This America

Stochastic Terrorism In Action

Stochastic Terrorism Happening Right Before Our Eyes

Stochastic terrorism is vitriolic speech about targeted groups by a public figure. Recent history is replete with examples. Indeed, we’ve all seen how dehumanizing speech can inspire supporters to wreak violence against a targeted person, group, or community.

Yet, in the USA, stochastic terroristic speech generally does not legally constitute incitement or solicitation to violence. Incitement is overtly encouraging or leading a planned act of violence. Stochastic terrorists, though, don’t plan the attacks their followers may be inspired (by them) to commit.

Americans learned — or should have learned — how especially dangerous stochastic terrorism can be in the midst of political upheaval. The January 6th Insurrection was a damning lesson. Sadly, too many Americans still haven’t learned that lesson.

It has become perhaps the textbook example of stochastic terrorism cited around the world. Trump’s news conferences, public speeches, and social-media barrages pushing his Big Lie and leading to the storming of the US Capitol in 2021, on January 6th, were our first national experience with stochastic terrorism outcomes.

The phenomenon has been more widely studied over the past decade or so. According to experts in psychology, law, and sociology, stochastic terrorism is a process. There are four stages: demonization, dehumanization, desensitization, and denial.

The stochastic terrorist demonizes a person, group, or community, blaming them for some exaggerated or outright false social ill or injustice. Then, repeat the charges ad nauseam. Sadly, the stochastic terrorist’s supporters internalize it and believe the lies, beginning the social dehumanization of the person, group, or community.

Next, the public figure implies violence against this person, group, or community would be deserved. The stochastic terrorist might weave fantasies of seeing overt violence inflicted. The speaker’s repeated implicit or explicit suggestions of violence desensitize supporters to the idea of acting with violence toward the person, group, or community.

Eventually, a person, group, or community is violently attacked by a supporter or supporters claiming the stochastic terrorist’s speech inspired them to act out the speaker’s words. The speaker then denies…