1. Do the @KochIndustries funded and @FoxNews, @POTUS @RealDonaldTrump amplified #Astroturf demonstrations fit the definition of domestic terrorism? I think they do.
Domestic Terrorism is defined by federal law.
Domestic Terrorism is defined by federal law.
2. 18 USC 2331(5) defines it as follows:
A. involve acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of criminal laws of the United States or any State.
B. appear to be intended -
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population
A. involve acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of criminal laws of the United States or any State.
B. appear to be intended -
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population
3. Cont.
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
C. occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
C. occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
4. So, IMO, the only issue is whether the act of knowingly exposing others to a possible infection by a known deadly virus is in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State.
5. There is much criticism of criminalizing passing infectious diseases. That is not the subject of this post. But the fact is several states have these laws including some that do no itemize the diseases that are contemplated by the statute. Leaving aside the public policy
6. issues such laws raise, for the purpose of domestic terrorism analysis, the federal statute on its face only requires that one state criminalizes it under the definition.
7. I may look at doing a more detailed survey of the states that criminalize disease transmission. But the point is some do. And that makes what @KochIndustries @POTUS and @SenateGOP are doing domestic terrorism, by definition.
8. A 2018 article on this element of the domestic terrorism definition. Laws That Criminalize Spread Of Infectious Diseases Can Increase Their Stigma scpr.org/news/2018/06/2… via @kpcc
9. I'm not sure what this will mean. But where damages are traceable to these terrorist acts, insurance policies may be implicated. Often terrorism injuries are un-insurable. So the @GOP @Heritage @KochIndustries attorneys who are advising the Kochs to engage in this conduct
10. may not have coverage when they're sued by thousands of people injured by their knowing willful misconduct to advance domestic terrorist activities. But this is terrorism. And Bill Barr says he's joined the conspiracy. @MSNBC @maddow @Lawrence @WhiteHouse @TheJusticeDept
