice them... process them, and then come up with some plausible explanation to dismiss what we see.  Stop doing that... stop taking unusual things at face value...  process that you noticed something out of the ordinary and articulate to someone in a position to do something about it.

Last year, I was passing through a town with my van,  and stopped at a Super Wall-Mart for some supplies.  I parked a ways out in the parking lot and walked in.  As I was approaching the store entrance, I saw a man set a fairly large back pack down by the entrance and walk away without looking back.  That's unusual behavior, and exactly the behavior that occurred at the Boston Marathon.   I found an employee and had them call the manager immediately.  I spoke to the manager and told him what I'd seen...  and suggested that he call the cops and move customers well away from the door until they figured out what was in the back pack and who left it.   The manager looked at me like I was from Mars, shook his head and walked away.

As I suspected would happen, about ten minutes later the guy (who it turns out is homeless or trekking) picked his backpack up with it an left.  So there was no crisis, which was good.  My point though was that the store manager, instead of taking my observation seriously, chose to stick his head in the sand and assume everything was fine.  He was right... that time.  And he'll repeat the same behavior next time... and he may NOT be right.  In retrospect, I probably should have just called 9-1-1 myself...  in the end, the outcome would have likely have been the same, but I'd at least have talked to someone who recognized that anything out of the ordinary is suspicious and not dismissed it UNTIL they'd figured out that it WAS just some guy who left his backpack at the store entrance for a few minutes. 

In any event, calling for something that looks odd and turns out to be nothing makes everybody happy.  Calling about something that looks odd and prevents an attack on someone will REALLY make everyone happy.

 

[akrvbob]

We are the safest people who have ever lived, and yet many (most?) live like we were the least safe. For many (most?) Americans, common sense about safety got kicked to the curb a long time ago.

Just like the old saying "Follow the money" who wins if we live in mindless fear?

Very sad.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I hope these types of posts aren't scaring others away from this lifestyle, they seem to be thick in here lately. I know there are hundreds if not thousands of onlookers who never comment or post.

 

[TrainChaser]

One of my neighbors is British. He mentioned once that the UK's Daily Mail is comparable to our National Inquirer and similar tabloids. When I see their headlines at the checkout counter, I just assume the truth is exactly opposite of what they're saying.

If you're buying through Craigslist, tell the seller that you'll meet them at the local cop shop parking lot.

 

[hepcat]

We are the safest people who have ever lived, and yet many (most?) live like we were the least safe. For many (most?) Americans, common sense about safety got kicked to the curb a long time ago.

Just like the old saying "Follow the money" who wins if we live in mindless fear?

Very sad.

It's the 24 hour news cycle, Bob.  If you talk to folks who don't watch TV and are judicious in the amount of news they consume, they have a completely different, and healthy perspective. 

It is sad that folks can't discern what is actually a threat to them. 

 

[Gunny]

I must be in sad shape then, I watch a lot of news from different sources. Can't say I'm not afraid of anything but Craigslist and being attacked are not on the list of my fears.

I use common sense and my judgment to ascertain my risks. Am I going to park in the most dodgy part of Dallas? Nope. I'm not afraid but I'm not stupid either.

Rob

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm not afraid but I'm not stupid either.

Situational awareness goes a long way. I've mentioned in other posts here that I'm not a big fan of mainstream media.
They will only tell you what they are told to tell you. Safe and humdrum does not sell. Sensationalism does, and apparently we are hungry for it.
 Just my opinion of course.

 

[hepcat]

In humans, fear is a survival tool. We see things bad things happen, and we race to make sure we're not in the same circumstances as what we just saw... never mind that what we just saw took place on the other side of the world at another time. Some very smart people have figured out how to use fear is a sales technique. Fear motivates us to pick sides. Fear motivates us to vote. Fear instills a them vs. us and me vs. you. If you can vilify the "other side" enough and someone else believes you, then you've driven that wedge in and people will do amazing things to avoid having to be exposed to those things that make them fearful.

That's what we're seeing today in just about EVERY area of human endeavor. We see new drugs advertised because we have a fear of this disorder or that. Political causes promote fear over EVERY subject... and person. TV news outlets pander fear to reinforce the views of their editorial staff. Gun and ammunition manufacturers want you to be fearful for your safety, from both the government AND your neighbors.

What is the reason for selling fear? Cash. Political parties want you to donate to forward their agenda. Drug companies want you to buy their products. Firearms industry companies want you to buy their products. In this case with the suggestion of Craigslist ads being taken out by lone-wolf terrorists, they're selling fear as a disruption technique to further THEIR political goals.

The antidote? Education. Stop consuming fear-mongering as "truth." Differentiate threats you see and hear about as to whether they're immediate or remote. Assess for yourself the legitimacy of their claims. Challenge everyone who is pandering fear. Demand integrity in the information you DO consume. Ask questions, and when they won't answer, or their answers don't make sense, don't interact with them. DON'T buy their product. DON'T be afraid. DON'T fall for their sales pitch. DON'T watch their channel. I'm not sure how many folks are left who are independent thinking... but from my own interactions with people I know, there don't seem to be many left... and those that are are viewed with suspicion by consumers of tainted information rather than someone who is seeking facts with integrity.

It IS sad.

 

[Gary68]

i have seen it here in a few threads,someone post something to be aware of,get a couple agreeing replies then the "fear" people come in
the OP never mentioned fear neither did the agreeing replies,the fearful people brought up fear

maybe those that say they will not be fearful should deal with their fears,thats how i deal with it,i was fearful my crusty old tires on rusty rims would fail so i saved up and got news one,now i dont thing about it at all,simple

 

[hepcat]

i have seen it here in a few threads,someone post something to be aware of,get a couple agreeing replies then the "fear" people come in
the OP never mentioned fear neither did the agreeing replies,the fearful people brought up fear

Gary, Wikipedia defines terrorism:  "Terrorism is, in its broadest sense, the use of intentionally indiscriminate violence as a means to create terror or fear, in order to achieve a political, religious, or ideological aim."

The original post here was about terrorists trying to use Craigslist as tool for unsponsored, lone-wolf terrorists to do just that and create fear among folks trying to lead their daily lives.

Unfortunately, corporations, news media, politicians, and religions use those same tools to progress their goals as well, and we live in an age where the public no longer views the world with skepticism and many, if not most people have difficulty in discerning an immediate and present threat from a far-off possibility.  Government is currently one of the major fear-mongers, creating divisiveness among the population using a variety of methods including a planned lack of action or response to some events which gives tacit approval.

Here's a prime example of how misguided our fears are:  I live about 400 miles up the Mississippi River from New Madrid, MO.   Why is that significant?  Because in 1811 the strongest earthquake ever to hit the North American Continent happened with the epicenter near New Madrid on what is now known as the New Madrid fault.  The eyewitness reports of that event are unbelievable and such an event hasn't been reported since. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was only half as powerful as the New Madrid quake.  It caused the Mississippi River to change course, changed lakes and caused the Mississippi River to run backwards for three days.  In 2008, the USGS put the odds of a similar quake re-occuring before 2018 at about 10%, and 25% to 40% chance of such an event occurring again before 2060.  Such an event would devastate much of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and would be felt strongly at my house. Who is concerned about that happening? 

Again from Wikipedia:   "In a report filed in November 2008, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency warned that a serious earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States," further predicting "widespread and catastrophic" damage across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and particularly Tennessee, where a 7.7 magnitude quake or greater would cause damage to tens of thousands of structures affecting water distribution, transportation systems, and other vital infrastructure."

What's being done to mitigate this threat?  Essentially nothing.  Anywhere.  Building codes for new structures in some jurisdictions may have had some revisions, but little is being done to retrofit existing infrastructure...   so we have a very real threat of a looming disaster for MILLIONS of people across eight states...   an no one is taking notice, and the folks that are are being called alarmists.

Yet, as a nation, a political unit, we're spending MILLIONS on either trying to stop the "alien threat" from abroad (or fighting against what the government is trying to do, depending on what side of the issue you prefer)...  and nothing to try to do our best to minimize damage or loss of life from this YUGE looming natural disaster.

Here's how government uses fear...  ALL of the successful terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11/01 have been committed by US citizens.  Think about that.  There is no evidence of foreign ideologies/states/religions using aliens here either legally or illegally to successfully carrying out an attack on US soil.  Yet, our politicians have fanned a wave of political unrest and an atmosphere of mistrust and fear towards a number of countries' citizens.  I'm all for eliminating terrorism...  you'd be a fool NOT to want that... but we're expending much of our energies in the wrong places and toward the wrong people because of misdirected fear... not properly directed investigative work, and much of our citizenry is listening without skepticism.

So yes Gary, the original post was very much about fear as was the original article that it was linked to whose entire purpose was to spread irrational fear among our populace for their own ideological principles.  And, I fear that it may be working. 

 

[CautionToTheWind]

hepcat, you pegged it perfectly! :thumbs up emoji:

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Here's how government uses fear...  ALL of the successful terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11/01 have been committed by US citizens.  Think about that.  There is no evidence of foreign ideologies/states/religions using aliens here either legally or illegally to successfully carrying out an attack on US soil.

Who said anything about aliens, legal or illegal?

There appears to be ample evidence that foreign ideologies or religions are radicalizing US citizens and inspiring them to commit acts of terror.

I would point only to the Boston Marathon Bombing and the San Bernardino Shootings as the most obvious examples of this.

The Fort Hood Shootings were officially classified as workplace violence rather than terrorism, but many people think this was done for political reasons.  During his court martial, where the shooter represented himself, he announced that he had "switched sides" and considered himself to be a Mujahdeen.

 

[hepcat]

Who said anything about aliens, legal or illegal?

The two executive orders stayed by the Courts were directed at aliens, John, not radicalized US citizens.  The premise of the orders was that we are under some sort of increased risk for terrorist events if we allow folks from those six (or however many) countries into the US, and yet they don't deal at ALL with the actual threats as they've played out.  And we're in a similar situation with the proposed wall along the border with Mexico...  there's just not sufficient evidence to suggest that it would solve any actual problems.  But both of those issues have certainly polarized the population and made many fearful over issues that may not even exist.

And the rest of your post summarized the gist of my thought... the current real terrorism threat in the US is from radicalized US citizens (of any number of ideologies, btw... any such discussion has to include folks like Timothy McVeigh and their ideologies) so that's where the bulk of our attention should lie... not where it is currently.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't know how Trumps executive orders got dragged into this.

My original post was simply a heads up that ISIS - who is known to use the Internet to attempt to radicalize and recruit people in America, both citizens and non-citizens - to commit acts of terror, was suggesting a course of action that MIGHT affect people trying to buy vans via Craigslist.

All of a sudden, I'm accused of trying to scare people into hiding in their apartments instead of embracing the van lifestyle.  Now it's about Trump and his executive orders.

Sheese.

 

[hepcat]

I don't know how Trumps executive orders got dragged into this.

All of a sudden, I'm accused of trying to scare people into hiding in their apartments instead of embracing the van lifestyle.  Now it's about Trump and his executive orders.

Sheese.

I think you're taking something that's not personal, personally.  I don't think anyone has accused anyone (especially you) of anything.

Your original post was about terrorists trying to recruit lone wolf terrorists here.  The narrative has been about how insidious "terrorism" is, how it generates fear, how fear is used by many entities to sway public opinion, how we as a country can't well differentiate actual threats from remote possibilities;  how we as a country are responding to perceived threats rather than actual threats, and that we're responding  inappropriately in most cases.

I think it's a pretty logical progression of discussion.  Sorry you don't think so. I think any such discussion based on facts rather than bias and emotion is useful.