America is talking about peace.
asserted
America → talk → peace
On Thursday, President Donald Trump traveled to Texas.
asserted
Trump → travel → Texas
On that very same day, authorities say, a man had allegedly planned a violent attack on the Texas State Capitol in Austin.
uncertain
man → say → Austin
The two events are not known to be connected, and authorities have not said Trump was a target.
asserted
Trump → know → ?
That distinction matters.
asserted
distinction → matter → ?
But so does the timing.
asserted
timing → do → ?
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, authorities received credible information Tuesday night that 40-year-old Benny Caldera Jr. was allegedly planning a violent attack on the Capitol for Oct. 1.
uncertain
Jr. → accord → Oct.
A SWAT team arrested him early Wednesday morning.
asserted
team → arrest → him
He was initially charged with making a terroristic threat against a public servant and was later taken into federal custody.
asserted
He → charge → custody
Another plot stopped.
asserted
plot → stop → ?
Another potential headline that, thankfully, never became a body count.
asserted
that → become → ?
And another uncomfortable question: At a moment when America is investing extraordinary political capital in trying to create peace around the world, why does it still feel as though America, its institutions and its closest allies remain under attack?
asserted
America → invest → attack
Look at what happened just one day earlier.
asserted
what → look → ?
Flydubai Flight 1073 left Dubai bound for Tel Aviv on Wednesday with more than 170 people aboard.
asserted
Flight → leave → people
According to Israeli officials, one pilot stabbed the other and attempted to bring down the aircraft.
uncertain
pilot → accord → aircraft
Flight data showed the plane plunging more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before passengers and crew intervened.
asserted
passengers → show → seconds
The aircraft eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
asserted
aircraft → land → Arabia
The United Arab Emirates is investigating whether the incident was connected to terrorism.
asserted
incident → investigate → terrorism
A plane takes off from the United Arab Emirates for Israel, two countries whose relationship became possible through the Abraham Accords.
asserted
relationship → take → Accords
Israelis aboard the flight reportedly helped stop the catastrophe.
uncertain
Israelis → help → catastrophe
The damaged aircraft lands in Saudi Arabia, another country central to Washington’s efforts to reshape the Middle East.
asserted
aircraft → damage → East
It is almost a map of the new Middle East America has spent years trying to build.
asserted
America → spend → East
And someone allegedly tried to bring the plane down.
uncertain
someone → try → plane
That is the contradiction we need to confront.
asserted
we → need → ?
The United States has made diplomacy and dealmaking central to its foreign policy.
asserted
diplomacy → make → policy
The Trump administration points to American involvement in agreements or ceasefires involving Armenia and Azerbaijan, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, and Gaza.
asserted
administration → point → Congo
Some of those arrangements remain incomplete or fragile, and fighting has continued in some places.
asserted
fighting → remain → places
The administration has also invested heavily in a plan for Gaza built around demilitarization, reconstruction, and an international stabilization force.
asserted
administration → invest → demilitarization
The theory is straightforward: Use American strength to make continued conflict more costly and cooperation more rewarding.
But peace between governments does not automatically mean peace among people.
asserted
peace → use → people
A signature does not deradicalize an extremist.
asserted
signature → deradicalize → extremist
A trade agreement does not erase an ideology.
asserted
agreement → erase → ideology
A diplomatic handshake does not convince someone who has been taught to hate America, Jews, Israel, or Western democracy that coexistence is suddenly preferable.
asserted
coexistence → convince → America
The FBI itself has warned that international terrorist organizations continue to pose an immediate threat to the homeland.
asserted
organizations → warn → homeland
It has specifically said ISIS continues to seek opportunities to attack the United States and American interests, while al Qaeda and its affiliates continue encouraging attacks.
asserted
Qaeda → say → attacks
The bureau has also warned of threats from domestic violent extremists motivated by a range of ideologies.
asserted
bureau → warn → ideologies
In August, federal prosecutors charged an Albany woman in an alleged ISIS-inspired plot to bomb the New York State Capitol.
asserted
prosecutors → charge → Capitol
Prosecutors say she wanted to kill lawmakers and damage the American political system.
asserted
she → say → system
She was arrested after taking possession of what she believed was an explosive device.
asserted
she → arrest → possession
The allegations remain unproven, and she is presumed innocent.
asserted
she → remain → ?
In September, federal authorities charged a 21-year-old Pennsylvania man after investigators alleged that he sought a weapon and ammunition in connection with an ISIS-related terrorism plan.
asserted
he → charge → plan
…and 36 more, not listed.
The Aporia
