Zip-tie guys: military-grade radicalization among Capitol Hill insurrectionists

Abstract

ABSTRACT Among rioters storming the Capitol Hill building in Washington, DC, on January, 6, 2021, two men carried zip ties, presumably for restraining lawmakers. The Zip-Tie Guys, as the media dubbed the duo, shared little except their path to radicalization through Risk and Status Seeking. This paper analyzes radicalization of the Zip-Tie guys in the context of the larger problem: radicalization in the U.S. military and among veterans. Other mechanisms contributing to radicalization in military training are Group Isolation and Threat, Group Polarization, and Slippery Slope. After retiring, many veterans are also experiencing the radicalizing effects of Unfreezing. Tracking and countering radicalization in active military and in military veterans might be prudent.