June 19, 2016

"But we have to get control over this Internet propaganda that is poisoning the minds of the United States."

Said GOP Congressman Michael McCaul,  on ABC's "This Week."

Let's put his quote in context. He is asked what to do about the threat of future ISIS-inspired attacks in the U.S., and he says:
Well, the threat is pervasive on the Internet. Radicalization, not only foreign fighters coming back, but radicalization over the Internet which may have been the case here. They call it in law enforcement losers to lions that radicalize over the Internet. It's so pervasive -- 200,000 ISIS tweets a day, 1,000 investigations in all 50 States. It's really hard to stop all of it. But we have to get control over this Internet propaganda that is poisoning the minds of the United States.
Losers to lions? I'd never noticed that expression before. But here's something from last February, and McCaul is doing the talking:
From “Losers to Lions” a term coined by some officials for people taking extreme measures and joining terrorist groups, in an effort to try to become something greater than themselves.... “They are usually not doing well in their lives, and are vulnerable to this sort of radicalization process and then they become what they think is a lion pulling off an act of terror,” said Congressman Michael McCaul who also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.... “They want to become part of something bigger, and they think this is an adventure. ‘What's this Isis stuff all about?’ And they go on the Internet and they look at the videos,” Rep. McCaul said.
Those trying to leave the country to join Isis are not what is really concerning federal law enforcement as they can usually get them before they leave; it's those on U.S. soil in their homes. Christopher Combs is a Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in San Antonio. “Now with self-radicalization, with this home grown violent extremism, that's the kid in the basement who's doing it himself and wakes up one day and decides today is the day.  That's hard, that's really hard for law enforcement to get in front of,’ he said.

39 comments:

Hagar said...

Michael McCaul is not "the sharpest tool in the shed," as the saying goes.
We do not "have to get control over this internet propaganda ...." and anyway "we" can't.
What would be good is a bit more effort into turning ISIS from "lions into losers."

MadAir said...

"Losers to Lions" reminds me of the hilarious movie "Four Lions," which shows that losers who want to become lions may still end up being losers.

Laslo Spatula said...

LonelyWebcamGirl15:

The emails from Muslims are really scaring me. I don't like getting involved in political things. Excerpt for Bernie: he's different. But the other political stuff: I would just rather talk about my feelings, you know, and how I -- like -- feel..

Here's some of the latest messages I've received:

"LonelyWebcamGirl15, beware! The Lions of ISIS are ready to hunt you down and kill you like a scared dog."

The idea of a pitiful scared dog makes me sad enough, but then I realize he's talking about me. I figure if I leave Muslims alone, they'll leave me alone, right? Shouldn't it work that way?

Oh yeah: I'm talking my pajama bottoms off.

"Death will be swift, LonelyWebcamGirl15! I will behead you and your blood shall pour into the sand."

Pour into the sand? I don't even live near a beach. And if I was beheaded and my blood poured on our new carpet my Mother would have a heart attack, really.

I'm taking off my sweatshirt.

I just want the Muslims to leave me alone and bother someone else. But then that wouldn't be fair, because now that 'someone else' would have to deal with them, and that would then suck for them. Can't they just realize they're not wanted and go away? It's like America is a Party and they come crash it and never leave. If you're just coming to the party to ruin it then just don't come: is that so hard to understand?

Shall I bend over? Yeah?

And meanwhile, did anyone read the poem I wrote? Anyone?

Anyone?

I am Laslo.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Change 'losers' to 'lambs.' Mateen was not a loser, as far as I can tell. He had some issues before last week, but he had competed some post secondary education. He had a career in security. He apparently owned real estate.
Robert Deer was a loser. Scott Roeder was a loser.
Wouldn't many Islamists say that their goal was to turn Islam's lambs into lions?
Kind of the opposite of Christianity.

David Begley said...

The only way to solve the radicalization of Muslims is to ban the Koran.

Islam is contrary to western values. The Proohet was a war lord and he personally used the sword. Why do you think there is a sword in the flag of Saudi Arabia?

Anonymous said...

"'...it's those on U.S. soil in their homes...That's hard, that's really hard for law enforcement to get in front of,’ he said."

Inexplicably, law enforcement is having a really hard time getting in front of home-grown jihadis in every Western country which has allowed Muslims in. If you "can't get in front of" it with current numbers, the solution is obviously to let more in. Lots and lots more.

narciso said...

yes, about that,

http://narcisoscorner.blogspot.com/?view=sidebar

Rosalyn C. said...

Have we ever gotten a report on the imams the San Bernadino killer's listened to via the internet? I don't think so. Is it considered religious freedom to listen to those "false" interpretations of Islam or incitement to violence? Will the FBI be reporting similar info on Mateen? Probably not.

FullMoon said...

... “They are usually not doing well in their lives, and are vulnerable to this sort of radicalization process and then they become what they think is a lion pulling off an act of terror
Which is why Trumps suggestion of humiliating the enemy works. Nobody wants to join a gang of losers.

n.n said...

First, they have to end the anti-native propaganda broadcast through tax-payer funded institutions and liberal culture. Second, they have to reduce immigration so that it does not exceed the rates of assimilation and integration, before counting the mass abortion of [wholly innocent] Americans in abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood offices in a "final solution". Third, they need to end anti-native policies, including [class] diversity, that created and progresses the refugee crises and illegal immigration.

Matt Sablan said...

Well, this is just silly talk if the murder was done because he hated himself for being gay. What a waste of time and energy, if that thing we are told is true is true.

Matt Sablan said...

We're spending a whole lot of energy talking about Internet radicalization if these mass shootings are caused by lax firearm laws, homophobia and workplace disagreements.

It's almost like the people in charge don't believe what we're being told.

Jupiter said...

"Well, the threat is pervasive on the Internet. Radicalization, not only foreign fighters coming back, but radicalization over the Internet which may have been the case here."

It's strange, but this pervasive internet only seems to radicalize Muslims. Do they have, like, special radicalization antennae, or something? Some dog-whistle kind of a thing?

rhhardin said...

Use ridicule of the movement. Join a joke.

traditionalguy said...

NB: The threat is the second generation of children of immigrants reaching military age. The way to stop that is to stop the first generation immigrants from ever coming here to have children raised in Saudi paid for Mosques where they are INTENTIONALLY radicalized by a Imam sent here and paid by Saudi Arabians to raise an Army of Jihad, as they are ordered to do in Mohammed's Koran.

rhhardin said...

Less entertaining media coverage would help too.

But they won't pass up the money.

rhhardin said...

Coverage of ISIS modelled on F-Troop would be a nice series.

rhhardin said...

Hogan's Infidels.

Fernandinande said...

200,000 ISIS tweets a day,

Milo Yiannopoulos’ Twitter Account Suspended, Reinstated Amidst Orlando Press Conference Controversy, Anti-Islam Rhetoric

n.n said...

It's more likely that Mateen was rejected or shunned by the transgender/homosexual community or some minority subset, and he "radicalized" through reversion and dreams of revenge on people who frequented the club. His Islamic moral imperatives directed him to discover a common cause with a diversity class and exploited its selective outlook to rationalize aborting his targets.

Fernandinande said...

Anglelyne said...
Inexplicably, law enforcement is having a really hard time getting in front of home-grown jihadis in every Western country which has allowed Muslims in.


I've been scratching my head over that conundrum! So much that now I need an organic comb-over.

cacimbo said...

This is a major success for ISIS and a major fail by the FBI. Yet all we are hearing about is the dangers of the internet and guns.

Anonymous said...

I thought the losers to lions were ancient Christians, not Muslims.

Capt. Schmoe said...

As the current government appears not to really be afraid of the Islamic threat, the desire to control the internet is probably more about controlling those who oppose the regime than eliminating threats. After the second amendment falls, the first will not be far behind.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

We need to get control over this progressive democrat party that has been poisoning America for 10 generations.

Lucien said...

Didn't Eric Hoffer explain this 50 years ago in "The True Believer"?

Etienne said...

Put the Muslims in Internment Camps until the war is over. Worked for the Japanese and Germans.

Michael K said...

Do they have, like, special radicalization antennae, or something? Some dog-whistle kind of a thing?

No, they have mosques staffed by imams recruited and supplied by Wahabbi Saudis.

There are no "moderate" mosques left. We are not allowed to surveil mosques because we might find out that "workplace violence" has a real source called "Islam."

mockturtle said...

Has anyone ever been 'radicalized' against their will? Censoring the internet is possibly the most dangerous step we could take.

Kirk Parker said...

coupe

"Put the Muslims in Internment Camps until the war is over. "

We could just send them to Saudi Arabia; it's basically the same thing.

Friendo said...

Paul Zrimsek, you've a beautiful mind.

JamesB.BKK said...

A few guys destroyed buildings and killed passengers, occupants, and people in the streets and fields below using nominally private and heavily government-regulated aircraft by breaking into cockpit doors left unfortified and unlocked by US government fiat and using small blades on crew and passengers rendered unarmed - and even passive - by US government fiat, and now we get to walk through each others' foot sweat and be irradiated at the ends of long lines at every airport in the US and at gates of inbound international flights and have our every communication monitored by and USD financial transaction reported to the same government, thanks to the solutions of republicans. I will not be taking the advice of this talking republican in regards to his concerns with what's on on the internet.

tim in vermont said...

If we can make it extra hard for Asians to get into Harvard, why can't we place extra scrutiny on Muslims who want to fly?

Rusty said...

We have to get control of the do-gooders that are poisoning the minds of the United States.

FIFY

Thank you citizen! For a moment there I almost enjoyed myself.

Anonymous said...

Strange. Talk about low IQ. Why hasn't your government created thousands of recruiting web sites and social network communities on the web that would draw all these hornets, bomb makers, weapons buyers, with government underwritten Amazon deals for purchase and delivery, especially these idiots attempting to restore Islam and Sharia to the heathen? Given the votes your pTb will get from Arabs and the job situation , you can fill the all boiler rooms whose led by Mullahs who want to kill these heretics, in a horrible way to set an example, perhaps staked out for the ants. Probably do it for free. Oh, that's right, you can’t have your government can't lie about who it is, so no honey pots for the truly evil, that expose your president’s stupidity or split loyalties.

You idiots can’t do anything to identify the real problem, so why not collect all the guns for the same reason TSA and three hour lines exist, because no profiling for religion and profiling means everyone is a threat. So much for civil society and ability to trust your neighbor. By now any sane country would have opened re-education camps if not built more asylums, just copy this from Russian communism, and even blame them for setting such an effective example, so you had no choice but follow. Until those idiots are all dead or drugged into the same state. Instead let’s violate the rights of every community that uses the net that has proven itself sane. Aha, Christians are not. Ok, you can see how many go to these honeypot sites and arrest them as well. Problem solved.

Static Ping said...

"But we have to get control over this Internet propaganda that is poisoning the minds of the United States."

Is he talking about the New York Times?

Joe said...

What we need to do is get rid of the department of homeland security and the congressional committees that go along with it.

Unknown said...

"'...it's those on U.S. soil in their homes...That's hard, that's really hard for law enforcement to get in front of,’ he said."

So how does the FBI and ATF manage and monitor white supremacist groups?

Bad Lieutenant said...

So how does the FBI and ATF manage and monitor white supremacist groups?

Easy, they retask the antiterror resources.