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[Bruce A. Smith]

Institutional Culture at the FBI

The strengths and profound weaknesses of the FBI are on full display in another superb Netflix documentary. This one is called Unabomber Manhunt, and is a six-part series. The cultural blinders and restrictions that exist at the FBI are in full display throughout the case, as are the bureaucratic and political pressures present in the Unabomber case.

The show follows the work of James "Fitz" Fitzgerald, an innovative FBI profiler. Fitz's breakthroughs - and the essence of the case - are the unique styles of Ted Kaczynski's writings, especially archaic word usage and spelling, paragraph structure, and thematic content. This unprecedented approach to forensic analysis was fundamental to every aspect of the case: identifying a suspect, obtaining search warrants, capturing and arresting Kaczynski, and ultimately convicting him. At every step, too, was resistance from the Bureau and the DOJ.

One side note: for MKULTRA fans Ted is portrayed in the docu as one of the early lab rats at the Dept of Psychology at Harvard during the 1950s in their initial MK mind-controlling experiments, an experience that is depicted as being critical to Kaczynski's underlying anger and social isolation.

It's a gripping tale, and is well told. Kudos to Netflix.

[MeyerLouie]

Institutional Culture at the FBI

The strengths and profound weaknesses of the FBI are on full display in another superb Netflix documentary. This one is called Unabomber Manhunt, and is a six-part series. The cultural blinders and restrictions that exist at the FBI are in full display throughout the case, as are the bureaucratic and political pressures present in the Unabomber case.

The show follows the work of James "Fitz" Fitzgerald, an innovative FBI profiler. Fitz's breakthroughs - and the essence of the case - are the unique styles of Ted Kaczynski's writings, especially archaic word usage and spelling, paragraph structure, and thematic content. This unprecedented approach to forensic analysis was fundamental to every aspect of the case: identifying a suspect, obtaining search warrants, capturing and arresting Kaczynski, and ultimately convicting him. At every step, too, was resistance from the Bureau and the DOJ.

One side note: for MKULTRA fans Ted is portrayed in the docu as one of the early lab rats at the Dept of Psychology at Harvard during the 1950s in their initial MK mind-controlling experiments, an experience that is depicted as being critical to Kaczynski's underlying anger and social isolation.

It's a gripping tale, and is well told. Kudos to Netflix.

I thought it was Kaczynski's brother who turned Ted in.  Maybe that's who deserves the credit for cracking the case, rather than all the sophisticated forensics from the FBI. 

MKULTRA.... is that like reading the tea leaves, Smith?  Not really in the same vein as empirical, hard evidence or real fact.  Sounds more like anecdotal science fiction to me.  In fact, I see MKULTRA was featured in an article on The National Enquirer -- I saw it on the magazine stand, front page, at the grocery store the other day.   I guess some alien came down and took over Rosie O'Donnell's mind, then impregnated her --  which got worldwide attention because Rosie is gay and a Trump basher.

[Robert99]

Institutional Culture at the FBI

The strengths and profound weaknesses of the FBI are on full display in another superb Netflix documentary. This one is called Unabomber Manhunt, and is a six-part series. The cultural blinders and restrictions that exist at the FBI are in full display throughout the case, as are the bureaucratic and political pressures present in the Unabomber case.

The show follows the work of James "Fitz" Fitzgerald, an innovative FBI profiler. Fitz's breakthroughs - and the essence of the case - are the unique styles of Ted Kaczynski's writings, especially archaic word usage and spelling, paragraph structure, and thematic content. This unprecedented approach to forensic analysis was fundamental to every aspect of the case: identifying a suspect, obtaining search warrants, capturing and arresting Kaczynski, and ultimately convicting him. At every step, too, was resistance from the Bureau and the DOJ.

One side note: for MKULTRA fans Ted is portrayed in the docu as one of the early lab rats at the Dept of Psychology at Harvard during the 1950s in their initial MK mind-controlling experiments, an experience that is depicted as being critical to Kaczynski's underlying anger and social isolation.

It's a gripping tale, and is well told. Kudos to Netflix.

I thought it was Kaczynski's brother who turned Ted in.  Maybe that's who deserves the credit for cracking the case, rather than all the sophisticated forensics from the FBI. 

MKULTRA.... is that like reading the tea leaves, Smith?  Not really in the same vein as empirical, hard evidence or real fact.  Sounds more like anecdotal science fiction to me.  In fact, I see MKULTRA was featured in an article on The National Enquirer -- I saw it on the magazine stand, front page, at the grocery store the other day.   I guess some alien came down and took over Rosie O'Donnell's mind, then impregnated her --  which got worldwide attention because Rosie is gay and a Trump basher.

Meyer is right.  This TV series was shown on the History Channel (?) a few weeks ago and has been discussed on this site previously.  Ted Kaczynski had psychological problems following a childhood illness.  His experiences in the experiments at Harvard put him completely over the edge.

[Bruce A. Smith]

Georger, your synopsis of Ted Kaczynski's life follows closely the storyline of the Netflix docu. The brother was instrumental in identifying Ted as the Unabomber, but the FBI and its profilers were critical in getting the manifesto published and building an accurate profile that supported the FBI's internal debates about publishing a treatise from a terrorist, etc. - so that the brother and sister-in-law would eventually see it.

Lots of moving parts in this story. That's what makes the docu so interesting, and takes six episodes to complete.

[Bruce A. Smith]

What makes the Ted Kaczynski story and docu relevant to our discussions here is the docu's portrayal of how the FBI actually works. Although it often recognizes and celebrates brilliance, it scorns the innovative and creative agents in its midst. Certainly any "outside the box" thinking is rejected, suppressed, or resisted.

The key figure in the Unabomber case - Fitzgerald - was terminated during the investigation because of his approaches to the investigation. Others who assisted Fitz were transferred, demoted, or marginalized - and isolated both professionally and socially. They drank alone at office parties...

Those cultural dynamics are still at work at the FBI and have been key components in the failure to solve Norjak, imo. One big development that highlights this is the apparent lack of follow-up to the titanium and rare earth minerals found on the tie.

Norjak, Unabomber, 9-11 - the Bureau just has problems connecting the dots. To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie.

[377]

One thing I have noticed in reading volumes of FBI FOIA material is the seemingly endless repetition of details in report after report. I know the agency has procedures and they apparently put a heavy emphasis on documenting literally everything, but why not appoint a couple of smart resourceful "free range SAs" who are freed from the paperwork burdens and given the mandate to put all their time into investigating rather than report writing? Sort of an Agent at Large... what Elvis was seeking from Nixon.   

377

[Bruce A. Smith]

What makes the Ted Kaczynski story and docu relevant to our discussions here is the docu's portrayal of how the FBI actually works. Although it often recognizes and celebrates brilliance, it scorns the innovative and creative agents in its midst. Certainly any "outside the box" thinking is rejected, suppressed, or resisted.

The key figure in the Unabomber case - Fitzgerald - was terminated during the investigation because of his approaches to the investigation. Others who assisted Fitz were transferred, demoted, or marginalized - and isolated both professionally and socially. They drank alone at office parties...

Those cultural dynamics are still at work at the FBI and have been key components in the failure to solve Norjak, imo. One big development that highlights this is the apparent lack of follow-up to the titanium and rare earth minerals found on the tie.

Norjak, Unabomber, 9-11 - the Bureau just has problems connecting the dots. To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie.

This above is total nonsense.    Send your manifesto to the NY Times!

What I wrote is total nonsense? Your statement is total nonsense.

Why send my "manifesto" to the NY Times? Why isn't the DB Cooper Forum good enough? You would prefer to have a purer environment here in which to pose your theories and findings?

That's exactly the kind of thinking at the FBI. Yes, the pressure from the courts to provide "hard" evidence is real. But it can not be allowed to restrict creative investigators from exploring all options.

[Bruce A. Smith]

One thing I have noticed in reading volumes of FBI FOIA material is the seemingly endless repetition of details in report after report. I know the agency has procedures and they apparently put a heavy emphasis on documenting literally everything, but why not appoint a couple of smart resourceful "free range SAs" who are freed from the paperwork burdens and given the mandate to put all their time into investigating rather than report writing? Sort of an Agent at Large... what Elvis was seeking from Nixon.   

377

I agree. This lack of adequate oversight and supervision is clearly lacking at the FBI in the Norjak case.

[georger]

One thing I have noticed in reading volumes of FBI FOIA material is the seemingly endless repetition of details in report after report. I know the agency has procedures and they apparently put a heavy emphasis on documenting literally everything, but why not appoint a couple of smart resourceful "free range SAs" who are freed from the paperwork burdens and given the mandate to put all their time into investigating rather than report writing? Sort of an Agent at Large... what Elvis was seeking from Nixon.   

377

I agree. This lack of adequate oversight and supervision is clearly lacking at the FBI in the Norjak case.

You are the loudest most persistent Bull Moose in the room - nobody can compete. That's for sure.   

  

 

[MeyerLouie]

What makes the Ted Kaczynski story and docu relevant to our discussions here is the docu's portrayal of how the FBI actually works. Although it often recognizes and celebrates brilliance, it scorns the innovative and creative agents in its midst. Certainly any "outside the box" thinking is rejected, suppressed, or resisted.

The key figure in the Unabomber case - Fitzgerald - was terminated during the investigation because of his approaches to the investigation. Others who assisted Fitz were transferred, demoted, or marginalized - and isolated both professionally and socially. They drank alone at office parties...

Those cultural dynamics are still at work at the FBI and have been key components in the failure to solve Norjak, imo. One big development that highlights this is the apparent lack of follow-up to the titanium and rare earth minerals found on the tie.

Norjak, Unabomber, 9-11 - the Bureau just has problems connecting the dots. To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie.

That's all good and fine, and you're probably right -- all the shortcomings of the FBI -- which you always like to spell out at every opportunity you get.  But how does that help us now?  How does what the FBI didn't do forward our cause here?  Not one bit.  It's like crying over spilled milk.  Crying, pissing, and moaning ain't gonna do one damn bit of good to bring it back.

Meyer

[MeyerLouie]

What makes the Ted Kaczynski story and docu relevant to our discussions here is the docu's portrayal of how the FBI actually works. Although it often recognizes and celebrates brilliance, it scorns the innovative and creative agents in its midst. Certainly any "outside the box" thinking is rejected, suppressed, or resisted.

The key figure in the Unabomber case - Fitzgerald - was terminated during the investigation because of his approaches to the investigation. Others who assisted Fitz were transferred, demoted, or marginalized - and isolated both professionally and socially. They drank alone at office parties...

Those cultural dynamics are still at work at the FBI and have been key components in the failure to solve Norjak, imo. One big development that highlights this is the apparent lack of follow-up to the titanium and rare earth minerals found on the tie.

Norjak, Unabomber, 9-11 - the Bureau just has problems connecting the dots. To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie.

This above is total nonsense.    Send your manifesto to the NY Times!

What I wrote is total nonsense? Your statement is total nonsense.

Why send my "manifesto" to the NY Times? Why isn't the DB Cooper Forum good enough? You would prefer to have a purer environment here in which to pose your theories and findings?

That's exactly the kind of thinking at the FBI. Yes, the pressure from the courts to provide "hard" evidence is real. But it can not be allowed to restrict creative investigators from exploring all options.

Have you been consulting the tea leaves again, Bruce?  What the FBI didn't do in the past does not one bit of good for us now.  Get the tea leaves to get you to focus on what we have now, what we need to do now, where we need to go from here now.
Meyer

[MeyerLouie]

What makes the Ted Kaczynski story and docu relevant to our discussions here is the docu's portrayal of how the FBI actually works. Although it often recognizes and celebrates brilliance, it scorns the innovative and creative agents in its midst. Certainly any "outside the box" thinking is rejected, suppressed, or resisted.

The key figure in the Unabomber case - Fitzgerald - was terminated during the investigation because of his approaches to the investigation. Others who assisted Fitz were transferred, demoted, or marginalized - and isolated both professionally and socially. They drank alone at office parties...

Those cultural dynamics are still at work at the FBI and have been key components in the failure to solve Norjak, imo. One big development that highlights this is the apparent lack of follow-up to the titanium and rare earth minerals found on the tie.

Norjak, Unabomber, 9-11 - the Bureau just has problems connecting the dots. To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie.

This above is total nonsense.    Send your manifesto to the NY Times!

What I wrote is total nonsense? Your statement is total nonsense.

Why send my "manifesto" to the NY Times? Why isn't the DB Cooper Forum good enough? You would prefer to have a purer environment here in which to pose your theories and findings?

That's exactly the kind of thinking at the FBI. Yes, the pressure from the courts to provide "hard" evidence is real. But it can not be allowed to restrict creative investigators from exploring all options.

Have you been consulting the tea leaves again, Bruce?  What the FBI didn't do in the past does not one bit of good for us now.  Get the tea leaves to get you to focus on what we have now, what we need to do now, where we need to go from here now.
Meyer

Smith says:

"To do that requires creative thinking, imaginative reasoning, and the capacity to hold in one's mind a lot of divergent pieces of information until they make a coherent whole. Those individuals are in rare supply at the FBI. It's an element of the case that is just as important to recognize as the money find at T-Bar, or the particles on the tie."

My response:
The Tina Bar money find and tie particles are actual evidence, Bruce.  Your opinions re: the FBI are just that, your opinions.  Once again, you have lumped your opinions in with actual fact and evidence and you treat them like they are one and the same.  Fact v. fiction -- you have a difficult time keeping them separate.

Meyer

[Shutter]

This is the News & Update thread...nothing should be posted here unless it's news about Cooper, or problems related to the functioning of the site itself. we are going to focus on Cooper and a lot less of the bickering that has consumed this forum!

I would hate to put members on "approval status" in order to clean this site up...

[Bruce A. Smith]

I was away for a couple of weeks over the holidays. But now, I'm rolling up my sleeves and ready to get back into the Cooper Game!

[MeyerLouie]

I was away for a couple of weeks over the holidays. But now, I'm rolling up my sleeves and ready to get back into the Cooper Game!

Oh boy, look out now.