We all know what happened. It’s what happens next.

Now that the histrionics are out of the way, it’s time for a rational, coherent plan of action. The diatribes on what we should do are knee deep; we don’t need that. Sure it feels good, but in the end, you know and I know what needs to happen on a large scale is not going to happen and thus, the best bet is to make order from chaos on your own.

The purveyors of the caliph know us infinitely better than we know ourselves. They act, we briefly react, then roll up some previously known cells, the mood changes for a week, then the same old talking heads reinforce the fatalistic notion that somehow “we’re all the same” and there’s “good folks everywhere, these are just a few”. Not true. Not true because carrying out large scale actions require LOTS of coordination and outside help. The action cell, like an Infantry Scout team, is one very small piece of the puzzle. Once the dust settles, western civ goes back to sleep behind the façade of superimposing flags on pictures and hashtag campaigns in a brilliant showcasing of impotence.

We are not going to change; this time is no different. You can change however. It’s called being “Left of Bang”.

Understanding What Just Happened

Anyone remember this guy? Probably not. But he was a prototype; the success of the shooting in the Mumbai hotel was a mold for many attacks to come, including the rampage in Paris over the weekend.

The act of terrorism, the actual actions-on incident, is the the second to last phase of the 7 step Terror Cycle.  What you see on media outlets are actually the last- Exploitation. We’ll talk about this in a moment.

We, as Western Nations, have absolutely no idea what we’re facing. Political Correctness forbids it. Taking it back a thousand years, the old Caliph was basically on the same playing field as the West, often times superior militarily. Fast forward, the tables have dramatically turned, and thus, tactics evolve. Small scale suicidal attacks do far more than a body count number would indicate;

• it demonstrates impotence of the victim government in the response
• it polarizes the victim population between the hard liners and the humanists
• it polarizes the native population of the terrorist through the anticipated heavy handed response of the victim government

It’s a long term fight between folks who have the memory of the next commercial break(us) and folks who see only one collective memory and end goal(islam). So now we clarify an objective, and next we can break down what happens, step by step.

The 7 Step Terror Cycle

1. Broad Target Selection
2. Intelligence and Surveillance
3. Specific Target Selection
4. Pre-attack Surveillance
5. Rehearsals
6. Actions on the Obective
7. Exploitation

Terrorists always seek soft targets; it’s common sense to know that a hard target will deliver a minimum yield if even successful at all. Step two involves open source collection of information, leading to step three. It is step four and five of which the act can be prevented.

It is Step 4 and 5 of which the act can be prevented.

It is Step 4 and 5 of which the act can be prevented.

It is Step 4 and 5 of which the act can be prevented.

Commit this to memory. PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU. It might, just might, make a difference. Do not walk into soft target areas, and always be armed. Your gut tells you when something is not quite right; it’s in our DNA, a reflex called fight or flight that all creatures are built with. It’s there if you pay attention to it, the problem is that most folks don’t know how.

Intermittently during step 3, 4 and 5, is the gathering of supplies. This is another crucial linchpin, as a careful observer can figure out a larger operation pretty quickly if they think a little harder on what they’re looking upon; it’s the pocket lint that counts.

Yeah Law Enforcement, I’m talking to you. Statistically speaking, you’re most likely to be alerted to the gathering of supplies first. If there’s smoke, there’s fire. And it’s not the Conservative activist or the returning War Veteran who’s doing this.

Me? I’m your friend, Habibi, terrorist, no…no, that’s crazy. I’m your friend, Habibi…you’re just profiling…

The act itself is what the victim sees; the exploitation is what the World sees. A terror attack is only as good as it’s exploitation. The more media exposure, the more success. With each French flag superimposed upon a social media picture, a small victory is attained by the terrorist. Sure; most of you may not see it that way, but terrorism is not about your opinion of you. The more media coverage, the better for them. This is the point 99% of folks miss, even the ones who are in this line of work.

Ordo ad Chaos

Now that we’ve broken down how these things move, we’ll get back to you. You cannot make national or cultural policy as much as any of us would like to; thus, the change starts with you. Watch the world around you, pay attention to people, and lose to silly notions against “profiling”. Listen to your common sense, and take copious mental notes. Remember Kim’s Game?

It’s a great starting point.

And oh yeah, be armed, its’ your right; and more importantly, train like your life depends upon it. No one is responsible for you and your loved one’s safety except for you. Police are after the fact once things go hot.

Work to make Order from Chaos on your own level; no one is going to do it for you.

As a nation and a culture, we are already compromised. You however, are not. Act accordingly.