Not much info at time of posting what prompted the man to do so

    • @thesporkeffect@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      352 months ago

      CNN reporters on the scene observed one of the flyers, which said “NYU is a mob front” and “had various allegations of wrongdoings against the school.”

      • @ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        11
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Yeah. Other have posted the links as well, but if you search on the title text you quickly come across this guy’s substack and the actual manifesto.

        The sad thing is that he seems to have started off as a fairly legit investigative researcher, or was trying to become one, but fell off the rails somewhere along the line.

        I had to stop reading the manifesto when he alleged that covid was created by the government, but when he starts off with “an apocalyptic fascist world coup” is in the making, I’m not entirely certain he’s wrong: even the most broken of clocks is right twice a day. Whether by design or by accident, we are on the brink of WWIII and total environmental collapse. For him to assert a conspiracy is not nearly as crazy as many will want to insist in days to come, not least because both fascism and apocalypse are nearer now than they have ever been in our lifetimes. What’s so crazy about believing that some sociopaths in power looked at that and thought, hmm, we can make some coin here, and then did so?

        I’m just sorry he had enough faith in humanity left to think that his self-immolation would change a goddamn thing, or even make anyone question the road we are collectively headed down. And I mean that. To write as he did and act as he did, his world was full of suffering – and if he lives, it will be 100 times worse, and still not have accomplished what he would have wanted, or even come close. His life was, in itself, worth far more than the fiery altar he threw it upon today.

        EDITED for spellin

        • @assassin_aragorn@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          10
          edit-2
          2 months ago

          The NYT article was updated to say his politics lean in no discernable direction, and that honestly does seem to be the case. He said Biden and Trump were working together on a fascist takeover of the US and the only solution was to tear down the government immediately.

          I don’t remember the exact name of the psychiatric condition this reminds me of, maybe schizophrenia? But I think our politics has reached a point where fringe beliefs are now so close to the mainstream that we can’t identify them as signs of mental illness, opposed to just stupidity.

          And for that, I blame Q Anon. It sounds like this man needed therapy and a psychiatrist.