ISIS as the Producer, not the Director, of Terrorism

Interesting article by Robert Pape on how ISIS inspires lone wolves like Mateen.  Worth reading: orlando-shooting-shows-how-isis-calls-shots/MmOsqLlQ4dvZXOGRpA9WkO/story.html

ISIS doesn't actually pick the lone wolf:  he (or she) works on his own initiative. The lone wolf probably gets some ideas from ISIS.  Some ideas:  pick a soft target, acquire legal weapons.   Does anyone need ISIS to tell them this?

If ISIS didn't exist, would any of this be happening?  Yes, of course.   This is still a rare event and the biggest shootings in the US prior to this had nothing to do with ISIS.  (See Va Tech, Sandy Hook, etc.)

In Houston a few weeks ago a disturbed man shot up a gas station and a neighborhood.  He was heavily armed and we are lucky the casualty count was low.  He seemed paranoid about a number of things.  No ISIS connection, but does it matter?

I doubt ISIS makes much head way with young men who are rational and non-suicidal.  And Mateen's narcissism and self-loathing may have had more to do with this than ISIS, which just provided some "higher" justification.  But, like everyone else, I'm speculating.