NationStates Jolt Archive

Are people irrationally afraid of terrorism today? It seems as if there's the slighest change from normality and they're like 'omfg terrorism!'

Don't get me wrong; it's okay to fear terrorism to some degree, but not to the point where it rules your life. Remember, if you give into their tactics of fear they've already won.

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!

People have always irrationally feared terrorism since 9/11. We hear about 9/11 like it somehow made us less safe after the fact, and we hear about there being two different eras: pre- and post-9/11, which is how Bush can get away with his most Orwellian policies.

The main objective of terrorism is to instill a mantra of fear into the hearts of the populace and even the power of suggestion has many on the edge of their seats. By giving in to just the idea, the 'west' is giving the terrorists one more victory.

Terrorism isn't just killing people.

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!

don't forget about the vital life or death struggle in the war on swimming pools

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!

Mmm... I could go for some coconuts...

Are people irrationally afraid of terrorism today? It seems as if there's the slighest change from normality and they're like 'omfg terrorism!'

Don't get me wrong; it's okay to fear terrorism to some degree, but not to the point where it rules your life. Remember, if you give into their tactics of fear they've already won.

so at what level is that "caution" becoming irrational fear ? Given the state of affairs internationally today, with terrorist attacks hitting major European capitals, 2 wars and a degrading situation in the middle east as Hamas taks control of the palestinean government... the level of caution we are currently engaged it seems hardly irrational.

As well, given terrorist's unquestioned desire to hit our own nation again... But its not like everyone is walking around going omg we r so fking dead lets run and hide in our homes... (now that would be irrational)

All fear of terrorism is irrational.

Terrorists are simply criminals. And they're only one brand of criminal at that.

Ergo, fear of terrorists is just like fear of the mob.

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!


Now now, that's the "Global Struggle Against Car Accidents"

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!

I am sure the people who have lost their near and dear and living in terror, would appreciate your fine humour.

I am sure the people who have lost their near and dear and living in terror, would appreciate your fine humour.

I would, laughing's the best thing you can do in most cases. Good for morale and such. (b^_^)b

Just bought this nice book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893224740/qid=1138420204/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8283284-6425649?n=507846&s=books&v=glance) about, among other things, ways we could fight terrorism that make sense and don't infringe on our rights.

I am sure the people who have lost their near and dear and living in terror of coconuts, would appreciate your fine humour.

too true

All fear of terrorism is irrational.

Terrorists are simply criminals. And they're only one brand of criminal at that.

Ergo, fear of terrorists is just like fear of the mob.

But Terrorism is to finish a united goal under the aspect of Terror, the one trait that everyoen undoubtly shares. Not all Terrorists are in retrospect criminals.

War on Car Accidents! War on Lightning!

War on Coconuts! Helmets for everyone, and no one leaves their house until I say so!
Now you understand about how I feel about the “war on poverty.”

I simply don’t concern myself with fearing terrorism. There are far more important things to occupy my free time, like pwning n00bs on civ4.

To paraphrase a great boxer,
“I Ain't Got No Quarrel With Al Queda”

so at what level is that "caution" becoming irrational fear ? Given the state of affairs internationally today, with terrorist attacks hitting major European capitals, 2 wars and a degrading situation in the middle east as Hamas taks control of the palestinean government... the level of caution we are currently engaged it seems hardly irrational.

As well, given terrorist's unquestioned desire to hit our own nation again... But its not like everyone is walking around going omg we r so fking dead lets run and hide in our homes... (now that would be irrational)
You make it sound as though Hamas got in to government by force. It got into government in an election. And I doubt it was that flawed compared to other elections. Yes. Hamas are a "terriost orginasation"(yes I know I can't spell) but techinacality so is your military.

To paraphrase a great boxer,
“I Ain't Got No Quarrel With Al Queda”

i got one or two. but they're fairly low down the list of priorities.

Dunno ... I fear nothing except Allah.

Al Qaeda is earthly and made of men. I do not fear them. Though I know they would gladly tear out my arms and behead me for sport, I am not afraid of them.

My life is meaningless. I have one and I can give it to whatever I choose. A terrorist can only take my life. My eternal soul belongs to Allah.

My body is meaningless. A person may beat me down, break my bones, make me bleed, and put me in hospital. Allah can destroy my eternity.

If there is an irrational fear of men, then that is because men have forgotten what is truly fearful.

I once heard a comedian say, "My nephew is afraid of roller coasters. Roller coasters?! Tell you what fear is, kid. It's being 2 weeks late on a payment to a guy named Vinnie." In that joke lies truth. Fear no man or beast.

There is always something that can do far worse. [/Muslim rant]

Oh ... and incidently ... I am a little afraid of the power of women.

Are people irrationally afraid of terrorism today? It seems as if there's the slighest change from normality and they're like 'omfg terrorism!'

Don't get me wrong; it's okay to fear terrorism to some degree, but not to the point where it rules your life. Remember, if you give into their tactics of fear they've already won.

Geez, after a team of terrorists hijack three seperate jets, and fly them into both World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, killing thousands in the process, I don't think it is even possible anymore to be too irrationally afraid about terrorism. Because obviously, for the unprepared, anything is possible anymore. A little fear might just help to keep us sharp enough to avoid another 9/11. But there should be a balance. Don't let it rule your life, but never, ever forget.

The last sentence addresses what we should all bear in mind as we put that ghastly event behind us.
Remember, if you give into their tactics of fear they've already won.

Good post.

There is definately an air of paranoia when people begin to believe that this man (http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/biodata.htm) is a terrorist. He wrote Peace Train, but he's on the no-fly list.

There is definately an air of paranoi when people begin to believe that this man (http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/biodata.htm) is a terrorist. He wrote Peace Train, but he's on the no-fly list.

I'm with you on this one. He was also passed up for this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations - even though her meets the qualifications.

[Oh ... and don't give me shit about "wuss rock" because James Taylor is an inductee.]

It's a crazy world isn't it?

Incidently, because he's a musician and understands rythm and meter, Stevens was able to memorize Qur'an in 6 months. I took 8 months ... guess Yusuf Islam is a bit more talented than me. :D

Of course, his Muslim name is shorter and more succinct than mine, too.

Very telling.

Oh! I also have his address if anyone wants it. I've written to him on numerous occasions and even spoken to him on the phone. He is a very nice man.

So the thousands of people who have died from terrorists attacks should have been less afraid?

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/911wtcreutersitaly.jpg

So the thousands of people who have died from terrorists attacks should have been less afraid?

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/911wtcreutersitaly.jpg

They should have been equally afraid as the thousands who died from dropping hair dryers in the bathtub, or being struck by lightning, or cat allergies.

So the thousands of people who have died from terrorists attacks should have been less afraid?

Yes.

I cannot answer that any other way.

Yes.

Provided they put their lives in the hands of Allah, death is meaningless.

I sure wish the secular world would figure out that the most important part of this world can never belong to them.

Meh ... whatever.

They should have been equally afraid as the thousands who died from dropping hair dryers in the bathtub, or being struck by lightning, or cat allergies.
Ya because I guess terrorism is just a fact of life that we all have to live with.

:rolleyes:

Ya because I guess terrorism is just a fact of life that we all have to live with.

:rolleyes:

That wasn't exactly my point. Terrorism isn't a good thing, and measures (namely, not pissing anyone off) should be taken to prevent it. What I meant to say is, in the large scheme of things, very few North Americans die from terrorism. In fact, there have been no terrorist related deaths in N. America since 9/11.

That wasn't exactly my point. Terrorism isn't a good thing, and measures (namely, not pissing anyone off) should be taken to prevent it.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think we should go out of our way to piss people off.


But we shouldn't go out of our way to not piss them off either.

You cats who have let some old bad news shape your psyches into registering fear - however your response to this instillation of fear manifests itself - need to get a grip and take no small amount of solace that whatever happened on the big bad ol' boogeyman of dates, 9-11, could have happened anytime anyplace.

We all of us take a turn at the roulette wheel every time we step out our front doors in the morning. Hell, getting out of bed for that matter. So one day a few years back, a lotta people got a bad spin on the roulette wheel, all at the same time. Man, that sucked.

But no way in Hell does any of that mean you, me or anybody else on this planet should allow our lives and our outlook and our values to become warped and twisted by a single event that even now recedes further from thought or consideration. If the choice is between the perils of personal freedoms and the surety of total security, I'll take the peril, thanks.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think we should go out of our way to piss people off.


But we shouldn't go out of our way to not piss them off either.


Actually, you probably should. Nobody would bomb anyone he/she liked.

People have always irrationally feared terrorism since 9/11. We hear about 9/11 like it somehow made us less safe after the fact, and we hear about there being two different eras: pre- and post-9/11, which is how Bush can get away with his most Orwellian policies.

Good jorb. You want a cookie?

But Terrorism is to finish a united goal under the aspect of Terror, the one trait that everyoen undoubtly shares. Not all Terrorists are in retrospect criminals.

Terrorists are terrorists if they lose. They're freedom fighters if they win.
It will be interesting to see how Hamas is portrayed, now that it has legitimately been elected into office.
Will the US maintain it's tiresome mantra that you can't negotiate with terrorists, or will it recognize that Hamas is an organization of human beings, who have been democratically elected?
I mean, wasn't Bush's big thing to bring democracy to the Middle East? Just because the people don't democratically elect the person Bush likes, does that make their brand of democracy wrong?
I think not.

I am as scared of terrorism as I am of Toutatis ringing the sky down on my head.


Terrorism is caused by war: war is terrorism. By responding violently instead of trying to fix the problems that cause terrorism, the west just perpetuates the cycle. Perhaps if the west lifted all economic sanctions, helped the Third World rise to First World levels, stopped polluting the atmosphere and invading small countries, gained some respect for different cultures and religions, stopped assassinating people, disarmed nuclear weapons and gave the people complete, direct democracy instead of dictatorships, thuggish police and representative democracy, then maybe terrorism would stop.

Of course, this shall never happen until the people rise up, overthrow capitalism, the American and Chinese varieties, and establish socialism.

Terrorism is not something to joke about. Terrorist need to be crushed and destroyed whether it be in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, Vensula, France, North Korea, did I leave out any other terrorist supporters? Support the fight and our troops. Freedom will win

so at what level is that "caution" becoming irrational fear ?

When the dangers and impact from it are being exaggerated and the implemented cure is worse than the ailment. A couple of thousand dead is of course a couple of thousand too many, but terrorism is a less significant threat to the world than e.g. disease and hunger. Investing the money used to combat terrorism elsewhere would solve more suffering, prevent more deaths and perhaps even reduce terrorism more efectively as a side-effect.

I am sure the people who have lost their near and dear and living in terror, would appreciate your fine humour.

You do realise that the people who died due to terrorism are *vastly* in the minority compared to the people who died from car accidents and lightning ? Possibly even from those who died by coconut..

Ya because I guess terrorism is just a fact of life that we all have to live with.

Funny how you in your sarcasm you propose an attitude that would be a far more effective way to combat terrorism than the current "war".

Terrorists are terrorists if they lose. They're freedom fighters if they win.

No, they are still terrorists.

If they win, they turn on their own a la taliban..the LTTE..

Terrorism is not something to joke about. Terrorist need to be crushed and destroyed whether it be in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, Russia, Vensula, France, North Korea, did I leave out any other terrorist supporters? Support the fight and our troops. Freedom will win

Weren't the US a major supporter of terrorists?



No, they are still terrorists.

If they win, they turn on their own a la taliban..the LTTE..

Last time I checked, the Taliban didn't win. Besides, can the Taliban really be classified as "terrorists"? A terror regime maybe.

You do realise that those people are *vastly* in the minority compared to the people who died from car accidents and lightning ? Possibly even from those who died by coconut..

I do not live in fear of coconuts falling over my head because I can damn well avoid walking under coconut trees when I want to. I can drive safely and I can stay away from storms. Those are things over which I have atleast some control, which I can exercise without sacrificing my way of life too much.

I have lost friends to a serial bomb blast which came totally out of the blue and I felt totally helpless...the kind of feeling you don't have when you have a friend hit by a lightning or a coconut. The feeling that when the next bomb blasts may go off is a bit more intense than looking up the sky and wondering if the next coconut will hit me.

And furthermore, it is not in the absolute numbers, it is the entire effect it has on the economy (due to socio-political instability) and the effect on the social fabric of the victim nation.

Last time I checked, the Taliban didn't win. Besides, can the Taliban really be classified as "terrorists"? A terror regime maybe.

The Mujahideen won the Afghan jihad and they were the rank and file of the taliban.

They were terrorists making up a terror regime. Have you heard of what happened to the hazaras?

The Mujahideen won the Afghan jihad and they were the rank and file of the taliban.

They were terrorists making up a terror regime.

They won against the Soviet Union as freedom fighters, then they lost against the coalition as terrorists.

Have you heard of what happened to the hazaras?

No. Who/what were they?

Oh and let's not forget that Bin Laden never could have attacked the twin towers the way he did if he hadn't received training and finances from the CIA, let's not forget that that same CIA put Saddam in place, and later funded terorist groups (they were freedom fighters back then) to remove him. Let's not forget that Iran received support to attack Saddam, support deliverd by (all together now) the CIA!
And to justify a war against Iraq we were told that Saddam supported terrorist to attack the US! The world was turned upside down!
So if you REALLY want to fight a war on terrorism, you have to take out the root of it: the CIA.

Oh and let's not forget that Bin Laden never could have attacked the twin towers the way he did if he hadn't received training and finances from the CIA, let's not forget that that same CIA put Saddam in place, and later funded terorist groups (they were freedom fighters back then) to remove him. Let's not forget that Iran received support to attack Saddam, support deliverd by (all together now) the CIA!
And to justify a war against Iraq we were told that Saddam supported terrorist to attack the US! The world was turned upside down!
So if you REALLY want to fight a war on terrorism, you have to take out the root of it: the CIA.

Actually the CIA didn't provide him with training and finances. His father provided the finances. His allies were trained and financed by the CIA, though.

Actually the CIA didn't provide him with training and finances. His father provided the finances. His allies were trained and financed by the CIA, though.

Thank you, didn't know that

Definite Yes. Esp. in the US the media is vastly exaggerating on the problem so the government has less resistance when they're taking away all the civil rights 'n' stuff.