UK - Flights suspended

Denial is the right word here. Islamic fundamentalism is a huge global problem, kind of like how Christian fundamentalism used to be years ago. Of course now that they've mostly stopped killing people, Muslims have filled the gap. If you think this problem will just "go away" by ignoring it (or even dumber, try to negotiate with them), you are in denial.

I know this will show up at the end of the thread... just reading it now... but I have to comment.

This is the dumbest, most ignorant post I have read in a long, long time.

I don't deny that there are Muslim terrorists at all. I deny that they are a unified force.

The stupidest argument I've ever heard for ignoring Islamic terrorism. It probably won't kill me or anyone I know, so who cares? Ahh, yes, the selfish point of view. Or is it just the strictly business, by-the-numbers-only-please point of view? I mean wow, you really are proposing that we do nothing to prevent terror attacks... that's just amazing.

And of course the next attack could be a dirty bomb (well we didn't really like that neighborhood anyway), biological attack, or a suitcase nuke (nobody should be living in DC anyway!). But I guess as long as the numbers are low compared to the current leading causes of death, it's not a major priority.

Also you forgot about the economic shock effect of terrorism. Bin Laden thinks the way to defeat us is by putting us into the poor house. They don't have to kill everyone, just destroy our way of life.

So basically, that's an extremely shortsighted and simplistic point of view that demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the problem or potential damage a terrorist attack can cause.

I don't recall anyone ever claiming that they were "unified" in any significant organized way.

Besides, if they are blowing things up, what does it matter whether or not they are UNIFIED? Who cares? They need to be dealt with somehow, either way.

It will never go away. terrorism is an effective tactic for ill-equipped impoverished forces.

Having said that --the ONLY thing that can possibly dimimish acts of terrorism is for the United States to return to being a good neighbor in the world. It's not a matter of negotiation --it's a matter of deciding to not be the World bully.

The tactics of both the Bush and Blair administrations is creating more terrorists and terrorism. They are the ones in denial. They are the ones ignoring the problem.

Terrorism is a tactic. It's not an evil band of super-villains. Get your ass out of Bush's comic book version of the world.

so, state sponsored terrorism isn't unified then? mind explaining that to Iran and Syria?

Everytime you speak of them as "Islamic Terrorists" you are speaking of them as if they are a collective. They are not.

Hamas doesn't have the same agenda as Hezbollah which doesn't have the same agenda as Al-Qaida or any number of other organizations that employ guerilla tactics to advance their goals.

I WANT one of those! Maybe I could import? Wonder what the warranty is on one?

The problem with draconian firearms legislation is that, when it's imposed, only the Police and the Criminals have guns.
And, as we have found here in the UK, the criminals now have infinitely more guns at their disposal than they ever did prior to the banning of hand guns and automatic weapons.
20 years ago an armed criminal might have a sawn-off double barreled shotgun or maybe a pistol - today it's Uzis, MACs and AKs, and the rate of shootings has increased considerably.
Banning handguns and automatic and semi-automatic weapons certainly hasn't worked as advertised here!

This is so fucking true: The media TV in particular is evil. CNN or FOX interested reporting real news? Fuck no; they want to sell air time based on how many people watch that shit.

TV is addictive, you burn less calories watching TV than sleeping, it lies and warps people perception of reality.

Fucking fast food. It's pure shit. French fries are poison. They cause diabetes and high blood pressure. The load they put on your pancreas is insane. Your body isn't designed to eat that stuff.

Auto industry: Fuckin hybrid cars in particular. 40mgd on a good day. The mother fuckers still burn gas!!! Why? It's 2006. My buddy’s 1979 Rabbit diesel gets 40mgd. WTF?
There is a dude that wills mod your hybrid with extra battery storage and the car will go 20 miles before the gas motor kicks in. This = $0.07 a gallon if your commute is less than 20 miles a day. Why in the fuck do these cars not come from the factory like this?

You get a tax break if you buy fucking HumVee but pay full sales tax on a 50cc scooter that get 100mgd.

Why can't we smoke pot? If you are a US citizen you pay taxes to lock up pot smokers. Why? Public schools are shit and we spend money on The War on Drugs.

Walmart is the largest private employer in the US. Fucking $8.00 an hour jobs. The US has the lowest wages of all first world countries. We have allowed our government to trade MILLIONS of our good jobs away to India and China and we bitch about Mexicans crossing the border.

No time in our history has there been such a wealth on knowledge available to the public yet people are more interested in who's fucking who in Hollywood or buying plastic shit from Walmart.


Jeez, I need to switch to decaf,

end of rant

Ah well, there you have it. Greece might LOOK like a democracy, but it's still pretty much ruled by the millitary, who seem to have something of a paranoid outlook.

I think this is an accurate assessment.

The notion that threats somehow need to be unified for it to be somehow more serious is flawed reasoning, both for those who advocate it and for those who believe the terrorisim threat is being exaggerated.

A good example would be Imperial Japan which was anything but unified, popular media aside. The divisions between the army and the navy were tremendous, each branch having its own goals and fighting for funding. It was the Imperial Navy that was the driving force which ultimately led to the war with the United States, something army was far ill prepared for and wished to avoid.

The current terrorism threat is probably more like a car careening down a crowded street, with a dozen different people pulling at the steering wheel at the same time. All of them have the same overall goal but arguing among themselves about where to steer to do the most damage. And personally, I find this far more terrifying than a unified force, because there is nobody who is truly in control.

And on a lighter note, I got this in an email today.

Reactions to the latest developments.

The British are feeling concerned in relation to today's events and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved'. Soon though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross". Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.

Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance". The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of London in 1666.

Also, the French government announced that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate". The rise was precipitated by a recent fire in Toulouse caused by rioters that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "shout loudly and excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels remain, "ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform and sing marching songs". They have two higher levels: "invade a neighbour" and "lose."

Your Japanese example is flawed slightly, the Army actually had control of the government at that time, the Prime Minister was General Hideki Tojo and he was the one who issued the Pearl Harbor order. The Navy wanted to avoid war with the US. I believe it was Admiral Yammamoto who said "I fear we have just awakened a sleeping giant" after Pearl Harbor. you just had your services reversed in your example.

http://www.2worldwar2.com/leaders.htm

The Japanese Army considered Russia to be its most likely opponent, other than China of course. The Navy, needing an enemy to help secure more funding, looked towards southern expansion for more resources as that would put the US and Britain as the potential enemy, thereby making the IJN's role far more critical.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto did oppose a war with the United States, despite his being in the Navy. His duty to his country overrode his own personal views. he quite accuratly predicted that the first six months of the war would be filled with Japanese victories, but after that, the American industrial might would ultimately crush Japan, which is exactly what happened.

Oh like how safe a person is in Washington DC where all guns are illegal? Sparkling capital of the United States?? Best place to get drugs, why that is easy in Layette park across the street from the White House!

I was thinking soon you will not be able to carry anything on a plane including your clothes! Either you would have to fly naked or at a security stations (one for men one for women) you would strip and be issued orange coveralls. The nice touch would be the P on them for passenger. Once on the aircraft you will be handcuffed to your seat. First Class will have silks to wear and have fur lined cuffs

Aside from the fact that bin Laden's organization supplies money and encouragement to the various groups, there is one other unifying characteristic to today's terrorists: every one of them is an Islamic extremist. They may not be told exactly what to do, but they are encouraged to kill Jews and infidels.


A tactic that has been used since the 11th century if you look at my link. However, don't ignore the fact that it isn't Bush or Blair who have invented Islamic terrorism, as you seem to imply. I'd lean more toward the madrassahs stretching from Egypt to Pakistan that teach 6-year old children that Jews will eat them and that America is the Great Satan. That creates far more terrorists than Bush's clumsy statecraft ever could.

That's not even remotely true. Terrorism is a TACTIC. Not a philosophy. Terrorists exist all over the world and subscribe to an enormous spectrum of belief systems.




I didn't imply that at all. I implied that they are building it all up in an attempt to terrorize their respective populace.



Most of them thar madrassahs are in Saudi Arabia and Dubai --our allies.

just sayin'

Bush's clumsy statecraft has turned a secular Iraq into a hotbed of Shiite and Sunni terrorists. It has helped Iranian Muslim extremists to get a stranglehold on Iraq. It has emboldened Hezbollah and it is creating 1,000 of new terrorists from formerly secular moderates every single day.

Good Job!

No.
If we believe what the government says -- that Iran is funding terrorists, the money can be traced back to... oil!

And who's paying for oil? For gasoline into his/her car? Me. You. Everyone.

So who's funding the terrorists? Me. You. Everyone.

I just don't get it why you all complain, eh

Iran does fund terrorists but mainly those targeting Isreal, Bin Laden's money comes from his Construction companies in the Sudan

And don't forget the opium fields in Afghanistan -- delivering drugs to Europeans and Americans, who give their money for it. Thereby, also funding terrorism.

I didn't know you were in favor of invading or bombing Saudi Arabia and Dubai!

Yes, terrorism is a tactic... uh so?

And just because "Islamic terrorists" are all in these little clubs where they have specific goals and different priorities doesn't mean they don't have anything in common. I don't see the big deal.