Improvised Smoke Device

Last year about this time I made some Improvised Smoke Devices (ISD's):

I mentioned then that I'd like to make some much larger ISD's. Toward that end I ordered several pounds of potassium nitrate from the good people over at SkyLighter. I'll be processing small amounts of it into some nice ISD's.

I did look into the legality of manufacturing one's own ISD's, and it appears that its legal, at least for now, but I can't help but wonder if maybe as a result of my order there's an entry in a government database somewhere, just in case the need to do some data mining someday.

Given that I post on a number of electronics and radio-control (land, sea and air) related sites, have enough knowledge of pyrotechnics to safely assemble formidable devices and regularly use encrypted communications, a data mining system could easily place me on a list of people with the capacity to produce IEDs of any size with sophisticated triggers and delivery methods. In fact, with only off-the shelf components anyone over the age of 21 and with some imagination and skill with their hands can develop an effective remotely triggered IED with a variety of remote delivery options.

Next you're expecting me to say something like "Of course, I'd never actually do something like that", but the truth is not so simple. The question is not whether I would, but under what circumstances I might consider it.

Say there was an invasion of the country by a massive military power and the regular military were utterly destroyed, leaving defense of the country to the people. Sure it's far-fetched, but most anybody with the capacity to improvise weapons would do so under such circumstances. Clearly, its not a question of 'would you ever', but 'when would you'.

Would you mail an IED to a senator who voted for an issue you believed to be wrong? Of course not (at least I hope not). So there's a line there somewhere between 'would' and 'would not'. But where is it? I don't think so. It just has to be a situation where you feel that you need a weapon and none are available. Perhaps just a shiv, maybe something more sophisticated.

But what about people who are just curious about setting up devices like they see used by the bad guys in the movies, in the fireworks industry or demolitions industry. Are they bad people for wanting to explore that knowledge? Does wanting to blow stuff up make them evil?

Of course not, but the government knows that it's important to keep track of people with knowledge that could be dangerous. They also know that the vast majority of people with this knowledge would not apply it in the way they seek to prevent (e.g., as the unibomber did). But in the event that someone does apply it, huge databases of information to mine for information could make a huge difference in the search for the criminal.

So does it bother me that my name is probably now in such a database? No, I'm sure I'm already in it, and I doubt that anyone would seriously consider that I'd deliberately do someone harm (except under justifiable circumstances). It's not that I trust the government, more that I am confident that my lifestyle generates enough evidence of my activities to show that I couldn't be deeply involved in such a plot. I hope.

Anyway, off to bake some ISD ingredients :)