Terrorists in mah hood!

[Alondro]

Well, I'm sure by now everyone has heard about the plot to attack Ft. Dix in NJ.  I live literally 3 miles away from there, I know the pizza restaurant, and my brother sold a house to one of the families last year.

And note, this attack was prevented only because these guys were stupid enough to hand the tape of their terrorist self-training to a store clerk, who thankfully had the wits to realize this was not something to ignore.

I can only say, expect more stuff like this as time goes on.  We've already seen how various nutcases emulate the Columbine shootings; now we're going to have ones emulating Alqueda.   

It's going to be up to us to keep watch.  These tiny groups will rarely show up on federal radar because they form and operate on their own.

Being nosy is good.  Me, I'm suspicious of everyone... but that's because I live in the Pine Barrens and our town is loaded with petty thieves.   

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

No, as a matter of fact, I hadn't heard that the anti-terrorist nuts in the US had been handed more media fodder.

Were they really that silly? (note: Rhetorical question. Yes, they were that silly. Yes, they're a bunch of morons. No, I don't -really- need that confirming.)

[rabid_fox]

I grew up with terrorism (Northern Ireland). Sad as it is to say, you get used to it.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Oh, yes. The problem is, the US Govt isn't.

Getting used to it, I mean. London, they blew up the trains, and the next week, things were more or less back to normal. Heck, next -day- people were back on the trains. :-)

[rabid_fox]

London got used to the shadow of terrorism - consider the IRA bombing in Canary Wharf, the train bombs were nothing by comparison.

It's all about how you deal with it, I suppose. I remember when there was a bomb planted at our school - we didn't even get evacuated when the bomb squad came in! Apathy is marvellous.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

meh.

[Alondro]

The Irish weren't exactly declaring that they wanted to kill all Americans and take over the world, imposing their radical law on everyone, either.  The scenarios and circumstances are very different.

[rabid_fox]

Oh, we did, but someone lost the post-it note.

[Penny]

Oh, we did, but someone lost the post-it note.

Their grocery list was on the other side of it, perhaps?   

On a more serious note, it is scary what people get used to and consider "normal."     They stop questioning, stop resisting... it's good to stay alert, to keep thinking about what should be rather than what is.  Perhaps that's why I like fiction so much. 

[Darkmoon]

The Irish weren't exactly declaring that they wanted to kill all Americans and take over the world, imposing their radical law on everyone, either.  The scenarios and circumstances are very different.

No, they just wanted to get rid of the British. Maybe a smaller country, but still a pretty violence way to do it.

Just because it's not America doesn't mean it's any less bad.

[rabid_fox]

Well, there's a reason I don't live in N. Ireland anymore.


...


...I couldn't find my shopping list. That was the LAST straw.

[Darkmoon]

Fuck yeah it would be.

[Alondro]

Well, there's a reason I don't live in N. Ireland anymore.


...


...I couldn't find my shopping list. That was the LAST straw.

*turns Rabid_Fox around*  Well there's why!  You wrote it on the back of your shirt!  Damned if I know how you reached... it's legible too.   

[RJ]

I'm surprised that Australians are still so keen to go to Bali after what's been going on there...

[Fuyudenki]

I'm actually a bit disappointed with the US response to the terrorist attacks.  Back in WW2, the Japanese(not that I have anything against Japan.  In fact, since the end of WW2, Japan's our buddies!) bombed a small advance military post, and it tipped the balance of power in the war.  Seven years ago, a terrorist group attacked what they hoped was the financial heart of the world, and they got a slap on the wrist, if that.

I mean seriously.  Afghanistan should be glass right now.  I think we've gotten soft since Vietnam.  Lost that one by bureaucratic ineptitude, and now we're getting ready to hang good men and women out to dry in Iraq.(that's what de-funding the war would do, you know.  Won't bring anybody home, it'll just stop sending reinforcements to replace the ones murdered by terrorists.)

[xHaZxMaTx]

I mean seriously.  Afghanistan should be glass right now.

Yeah, y'know, because there are no repercussions of using nuclear weapons.   The reason it worked in WWII was because the U.S. was the only power that had them, and they bluffed having more than 2, which is ultimately why the Japanese surrendered.

[Fuyudenki]

I never said anything about nuclear weapons.  I don't care how it gets glassed, I just care that it gets glassed.  Honestly, I don't think nuclear weapons have quite the punch for the effect I'm going for.

Now don't get me wrong, diplomatic solutions are fine and good.  They work often enough, and are always a good first policy.  If someone is doing something, and you want them to stop, you should always ask them politely to stop first.
If they don't stop, you grab them by the collar, put your face about an inch from theirs, and demand, in no uncertain terms, that they stop.
If they still don't stop, you TEAR THEIR ARM OFF, AND BLUDGEON THEM SENSELESS WITH IT!

The first two steps have been taken with the terrorists.  It's time to resort to the third.

[xHaZxMaTx]

How exactly do you plan on glassing a country without using nuclear weapons?  Unless you were being metaphorical and not literal, in which case I should brush up on my terminology.

Anyway, according to what you're saying, we, at this moment, are able to stop terrorism just like that.  Pretty sure it's not that simple.

[Netami]

Just borrow my seething hatred for deviled eggs; it burns with the heat of a thousand suns!

Maybe we could just not care. Pull all support for all countries outside of the Northern Americas and just live life like we used to before all of this mess. We go back to wearing shoes at airports and they go back to killing each other in a holy war. Time!

[Valynth]

Carpet bomb with M.O.A.B.'s

The problem with that is the fact that there are people in the countries that AREN'T terrorists and acctually WANT to stop the terrorist activities.  The terrorists know this and try to disguise themselves to accomplish their goal.

Besides, a flaming majority of the muslim radical terrorists in those countries are just the leftovers of Nazi Germany that have been allowed to fester until now.

After all, Germany had a grand Muftie(or however it's spelled)  that enthusiasticly allied himself and his men to Germany.  In the end the Muftie raised over 30,000 troops for the German war machine, and  I think a good number of them managed to return back home with nazi philosophies in tow.

[Fuyudenki]

I'm being literal.  If nukes are the best way to do it, then I'm all for it.  Honestly, I'd prefer to develop some new superweapon that makes the fusion bomb look like a pimple.  War has always been about escalation and counter-escalation until one side or the other cries "uncle."  Trying to add rules to war just adds a few more obstacles to dodge and weave around to get to your target.  Honestly, you think the so-called "knifeblade bayonette" is more humane?  HAH!  The knifeblade bayonette is used because the wounds it causes are less lethal than the conventional triangular bayonettes, and inflicting debilitating injuries on enemy soldiers takes more men out of action than killing them, because then you've got the wounded guy, and the two guys on either side of him helping him out of the combat zone.  Three for the price of one!

I'm fully aware that stopping terrorism is not as easy as telling the Japanese of WW2 that we meant business(which was NOT easy, mind you.  Two cities and countless lives on both sides were the price.), but it would be an aweful lot easier if we'd quit being so **** sensitive.  Guess what!  Your average terrorist is likely to be an Arab man of one of the Islamic sects, between the ages of... what was it, 20 and 35?  Not all Arab men between 20 and 35 who follow Allah are terrorists, "Islamic Terrorist" is not redundant.  It's just a lot easier to perform a search if you're looking in the right general area, instead of excluding it for reasons of political correctness.  Very sorry, Mr. Arab man.  It's not that I think you ARE a terrorist, but we can't really take any chances, and if you'll cooperate, we can get you screened and back on your way with minimal fuss.

Not saying we should screen Arabs at all worldwide airports, either.  I just happen to be in the nation who has to worry about that particular brand of terrorists.  It's kill or be killed.  Somebody is going to have to die.  Nobody's happy about it, it sucks, but sometimes, life's just like that.

[Valynth]

Just borrow my seething hatred for deviled eggs; it burns with the heat of a thousand suns!

Maybe we could just not care. Pull all support for all countries outside of the Northern Americas and just live life like we used to before all of this mess. We go back to wearing shoes at airports and they go back to killing each other in a holy war. Time!

I say pull out of everywhere, even with countries in the Americas.  Cause frankly the only thing separating most of their conditions(exceptions to Canada and Mexico) from the middle east is that they aren't backed by a fight to the death philosophy and they don't have as much oil.

Lets see how long the rest of the world lasts without its bread basket.

[xHaZxMaTx]

I'm fully aware that stopping terrorism is not as easy as telling the Japanese of WW2 that we meant business(which was NOT easy, mind you.  Two cities and countless lives on both sides were the price.)...

That's not what I meant.  It's a figure of speech, like, "it's not that easy" - 'that' not necessarily meaning anything specific.

You can't destroy a whole nation and say it's over and done with.  I'm sure everything that can be done while stepping on as few toes as possible is being done; we don't want to go headlong into another war because of how we ended (or tried ending) the previous war.

[Fuyudenki]

Just borrow my seething hatred for deviled eggs; it burns with the heat of a thousand suns!

Maybe we could just not care. Pull all support for all countries outside of the Northern Americas and just live life like we used to before all of this mess. We go back to wearing shoes at airports and they go back to killing each other in a holy war. Time!

I say pull out of everywhere, even with countries in the Americas.  Cause frankly the only thing separating most of their conditions(exceptions to Canada and Mexico) from the middle east is that they aren't backed by a fight to the death philosophy and they don't have as much oil.

Lets see how long the rest of the world lasts without its bread basket.

I really have only one complaint about that.  Iraq isn't full power right now.  They're making great strides, but they're still very weak, and they're still recovering from the revolution that we started.  If America pulls out of there, it's just hanging another of our friends out to dry.  They'll get taken over by the people sitting just over their borders who are even now waiting for exactly that chance, and their oil will go to fund an all-out war against the US.  Besides, the States are the butt of jokes as it is, given how little we actually acknowledge that there's a world past our own borders.  Cloistering yourself up isn't always the solution.  It would be nice if we could just sit back in our own little corner, like Japan and China did thousands of years ago, and as soon as Iraq is strong enough to stand alone, I'm all for it.  We can't do that yet, though.  We caused this mess, it's our job to clean it up.

That's not what I meant.  It's a figure of speech, like, "it's not that easy" - 'that' not necessarily meaning anything specific.

You can't destroy a whole nation and say it's over and done with.  I'm sure everything that can be done while stepping on as few toes as possible is being done; we don't want to go headlong into another war because of how we ended (or tried ending) the previous war.

I'm aware that you were being ubiquitous, I simply found the issue with Japan to be a convenient illustration.  Of course you can't just chunk a nation and be done with it.  Sure, someone's going to have to die, but I'd like to keep the death toll as small and one-sided as possible.  The Iraqi revolutionary war isn't over yet, it's just fallen into a lull.  We freed them from Sadaam, but that doesn't do any good if we don't keep them free from the pack of jackals now waiting to pounce.  Otherwise, Iraq, and moreso, the US, will end up in a much worse state than they/we started in.

[Netami]

Then they leave us no other choice.



Red slave wall around the middle-east, or death!

[Janus Whitefurr]

Oh, yes. The problem is, the US Govt isn't.

Getting used to it, I mean. London, they blew up the trains, and the next week, things were more or less back to normal. Heck, next -day- people were back on the trains. :-)

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

* llearch n'n'daCorna snickers

Yes, something like that.

[Zedd]

Oh, yes. The problem is, the US Govt isn't.

Getting used to it, I mean. London, they blew up the trains, and the next week, things were more or less back to normal. Heck, next -day- people were back on the trains. :-)

Ah yes....Tea...Or pie...solves ALL problems!

[Alondro]

The answer is so simple... supervirus to wipe out all those but the chosen ones!  *returns to his dark laboratory, cackling evily as genes go splice-splice!* 

This situation is a problem.  The fact may be that even in Iran, the majority actually want peace, but they're terrified of the lunatic fringe in power, who clearly don't care about blowing themselves up for Allah.  After all, they get 72 virgins in heaven!

*Bill Clinton peeks in*  Seventy-two?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Bah. Virgins are no fun. Give me an experienced woman any day.