How is the Freedom Caucus advancing policies enticing to terrorist training camps? Why would anyone do such a thing?
In the desperate pursuit of their agenda, the Caucus is inadvertently creating the perfect environment for extremist activities. Imagine this fictional scenario.
Wyoming is sparsely populated – just the kind of place attractive to folks who want to do secret stuff. Scantly populated places all over Wyoming would be ideal places to establish a subversive base.
The terrorist organization creates a new cryptocurrency-type business entity called a decentralized autonomous organization (“DAO”) – one of those blockchain commune organizations, where no one really owns the organization. The legislature allowed these entities a few years ago in a state statute starting at 17-31-101.
These nebulous organizations create secrecy by operating under rules and protocols encoded as computer programs stored on the blockchain. Token holders would manage the organization by computer votes through self-executing contracts containing the terms of the organizational agreement which are written in computer code.
Sounds like mumbo-jumbo to me, too.
Using cryptocurrency, the secret DAO would purchase a ranch as far away from any population center as possible. Ownership of the land would be nearly anonymous.
Taking advantage of Wyoming’s Castle Doctrine, our fictional terrorist DAO would set up security around the ranch to make sure no one trespassed on the property. The DAO would post huge no trespassing signs that say “If anyone trespasses, they will be deemed a threat to life and safety and shot on sight.
Federal officials would be hamstrung by laws prohibiting local and county officials from cooperating with federal agencies – laws like Wyoming’s proposed Second Amendment Preservation Act, which the Legislature is now considering.
The camp has septic tanks, so there won’t be any pesky opportunities to sample for abortion drugs, or whatever other surveillance sampling of human waste the legislature could concoct.
With Freedom Caucus budget cuts and mandates to check everyone for citizenship (also proposed), local law enforcement’s hands become tied. Law enforcement is stretched to their limits. Investigating a secret camp, which by all outside appearances is law abiding is not a priority.
The DAO’s cadre of imported employees, new to the county, vote for their sheriff and county attorney who both pledge to support the secret organization. Campaign dollars from outside the state and country (just like Freedom Caucus advertising) flood into the county to malign anyone who dares challenge the DAO’s selected candidates. Campaigning against DAO supported candidates becomes so distasteful, no one else runs. As a result, criminal prosecutions against training camp employees and students vanish.
Since the Freedom Caucus mandated (under this scenario) an elected attorney general, that candidate has to campaign for office. The elected Attorney General receives outside anonymous DAO support for the campaign. The candidate sells his soul and commits to support the terrorist organization, quietly. The AG quietly kills any investigations into DAO members.
The Freedom Caucus changes the judicial selection plan to make judges elected. The DAO uses the same shady campaign tactics to buy the loyalty of the elected district court judge. So, even if a civil or criminal case appears, the elected judge makes the case go away.
DAO employees become untouchable in the chosen county.
The DAO hires a gaggle of 18-year-old uncertified teachers to teach a bizarre curriculum of murder, bombing and death. No one cares since there are no teacher certification requirements.
Part of the operation would be financed through theft from neighbors. A large chunk of the terrorist organization would be financed from money flowing in from countries not friendly to the United States.
The lions’ share of funding for the terrorist training camp would come from the Wyoming taxpayers at the rate of $7000 per student per year, under the Wyoming Freedom Scholarship Act, sponsored by the Freedom Caucus.
Young zealots from all over the country (citizens of course) would be wholesale imported into the Wyoming training camp. Children dedicated to the cause would be brought into Wyoming by the busload to be trained in terror techniques.
After training and infiltration for a period of years, the terrorists would be triggered to create death and anarchy.
Is this story overblown? Perhaps. Apocalyptic? Certainly. Possible under Freedom Caucus absolute rule? Yup.
Wyoming is the way it is for a reason. Planning, foresight and sweat for generations by state leaders created this wonderful state. As the Freedom Caucus works to reshape Wyoming into it bizarre vision of a state, expect consequences – some not so nice.
Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 - 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: YourInputAppreciated@gmail.com
