I am not a forensic psychologist, but I don't need a phd in that field to write about the subject. Besides, most forensic psychologist are just idiots with advanced degrees eager to make their own diagnostics and ignore alarming details that suggest otherwise. There are about 5 types of people who would send mail bombs in the mail. They would be those who have a grudge, those who have a political message, those who do it for s$!7 and giggles, and various flavors of terrorism, and someone trying to create a name for themselves (including copy cats). Of course contract killing excluded.
So far, only one of the 10 or so mail bombs have been sent to a person holding public office-Maxine waters. There were others who previously held public office: Eric Holder (former AG), Obama (former Kenyan president (joke)), and if you want to count Hillary (former first lesbian of the united states) you could too even though she wielded no power, former senator/VP Joe Biden. Others who received them were Robert De Niro, George Soros, and former CIA director John Brennan. Very high profile democrats, most presently have no power whatsoever. Even assuming the devices were live and people died, only one would have been a policy maker; Maxine Waters, who makes the Democrats look particularly bad. These people were targeted because they were high profile. It is interesting to note that while it could be argued that waters, De Nero, and Brennan was targeted for their impeachment ambitions and criticism of trump, that no democrat from the Kavanaugh hearings were targeted, nor any senator, nor was anyone from the Mueller team. They weren't going to put political power pieces at risk-besides Waters.
Granted the Former AG was targeted which may seem significant, but there doesn't appear to be any judges, lesser federal prosecutors, nor FBI agents receiving them. It is unlikely vengeance upon a previous judicial act or criminal charge. Purely politics so far it seems.
The package itself might have numerous symbolic messages. Of all the stamps chosen, then chose stamps of the American flag. That could have just been coincidence, but there could be many ideas the sender wishes to project. freedom, America, nationalism, or Patriotism. But also notice that no one who kneels to the flag during football games was targeted, including Colin. Was that just an oversight or supports the idea that the stamp selection was random?
There was reportedly a quasi-isis flag on the device. The sender knew that either the device would fail or be intercepted-what would be left of the device had it gone off? Maybe it it had all the necessary components, but it was designed to fail. The quasi-isis flag had images of silhouettes of ladies on the flag. Although Al Qaeda has used images of bin ladin with an evil bert [from seseme street] parody by accident before, this was could have been two fold. To create the idea that it was isis to make fun of people rushing to judgment that it was isis.
source:nbc news from getty images
There also seems to be an image if a face near the isis flag. I dunno who that is.
Another more overt message was Larry the cable guy's "get er done" found on a device. Hmm, who would read that if the device would go boom.
There appears to be no other political statements associated with the devices.
Could it have been someone doing it for s&^ and giggles? I don't think an adolescent or drug/alcohol based s&^ and giggles type prank would go so far as to use pvc pipe and glass as shrapnel to keep the weight down to ensure mailbox delivery. But to undermine the media's claim of sophistication, let me ask a question: is pvc pipe used in pipe bomb making even remotely powerful enough to cause the damage of metal? I mean plastic tends to be weak and it melts, and most explosive devices I hear about required high pressure. I mean most of us don't go around making that stuff to really know let alone have the gelatinous blobs to inspect impact-and it probably is illegal in most places to make the former too....and not vegetarian to make the latter.
Was it an act of a terrorist group? (obviously it appears to be terrorism by its plain definition) If it was ISIS they would have taken credit by now. Was it a right wing fanatic? Why? Trump is winning. Was it a white nationalists? Their targets doesn't support that conclusion. Is it a lone schizophrenic? Well, the liberals may not like me saying it, but that could be within reason.
Was it someone trying to draw attention to themselves? There was no claim of responsibility, no manifesto, and all the return addresses were to Debbie Wassarman Schultz from what am left to believe from media accounts. No, the person wasn't an attention seeker....At least not yet.
Well there are some things to consider. These people were targeted because they were high profile democrats, there exists no observable reason to target them in these acts. There is just a few weeks left before the election, and control of the house and senate are at stake. Their selection mostly excluded members of congress-and excluded democrats who could be dangerous to trump. This was an incredible powerful political act, but there was no opportunity made to express an overt political statement by the sender.
It is drawing attention to the democrats and trying to get them seen as victims. As Rham emanuelle once said, "never let a good crisis go to waste". And sure enough they have wasted no time. The left is trying, and incorrectly saying, Trump has taken his rhetoric too far. Really, he has never threatened any free American citizen.
I think the person who done it purposefully chose the flag as stamps to create the idea of nationalists behind the attack, and say it is evidence of right wing extremism. The selection of a quote by Larry the Cable guy wants us to think southern and red neck and, mixed with the extremist acts, reinforces red state, southern pride, and nationalism. Strange that one of these types would choose an American flag over a confederate flag, but I don't think a lefty would dare touch such paraphernalia except to steal it from others. It should be noted sometimes criminals want to toy with the police, and other times they want to provide bad leads. I believe it is to make us think a red neck alt right nationalist did this, even though most of the mailings were sent to the New York/DC area. Because most of the targets were so close geographically, I would think the mailer lives in that general Area-which is pretty much all blue. FBI Forensics will likely determine where it was actually mailed from, we well as other things. They also wanted to make fun of the right's jump to say it was isis. Blame isis, then try to get conservatives to wear egg on their face. So I am left to believe the sender did it as a political attack to draw attention to the party to draw sympathy for the democrats, and to cause others to fear republicans. I believe it was an attempt to pull a Palpatine by the left to take political control. Only the democrats are far worse than the sith could ever hope to be. Anakin was able to see the truth behind the cult of the Jedi NPCs.
There are also secondary effects, the Barbara Streisand effect. Though no one in the media wanted to interview me when I was a victim of state sponsored terrorism (yeah, like they would allow me to criticize their liberal agenda on tv or in newsprint), the benefit of being high profile just means for most these high profile speakers more attention, more demand, more speaking opportunities, and more money for the party. More money in the coffers for 2020. It is kind of late to raise money for ad campaigns before the elections, but a way of getting the media to give congressional democratic candidates free air time during national and local news beyond 15-30 second sound bits where as NPCs they will probably repeat the same message from the national party-like a cult like Sinclair broadcasting talking point video....wait these NPCs were from the right. Ack, NPCs everywhere in both parties....yet only the left is offended by the term.
source:John Oliver's last week news tonight/local sinclair broadcast stations
I don't think that the major players orchestrated it. They may of had no idea. But there are no shortage of dangerously violent people on the left, including people who are incredibly intelligent too and sworn enemies of the natural law.
Anyways it is still early. We'll let the Obama era FBI do their shame investigation under Trump's watch and decide not to prosecute the democrat who carried out false attacks on their own party.
I suppose another likely Scenario is it could be one of these Charles Manson/Dylan Roof types trying to cause the next civil war or helter skelter. If they could make it look like the right did something so high profile that all would hear about it, that could easily cause antifa and others to violently respond....well more violently than usual and in greater frequency. And things would continue to escalate until the rivers are flowing red with blood. To achieve a civil war like this would have required at least some casualties to really get peoples emotions going, not simply failed crudely made devices.