Complicating efforts to track down and prosecute these political "swatters" are determining whether they originate inside or outside the United States.
Thanks Professor Ben-Ghiat. And it is clear we need to take this seriously on a sociological as well as political level. It strikes me as doubly ironic that the very folks who like to claim the "system is broken" and does not work, are among the same who expose the system to these dangerous stress tests because the system actually is responsive. Breaking the system so you can claim it is broken has become a strategy of the Right. But--the darker danger is in the presence of guns. In the end, gun play, and automatic weapons in these charged situations makes America especially violent and scary.
"Breaking the system so you can claim it is broken" is exactly what is occuring. I use it as a road map to track the other crimes that are being committed by GOP . Take the "border crisis" for instance. Steps are being taken in order to ensure there will be the crises that the GOP campaigns on. I believe this is true in every single instance =/ The homelessness tragedy is especially disturbing to consider =//
Thank you James. I think this is a critical piece of our American political reality that needs to be punctuated and comprehended. Conservatives, and the Republican Party of the last 30 years, have corrosively undermined institutions over time so as to establish the claim that "big government" is our problem. They used this to attack social welfare programs, cut entitlements, and oppose progressive tax reform . The goal was to show that government--and hence democracy--does not work, and it does not deliver. It is the political version of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. This is poisonous and now locked into the minds of the MAGA crowd as it was with the Tea Party types. Fed by big bucks and from anti-government billionaires, we have seen them purposely break the system to justify the claim that it just doesn't work. Culture wars, racism, and anti-gay and diversity tropes keep people divided while the rich toast one another for their cleverness. They drove the bus into the ditch on purpose. But--now we have tyranny at the doorstep.
Exactly right, in the "labs of autocracy," they have already begun doing just this, starting at the bottom rung of the states political system and coming up from there. And one of the targets for breaking is the public education system,
This swatting thing has been escalating for a while now. Seems it became popularized with Gamergate harassment campaign and the on-line trolling community surrounding 4chan around 2014. This group was the proto alt-right and became incredibly destructive, egged on by foreign influence.
Maybe there should be a change in police tactics, to have some sort of verification of an actual emergency before sending the swat team. Its a shame, obviously that would complicate legitimate emergencies, but there does not seem to be any means of accountability under the current framework.
I definitely agree. The caller must be correctly identified and located--by whatever means--before the PD takes action. And if the call/report is a fake, the caller is arrested and jailed for one year at least.
And all this began with Kelly Ann Conway’s alternate facts and truth is not truth. Will we climb out of this as a country, or fall to authoritarian rule?
Dr Ben-Ghiat: Thank you so much for your sharp insights and your commitment to spreading truth and perspective. Your leadership, passion, knowledge and initiative are 'SO what we need' in this moment.
It might be helpful to also name this explicitly: Stochastic Terrorism. Swatting could be advertised this way: "Would you like to have an easy, active way to participate in Herr Drumpf's campaign of chaos? Simply pick up the phone..." It's a lazy, internet-era way to plug into the mire of the right wing swamp and do your own actions, without exposing yourself, much like proud boys who only mask up for protests. Anonymous "tips" to law enforcement intended to harm innocent people should backfire. Part of the 'zone of shit' technique is that it is so de-stabilizing, that when the real danger has been diffused, we don't follow up on the callers. Law Enforcement should be keeping records of the caller's address and contact information, so that when their calls turn out to be fraudulent, not only are they charged for intentionally wasting police resources (a consideration already in play in the US), their intention to harm political opponents using the police should bring its own punishment and deterrent. In the same way that using one's own real name in internet comments tends to tone down flaming over-reactions, calls of this kind should be rigorously vetted in the moment, and followed up on whenever they are found to be fraudulent. It isn't smart to leave this channel of stochastic terrorism open to any and every slob who would love to enact a strike on an opponent from their internet den, using the police as a weapon.
I just had a thought. Let's bring about the colonial era "stocks" in the town square. Some among us have lost all sense of embarrassment and shame. Maybe making them face their community would deter them. If we could ID them.
Good! I hope Rick gets results and we can all see the perpetrator. And yes, it's government's responsibility to find them and indict them for terrorism. But I love Rick...and his cool!
I am not able to attend the Friday Q/As. I will continue to do all that I can, that is within my means, but I feel that the ongoing refusal of The Republican cartels, that are refusing to accept any facts/truth/laws, is overwhelming our existing rule of law.
Also, I am asking all of the authors of my Substack subscriptions to please write about and worn everyone about “The Heritage Foundation: Project 2025. Mandate for Leadership The Conservative Promise.”
I don’t think I’m misunderstanding this manifesto when I identify it as The Republican Coup manifesto.
It has a recruitment link. It is a step by step guide at removing every law enacted by President Biden via executive order. This Heritage Foundation/Republican manifesto provides step by step mandates to alter and change every federal agency, the judiciary, the military, our educational system and introduces White Christian Nationalism into our educational system, health care system and government.
Can you please write about or better educate me on your understanding/interpretation of this manifesto. I just feel that this should be scrutinized by and challenged in every substack whose authors support our constitutional democracy.
The Republican coup has been a protracted process since Reagan and has accelerated into open warfare under the former trump administration through the present Republican cartels.
It is encumbent on us all to stop this Republican coup.
Take action, support Democrats only and demand that any Republican candidate disclose whether or not they are pledging to this manifesto or pledging to uphold our Constitution and accept the electoral outcome of our 2024 Presidential election.
I hear what you may be saying about the “Republican Coup Manifesto” part of Project 2025 but so far there is NOTHING in that manifesto for MAGA lower income working people (or really any lower income working people) that would benefit them! [Full stop.]
I’m especially trying to go through the 1000 page “manifesto” myself., as an economist, at first focusing on the GOP economic/tax policies that basically include the following:
** [Regressive tax] Tax INCREASES for families earning less than 89,000 dollars per year.
I think you are right about what these schemes offer less-wealthy Americans, but I hope it is also clear that everyone seeking power and wealth now has no intention of satisfying, pleasing, or supporting the working class….. The more impoverished and desperate we all are, the better for authoritarians.
I think your point is critical and actually spot on and why I don’t understand this MAGA grievance movement at all (other than propagandist brainwashing). This 2025 Plan has the perfect design for keeping the working class and poor uneducated and even poorer with its Medieval philosopher/solutions and a feudal system of government. I happen to be in the economically challenged group ; not too poor, just poor enough to never get ahead. I have been I lifelong fighter against classism and governmentally sanctioned/imposed religiosity/religious rule.There is very little in any of the Republican Coup Manifesto, or from their cult or their Cartels that provides a pathway to a “good enough” life. There is only increased institutional biases, enhanced institutional impoverishment, and a grave moral disdain for the efforts of the many who are trying to “make an honest living” or simply take care of ourselves/own and get just a little bit ahead of the proverbial “man.”These efforts are also impeded further with the MAGA et al “Foundations” imposing harsh penalties and economic/educational pain on anyone they have decided are not Christian enough or White Christian Nationalists. Speaker Johnson and his klan- case in point - 3rd in line to “rule” our nation. It’s bad. Really bad. Keep us stupid (book banning) give women’s bodies to The State and only White men need to vote and carry military grade weapons.
I look forward to hearing/learning more from you. Thanks. I’m not the best skimmer , not bad, just not the best.
Thanks for writing more regarding your thoughts on Project 2025 -- I read more of what you've written when Joyce Vance discussed the importance of Project 2025 recently. I agree! I have to write by the end of today for a State of Ohio group of analysts who are attempting to respond to our Autocratic Republican "billionaire funded crime family" Governor who wants to "modify" (along with outside of Ohio billionaire funded Project 2025ish autocrats) our "Ohio public educational system" which was superb until Betsy DeVos and other outside of OH billionaire autocrats began to show themselves! We'll talk more!
For your interest, the following is what I wrote in response to the Ohio Governor's questions to our "Analytical Economics Panel."
Project 2025 is an “authoritarian” roadmap that is currently being presented to guide our upcoming Federal & State Level Government elections that will seek to dismantle a thriving, inclusive democracy for all. Ohio Gov DeWine says there is a “"real consensus" from legislators that education (specifically the science of reading method), mental health and addiction are the top three issues they hope to tackle this session.” And only part of one of these three components [“Reforming” Public Education] comes closest to a goal of strengthening democracy for all! Furthermore, the Ohio Public Education System (which had superb science of reading methods in the curriculum) not long ago was well among the top 10-20 public educational systems in this country until the outside Ohio billionaire funded elements began to dismantle it! Vouchers subsidizing private schools, reinstating color-consciousness, rejecting gender ideology, book banning, and more are already dismantling our public education system in Ohio as I write this! Go back to what we had in Ohio and further support it!
Dear Professor Ben-Ghiat. When the top comes off Pandora's box, the demons can't be returned to the confines or placed under control. The facilitators that have released or goaded "the rabble," will learn there are consequences for their actions, whether they are public servants or the monied elite. The rabble is becoming well defined - MAGA, Proud Boys, White Christian Nationalists, et.al. One of the arguments made by James Madison in the writing of the US Constitution were safeguards needed to be deployed to keep the "mob" away from the "better" people, also known as the wealth holders. What we are experiencing currently is once respect for the rules of law are disregarded by the elite, anything, including swatting, goes.
The problem with holding the perpetrators of this accountable is that these calls to law enforcement can be disguised. Someone in, say Russia, can make the call using technology to make it appear to be local. All roads, as always, lead to Putin.
If only the equipment could be redesigned so that spoofing was impossible… try it, and the call doesn’t go through. Why not? And don’t say anonymity is a right. Knowing who is threatening you is a greater right.
Whistleblowers need not fear. Just don’t call anyone you don’t want to know about you. Law enforcement would be enjoined from sharing your identity outside the justice system. Obviously if you initiated a swat, your identity would come out when you were prosecuted.
One way to do this would be to tie every connection (call or text or email) to a physical location rather than a personal identity. A cell call would transmit the gps coordinates where the call was made, as well as the true unique serial number of the phone. This would make it possible to track back to the caller with just a little work. The system would log this data and keep it for at least a few days if not years.
Rick Wilson is offering a 25K reward for verifiable info on who caused his swatting team dispatch and, as he told the keyboard warriors that seem to have it out for him "That will buy you all a lot of chicken tenders" in case it was one of their "friends"
Thank you for modeling how to look at the purpose behind the behavior. Destabilization, fear, intimidation rippling out to society, not just the swatting victim.
Thank you Ruth for exposing “swatting,” and for de-normalizing the term. The first time I heard the term “swatting,” I was prepared for another round of pre-frontal normalizing. You threw me a life ring.
Thanks Ruth, that was profound! I hadn't heard of swatting before but it fits in well with the idea of creating chaos under fascism. tRump's lack of a moral compass due to his sociopathic behavior has infected his obsequious followers to the point of them taking actions beyond Jan 6. tRump creates his own truth to serve his grandiose self image. Those believing his truth, get sucked into his maelstrom of fantasy. This seems to be an important pillar of fascism. Swatting seems to be about political vengeance; another aspect of fascism. Vengeance is also a common trait seen in sociopaths/psychopaths, which is why it' so important to keep these people out of leadership.
Complicating efforts to track down and prosecute these political "swatters" are determining whether they originate inside or outside the United States.
Thx. I was wondering what law enforcement was doing about them. So they are tracking them down and prosecuting? How do you know?
Thanks Professor Ben-Ghiat. And it is clear we need to take this seriously on a sociological as well as political level. It strikes me as doubly ironic that the very folks who like to claim the "system is broken" and does not work, are among the same who expose the system to these dangerous stress tests because the system actually is responsive. Breaking the system so you can claim it is broken has become a strategy of the Right. But--the darker danger is in the presence of guns. In the end, gun play, and automatic weapons in these charged situations makes America especially violent and scary.
"Breaking the system so you can claim it is broken" is exactly what is occuring. I use it as a road map to track the other crimes that are being committed by GOP . Take the "border crisis" for instance. Steps are being taken in order to ensure there will be the crises that the GOP campaigns on. I believe this is true in every single instance =/ The homelessness tragedy is especially disturbing to consider =//
Thank you James. I think this is a critical piece of our American political reality that needs to be punctuated and comprehended. Conservatives, and the Republican Party of the last 30 years, have corrosively undermined institutions over time so as to establish the claim that "big government" is our problem. They used this to attack social welfare programs, cut entitlements, and oppose progressive tax reform . The goal was to show that government--and hence democracy--does not work, and it does not deliver. It is the political version of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. This is poisonous and now locked into the minds of the MAGA crowd as it was with the Tea Party types. Fed by big bucks and from anti-government billionaires, we have seen them purposely break the system to justify the claim that it just doesn't work. Culture wars, racism, and anti-gay and diversity tropes keep people divided while the rich toast one another for their cleverness. They drove the bus into the ditch on purpose. But--now we have tyranny at the doorstep.
"It is the political version of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy" is a devastatingly accurate way of putting it!
Exactly right, in the "labs of autocracy," they have already begun doing just this, starting at the bottom rung of the states political system and coming up from there. And one of the targets for breaking is the public education system,
https://exposed1.substack.com/p/new-column-maga-coup-watch
Spot on as always, thank you
This swatting thing has been escalating for a while now. Seems it became popularized with Gamergate harassment campaign and the on-line trolling community surrounding 4chan around 2014. This group was the proto alt-right and became incredibly destructive, egged on by foreign influence.
Maybe there should be a change in police tactics, to have some sort of verification of an actual emergency before sending the swat team. Its a shame, obviously that would complicate legitimate emergencies, but there does not seem to be any means of accountability under the current framework.
Well--I am in favor of a wide range of changes in police tactics. But--I wish the police did not have to fear such a heavily armed citizenry, too.
And that is right where the far right extremists want them.
The ones committing those idiotic swatting crimes should be found and jailed! Seems the integrity of our system is being attacked!
I definitely agree. The caller must be correctly identified and located--by whatever means--before the PD takes action. And if the call/report is a fake, the caller is arrested and jailed for one year at least.
And all this began with Kelly Ann Conway’s alternate facts and truth is not truth. Will we climb out of this as a country, or fall to authoritarian rule?
Yes, if Biden wins in November. After that, we work on repairing this break among the voters in our democracy.
If Biden loses, my bet is probably not.
Dr Ben-Ghiat: Thank you so much for your sharp insights and your commitment to spreading truth and perspective. Your leadership, passion, knowledge and initiative are 'SO what we need' in this moment.
It might be helpful to also name this explicitly: Stochastic Terrorism. Swatting could be advertised this way: "Would you like to have an easy, active way to participate in Herr Drumpf's campaign of chaos? Simply pick up the phone..." It's a lazy, internet-era way to plug into the mire of the right wing swamp and do your own actions, without exposing yourself, much like proud boys who only mask up for protests. Anonymous "tips" to law enforcement intended to harm innocent people should backfire. Part of the 'zone of shit' technique is that it is so de-stabilizing, that when the real danger has been diffused, we don't follow up on the callers. Law Enforcement should be keeping records of the caller's address and contact information, so that when their calls turn out to be fraudulent, not only are they charged for intentionally wasting police resources (a consideration already in play in the US), their intention to harm political opponents using the police should bring its own punishment and deterrent. In the same way that using one's own real name in internet comments tends to tone down flaming over-reactions, calls of this kind should be rigorously vetted in the moment, and followed up on whenever they are found to be fraudulent. It isn't smart to leave this channel of stochastic terrorism open to any and every slob who would love to enact a strike on an opponent from their internet den, using the police as a weapon.
Couldn't a false call be considered a form of wire fraud?
I just had a thought. Let's bring about the colonial era "stocks" in the town square. Some among us have lost all sense of embarrassment and shame. Maybe making them face their community would deter them. If we could ID them.
I guess you're joking. That would violate the 8th Amendment.
Very disturbing , to say the least, how do we climb out of this abyss ? Can’t these people who “swat” be traced and prosecuted ?
Rick Wilson is offering a 25k reward for verifiable info on the person who swatted him. Hope it works
Why should Wilson have to do this? It is law enforcement’s responsibility and we need federal laws which stop this vicious nonsense.
Good! I hope Rick gets results and we can all see the perpetrator. And yes, it's government's responsibility to find them and indict them for terrorism. But I love Rick...and his cool!
Seems caller ID would indicate the perpetrator? Works for everything else ( caller ID).
https://www.fcc.gov/spoofing
Check this infographic with ten forms of intimidating officials (including swatting) along with recent examples.
"Dictator's Handbook To Attack Judges, Prosecutors And The Rule of Law"
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/01/09/dictators-handbook-to-attack-judges-prosecutors-and-the-rule-of-law/
I am not able to attend the Friday Q/As. I will continue to do all that I can, that is within my means, but I feel that the ongoing refusal of The Republican cartels, that are refusing to accept any facts/truth/laws, is overwhelming our existing rule of law.
Also, I am asking all of the authors of my Substack subscriptions to please write about and worn everyone about “The Heritage Foundation: Project 2025. Mandate for Leadership The Conservative Promise.”
I don’t think I’m misunderstanding this manifesto when I identify it as The Republican Coup manifesto.
It has a recruitment link. It is a step by step guide at removing every law enacted by President Biden via executive order. This Heritage Foundation/Republican manifesto provides step by step mandates to alter and change every federal agency, the judiciary, the military, our educational system and introduces White Christian Nationalism into our educational system, health care system and government.
Can you please write about or better educate me on your understanding/interpretation of this manifesto. I just feel that this should be scrutinized by and challenged in every substack whose authors support our constitutional democracy.
The Republican coup has been a protracted process since Reagan and has accelerated into open warfare under the former trump administration through the present Republican cartels.
It is encumbent on us all to stop this Republican coup.
Take action, support Democrats only and demand that any Republican candidate disclose whether or not they are pledging to this manifesto or pledging to uphold our Constitution and accept the electoral outcome of our 2024 Presidential election.
Project 2025
I hear what you may be saying about the “Republican Coup Manifesto” part of Project 2025 but so far there is NOTHING in that manifesto for MAGA lower income working people (or really any lower income working people) that would benefit them! [Full stop.]
I’m especially trying to go through the 1000 page “manifesto” myself., as an economist, at first focusing on the GOP economic/tax policies that basically include the following:
** [Regressive tax] Tax INCREASES for families earning less than 89,000 dollars per year.
** [Regressive tax] 30 percent nationwide (federal) sales tax.
** [Regressive tax structure] Tax DECREASES for higher income people (the wealthy).
** Dismantling workplace safety measures & protections.
So far NOTHING for lower income working people including most MAGA Republicans in this country!!!
Thank you for caring to know more about this Project 2025 or rather “Manifesto!” I will also continue to learn more and get the word out.......
Thank you Diane.
I think you are right about what these schemes offer less-wealthy Americans, but I hope it is also clear that everyone seeking power and wealth now has no intention of satisfying, pleasing, or supporting the working class….. The more impoverished and desperate we all are, the better for authoritarians.
Thank you these will be good to post on social media. I haven’t had time to read it . If you find more please let us know.
I think your point is critical and actually spot on and why I don’t understand this MAGA grievance movement at all (other than propagandist brainwashing). This 2025 Plan has the perfect design for keeping the working class and poor uneducated and even poorer with its Medieval philosopher/solutions and a feudal system of government. I happen to be in the economically challenged group ; not too poor, just poor enough to never get ahead. I have been I lifelong fighter against classism and governmentally sanctioned/imposed religiosity/religious rule.There is very little in any of the Republican Coup Manifesto, or from their cult or their Cartels that provides a pathway to a “good enough” life. There is only increased institutional biases, enhanced institutional impoverishment, and a grave moral disdain for the efforts of the many who are trying to “make an honest living” or simply take care of ourselves/own and get just a little bit ahead of the proverbial “man.”These efforts are also impeded further with the MAGA et al “Foundations” imposing harsh penalties and economic/educational pain on anyone they have decided are not Christian enough or White Christian Nationalists. Speaker Johnson and his klan- case in point - 3rd in line to “rule” our nation. It’s bad. Really bad. Keep us stupid (book banning) give women’s bodies to The State and only White men need to vote and carry military grade weapons.
I look forward to hearing/learning more from you. Thanks. I’m not the best skimmer , not bad, just not the best.
Thanks for writing more regarding your thoughts on Project 2025 -- I read more of what you've written when Joyce Vance discussed the importance of Project 2025 recently. I agree! I have to write by the end of today for a State of Ohio group of analysts who are attempting to respond to our Autocratic Republican "billionaire funded crime family" Governor who wants to "modify" (along with outside of Ohio billionaire funded Project 2025ish autocrats) our "Ohio public educational system" which was superb until Betsy DeVos and other outside of OH billionaire autocrats began to show themselves! We'll talk more!
For your interest, the following is what I wrote in response to the Ohio Governor's questions to our "Analytical Economics Panel."
Project 2025 is an “authoritarian” roadmap that is currently being presented to guide our upcoming Federal & State Level Government elections that will seek to dismantle a thriving, inclusive democracy for all. Ohio Gov DeWine says there is a “"real consensus" from legislators that education (specifically the science of reading method), mental health and addiction are the top three issues they hope to tackle this session.” And only part of one of these three components [“Reforming” Public Education] comes closest to a goal of strengthening democracy for all! Furthermore, the Ohio Public Education System (which had superb science of reading methods in the curriculum) not long ago was well among the top 10-20 public educational systems in this country until the outside Ohio billionaire funded elements began to dismantle it! Vouchers subsidizing private schools, reinstating color-consciousness, rejecting gender ideology, book banning, and more are already dismantling our public education system in Ohio as I write this! Go back to what we had in Ohio and further support it!
Dear Professor Ben-Ghiat. When the top comes off Pandora's box, the demons can't be returned to the confines or placed under control. The facilitators that have released or goaded "the rabble," will learn there are consequences for their actions, whether they are public servants or the monied elite. The rabble is becoming well defined - MAGA, Proud Boys, White Christian Nationalists, et.al. One of the arguments made by James Madison in the writing of the US Constitution were safeguards needed to be deployed to keep the "mob" away from the "better" people, also known as the wealth holders. What we are experiencing currently is once respect for the rules of law are disregarded by the elite, anything, including swatting, goes.
Keep up the fight.
The problem with holding the perpetrators of this accountable is that these calls to law enforcement can be disguised. Someone in, say Russia, can make the call using technology to make it appear to be local. All roads, as always, lead to Putin.
If only the equipment could be redesigned so that spoofing was impossible… try it, and the call doesn’t go through. Why not? And don’t say anonymity is a right. Knowing who is threatening you is a greater right.
Whistleblowers need not fear. Just don’t call anyone you don’t want to know about you. Law enforcement would be enjoined from sharing your identity outside the justice system. Obviously if you initiated a swat, your identity would come out when you were prosecuted.
One way to do this would be to tie every connection (call or text or email) to a physical location rather than a personal identity. A cell call would transmit the gps coordinates where the call was made, as well as the true unique serial number of the phone. This would make it possible to track back to the caller with just a little work. The system would log this data and keep it for at least a few days if not years.
Rick Wilson is offering a 25K reward for verifiable info on who caused his swatting team dispatch and, as he told the keyboard warriors that seem to have it out for him "That will buy you all a lot of chicken tenders" in case it was one of their "friends"
..hope that approach works.
Thank you for modeling how to look at the purpose behind the behavior. Destabilization, fear, intimidation rippling out to society, not just the swatting victim.
Thank you Ruth for exposing “swatting,” and for de-normalizing the term. The first time I heard the term “swatting,” I was prepared for another round of pre-frontal normalizing. You threw me a life ring.
Thanks Ruth, that was profound! I hadn't heard of swatting before but it fits in well with the idea of creating chaos under fascism. tRump's lack of a moral compass due to his sociopathic behavior has infected his obsequious followers to the point of them taking actions beyond Jan 6. tRump creates his own truth to serve his grandiose self image. Those believing his truth, get sucked into his maelstrom of fantasy. This seems to be an important pillar of fascism. Swatting seems to be about political vengeance; another aspect of fascism. Vengeance is also a common trait seen in sociopaths/psychopaths, which is why it' so important to keep these people out of leadership.