The all purpose terrorism thread featuring plenty of allah akbar

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Do we really have to play their game by their rules?

We're not playing their game, we're not playing at all and are just watching as things around us happen.
There is a saying over here which goes: "The smarter one backs down (in an argument)." The problem is it should go: The smarter one backs down (from an argument) for so long until he's the dumber one." I think our apathy and unwillingness to do something will cost us dearly.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

We're not playing their game, we're not playing at all and are just watching as things around us happen.
There is a saying over here which goes: "The smarter one backs down (in an argument)." The problem is it should go: The smarter one backs down (from an argument) for so long until he's the dumber one." I think our apathy and unwillingness to do something will cost us dearly.

The trouble is, there is a paralysis to act because as a society we cannot really make up our minds where the blame for the problem lies, whether it is on ourselves for being too lenient, or on the individual for being too criminal.
With freedom of speech do we allow the preaching of violence against homosexuality, or do we focus on punishing those who act on that preaching by conducting violence against homosexuality? How far do we go to address the problem of extremism and how big of a risk is there in creating more extremism by attempting to stop it?
It really isn't as simple as some people make it out to be.

And yes, I'm aware that we don't set fire to people in cages, thank God, and my focus is to make sure that we never find ourselves in a position where we deem it acceptable to do so. Which is why I am so concerned about the use of language by prominant members of society and politicians that only seeks to exacerbate the 'Us vs them' mentality of the public when regarding Muslims by slowly turning them from a flesh and blood entity into a derogative term. By constantly telling the public that Islam is a threat and the followers of Islam are a threat then it makes it easier to the public mind to permit what would ordinarily be intolerable actions to take place against these people. It creates a cultural prejudice which seeks to alienate and isolate Muslims in society, and it plays straight into the hands of the people that we actually should be fighting.
We know that the likes of Daesh, Al'Qaeda, Al-Shabab, and Boko Haram, to name but a few, operate on the propaganda that the west is not only decadent but also seeking to destroy Islam, in their eyes it is a war of defence rather than offence. It's a lot easier to sell to people a defensive war than an offensive one after all. They focus on the civilian casualties that our operations cause and downplay the damage to their organisation, it's no different to the sort of propaganda that western powers put out during the First World War, remember that American poster (based on an earlier British one) with the King Kong wearing a Pickelhaube? 'Destroy this mad brute', indeed.
That is the art of offensive war propaganda, to devolve your target from a human being into an entity which is vile and terrible and thus easy for the populace to accept the destruction of. I could Godwin this thread (some more) by bringing in other examples of offensive propaganda, but I think we've all been through this before so I won't, but hopefully you get the idea of what I'm trying to put across.
So when people in the western world, the people who the radical Muslims in the Middle East are telling their people are trying to destroy Islam, say that we are in a war against Islam, it only reinforces the propaganda of the likes of Daesh, it plays directly into their hands and helps boost their recruiting power in our own lands. When we look upon all Muslims with fear and suspicion because we have downgraded them from human beings into enemy combatants then they will feel that they are enemy combatants and thus be open for conversion into exactly that.

That is the kind of thing that I hope for society to avoid, but I hold out little hope of it actually avoiding.

I'm probably urinating into the wind, and no doubt will just be dismissed as another 'gutmenschen', or a hopeless liberal, but that's what I believe.

[Skybird]

I once knew a patient who repeatedly had hurt himself or suffered accidents of various kinds, because he was unable to realise the difference between the meaning of the words "left" and "right". He could not differentiate the concept of "two sides, two directions". When you told him "left!" or "right", he randomly decided for any directon. It was unclear why this was so, he had an IQ of around 90, and was not further diagnosed with any problems and mental/intellectual deficits. Very strange, and a mystery.

So he randomly decided for either side, no matter which information ("watch out left!" "Not the right door!") he received in some situations of ordinary daily life. Sometimes that had physical consequences.

Debates about Islam and its ideology sometimes remind me of this. Or better: some of the people talking. They too think that what "Muslim" means and is, can be arbitrarily defined as they see opportune, and that the fundament of the ideology, the scripture, means nothing. They just don't get it. They do not want to get it, for it messes up their kind world view.

The accident caused by this will be more than just some minor physical injuries like that patient sometimes suffered.

[eddie]

After what happened in Orlando, Newt Gingrich wants to bring back the House Un-American Activities Committee!! Way to go Newt!! I mean it worked so well the first time around, ask the people who faced McCarthy!!

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/14/politi...tee/index.html

[Mittelwaechter]

Originally Posted by Oberon

And yes, I'm aware that we don't set fire to people in cages, thank God, ...

We freeze them!

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingr...0006555318.pdf

Link to the CIA.

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

We freeze them!

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingr...0006555318.pdf

Link to the CIA.

That link is a no workey for me.

Prisoners in the US on terrorism charges, they get to go to exotic locations on vacation, all expences covered, they aren't pestered by paparazzis all the time while they're there either. Best of all, you don't even have to be a terrorist, or a captured fighter. No need to go through all the hassle of abandoning your faith to go on a murder rampage. Say you've been to Mecca once and you just won yourself years of relaxation in the Carribean. They get to enjoy waterboarding, that's surfing, right, the ocean, a board, sunny California, big waves, right, all paid for by the Govt, right?

(if that doesn't sound like an insane paragraph to you then I am seriously worried)

The problem I have here is the constant attempts from some to link, or quietly insinuate a link between, Muslims in general to Muslims who join terrorist groups, groups that mullahs have declared to be devil worshippers.

It's like saying all Catholics are gangsters because Italians are Catholics and you can prove that the american mafia has its roots in Italy. Mexican drug cartelles pray and pray while they gun down priests and students and just about anything that still moves. See how the Catholic gangster culture is spreading and getting worse? We need a war against the Vatican then...

...or we could try to return to our senses and see that no, being a Catholic does not turn you into a Mexican drug lord, nor does being a Muslim turn you into a bloodthirsty savage with only burning and beheadings of infidels on your mind.

We are quick to come forward and say "well, no true Catholic would do such a thing" and many are equally quick to come forward and say "all true muslims would do such a thing"...

No. Just no. That link people make has to go.

[Mittelwaechter]

Many people can't differentiate, have a simple view at the world and tend to stereotype thinking (pigeonholing). Most don't even know one single muslim, but have learned per media and friends of friends that they are all dangerous and aggressive and want to destroy our lifestyle.

I do agree they are all potential terrorists. Just the way we are.

And there is this phenomenon of selective perception.
I think my neighbour doesn't like me. So when she passes me on the other side of the street without greeting me, I feel my suspicion is confirmed. This intensifies everytime I meet her and she doesn't act up to my expectations. And even if she does, I assume she just tries to delude me.

"She's this type of neighbour you know, who is pretending to respect me, but in reality I guess she's planning to kill me! She's from Bulgaria and I recently learned, all the other Bulgarians here are quite the same!"

It goes the other way round too. I buy a green VW Golf - and suddenly I recognize these green Golfs in the dozen along my daily trip to work and back.

The muslim religion is as good a ours. It just depends on the person what he/she makes out of it. Kill my wife and children and I will come for you, no matter what religion I follow.

These priests abusing kids are Christian, right? So all Christians are abusing kids? Do they learn it from their priests? Reading the next article in the news about child abuse, I may get this impression.

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

Reading the next article in the news...

We have a right/far right govt at the moment and our Minister of Imigration went out as a deranged town cryer, saying

"Fear, panic, anyone who isn't a quivering puddle of dissolved nerves does not love this country" and every major newspaper here gave her the whole front page. Ok, so some gave her the front page and asked if it wasn't time for our mental health care system to kick into gear and do its job with that woman but mostly they cried out in merry unison "fear for your lives!"...

There is definitely an issue with information going on here.

Another story here was some then unknown people set fire to a house with a refugee family inside, then a reassigned hotel filled with immigrants, many of them lone traveling children. The attacks caused an outcry but also cheering coming from good, loving, decent hard working people, as they were called in the papers. One of those who cheered got invited to a dinner party the refugees and management organized. He came there, looked around, talked with people, left the party when it was over and told the journalists he was sick to his stomach with the attacks. A few papers gave us a small feelgood story and moved on.

There is absolutely, positively, indeniably, an issue with information going on here.

[Mittelwaechter]

Information is provided to keep you in formation. All recipients shall have the same direction to follow and all shall see, read and hear, what they shall see, read and hear.

Whoever controls our perception controls our reality - and therefore our motivation to act - to ignore, to tolerate, to accept, to buy, to condemn, to attack, to kill.
We are especially receptive to propaganda after having learned we are not exposed to it. Every Russian knows he is a victim to media manipulation. We are convinced to trust our media.

So we follow the prethought direction, we listen to the provided concepts and learn to understand them as our point of view. Our own opinion is offered, tolerated and repeated 'in formation' we have learned voluntarily. It ensures the opinion of the rulers becomes the public opinion - and so they get the general conditions they are after.

These days it is important to devide the society. Don't let them gather and solidarise, they may overcome the system. So keep them apart and emphasize all kind of contrarieties: Male vs. Female, Black vs. White, Reps vs. Democrats, Christians vs. Muslims, Young vs. Old, Abortion Supporters vs. Adversaries, Gun Owners vs. Proponents of more Gun Control ... Watch it! Gender discussions, Vegetarians, Virginity (for Purity, Honour and Worth), Brexit or Not?, Tax Money for the Poor? Health Care, Terrorists, War on Whatever, Refugees ... Endless discussions without solutions - just to keep us busy and incited - and apart!

[Von Due]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

Information is provided to keep you in formation

I'm tempted to steal that quote.

Everything in your post is true. Divide and conquer. We can even say it's the circus as in bread and circus for the people.

[Mittelwaechter]

Originally Posted by Von Due

I'm tempted to steal that quote.

When a thing has been said and well said, have no scruple: take it and copy it! (Anatole France)

You may want to add 'provided by the media to' ... for general use.


Edit: It gets better and better!
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rump-fans.html
People having discussions with bots. Keep 'em busy!

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

Edit: It gets better and better!
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...rump-fans.html
People having discussions with bots. Keep 'em busy!

Now that is funny.

[Onkel Neal]

Ok, UK, so it's your turn now?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...sh-street.html

An eyewitness to the attack on Jo Cox, who was an MP of the left-wing Labour Party, claimed her attacker was shouting “Britain first!” as he kicked, stabbed and then fatally shot her.

Cox, 41, who had two young children, was a passionate immigration campaigner and an outspoken supporter of voting to remain in the European Union in next week’s referendum.

Man, this guy covered all the bases.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Ok, UK, so it's your turn now?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...sh-street.html



Man, this guy covered all the bases.

Aye, first politician to get killed by a non-Irish person in 204 years, and the first one to be killed full stop in 16 years.
Looks to be a mentally unstable chap who ate more referendum than he could digest. Horrific stuff really, and there'll be a lot of questions asked about how it was allowed to happen and how it did happen.
A sad day for the UK.

[Von Due]

Edited out because I didn't properly check the sources