Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 71 posts

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#41

Post by staunch »

kohanz wrote: post #8
miguelrochefort wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A recent tweet by Newt Gingrich echoes precisely that: https://twitter.com/newtgingrich/status/665312487147896832 I understand that this is not the popular opinion around here, but I genuinely can't think of an alternative.

Whether you agree with him or not, you have to admit that the timing of that politically-charged tweet was in incredibly poor taste.

"Now is the time" = I agree with the argument.

"Now is not the time" = I disagree with the argument.

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#42

Post by stray »

yongjik wrote: post #40
stray wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By that reasoning it is three times more important to prevent automobile ownership, three times more important to prevent access to poisonous substances, and three times more important to prevent high places. Because the three most common causes of accidental death in the US are Unintentional fall deaths, Motor vehicle traffic deaths, and Unintentional poisoning deaths. And each of those kills roughly three times as…

Of course it is more important to prevent automobile ownership. That's why the US has DMV offices, administrating automobile ownership and zealously preventing "unqualified" people from driving these vehicles. Imagine how many more will die if people say "Driving a vehicle isn't privilege, it's my basic right." Snark aside, I think we're talking about different problems. The comment I'm replying to proposed that armi…

Yeah I just think the increased number of accidental shootings will balance or possibly exceed the number if intentional shootings including terrorism.

A guy with a gun isn't going to be as brave when he knows others probably have guns too. And most shootings are intentional.

So it seems no more dangerous to arm everybody. And possibly far less dangerous. Not to mention that many other types of crime would likely decrease as well.

You know, because of the threat of getting shoy by your would-be victim.

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#43

Post by hokkos »

miguelrochefort wrote: post #36
sirrocco wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I call bullshit on that. Tell me one theater/school/whatever attack in the States that has been foiled by armed citizens.

"Since 2009, 92 Percent of Mass Shootings Have Occurred in Gun-Free Zones" http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/10/since-2009-92-percent-of-m...

But what is the proportion of not gun free colleges ? (because this is where most shooting are)

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#44

Post by eivarv »

Make people realize what types of thinking leads to these types of actions, in addition to under which conditions, how and why.

I think it's very strange that what we know of common errors of thinking (e.g. logical fallacies, cognitive biases, etc.) have no real place in our pop-, political or common intellectual culture. The fact that we don't use these "checklists" when evaluating ideas directly leads to the spread and rise of intellectually bankrupt ideas, or ways of thinking that make no sense (at best), all over the political spectrum.

Also: Education, equality, social mobility and inclusivity (all known to play their parts in this complex equation).

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#45

Post by eivarv »

eivarv wrote: post #44

Make people realize what types of thinking leads to these types of actions, in addition to under which conditions, how and why. I think it's very strange that what we know of common errors of thinking (e.g. logical fallacies, cognitive biases, etc.) have no real place in our pop-, political or common intellectual culture. The fact that we don't use these "checklists" when evaluating ideas directly leads to the spread…

Sorry; not to comment upon that which must not be commented upon, but I'd love to hear what people disagree with my post about, as opposed to not getting to know anything other than its popularity.

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#46

Post by manuelh »

Fight the causes, the real causes; stop neocolonialism (France has bombed Lebanon, Syria, Lybia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran, all Muslim countries, and I'm not quoting military intervention in Africa), education - but meaning sensibility from the West to Third country history (links to the technology issue below)

That's just to start.

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#47

Post by yrochat »

miguelrochefort wrote: post #38
UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Namely, law abiding citizens should be able to conceal-carry weapons. Although it couldn't stop all kinds of terrorist attacks, it could very well put a stop to most mass shootings. Here we go again... When I read this, in my head, this analogy comes to mind: "We could stop bombings by allowing all citizens to carry concealed bombs [to use in self-defense]." Now obviously that is an absurd analogy, but it mirrors a…

"Since 2009, 92 Percent of Mass Shootings Have Occurred in Gun-Free Zones" http://freedomoutpost.com/2015/10/since-2009-92-percent-of-m...

Your source also says: "Climate Change isn't about the environment. It's about money and control, and the same is true with the anti-gun movement as well."

This should allow you to understand it is a really bad source. I guess that starting from that, it is easy to prove that the numbers you cite are wrong.

All in all, isn't it obvious that only gun-free zones is a better solution that only gun-allowed zones?

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#48

Post by colund »

Unfortunately, I think the terrorists suffer from a severe lack of empathy. I'd say the terrorist seem to be psychopaths or schizofrenic. So probably they need to be de-brainwashed via some hard-to-reject facts. The problem with the world is that social structures work in cluster (especially with Internet) and it's hard to reach into social structures with people who have opposite beliefs for a meaningful discussion.

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#49

Post by eivarv »

colund wrote: post #48

Unfortunately, I think the terrorists suffer from a severe lack of empathy. I'd say the terrorist seem to be psychopaths or schizofrenic. So probably they need to be de-brainwashed via some hard-to-reject facts. The problem with the world is that social structures work in cluster (especially with Internet) and it's hard to reach into social structures with people who have opposite beliefs for a meaningful discussion.

I'm surprised so many people during the last days have said stuff like this here on HN, i.e. that these things have something to do with mental illness.

Do people really know this little about what mental illness (in this case psychopathy or schizophrenia) actually is?

I also thought it was widely known that very little is needed for people to be able to act abhorrently towards someone they identify as somehow other than themselves (e.g. sociological out-group, "otherization").

Re: Ask HN: What can we do against terrorist attacks, like the one in Paris?

#50

Post by notahacker »

stray wrote: post #3

It is impossible to prevent while only criminals/terrorists have the weapons. An armed citizenry is not so easily victimized.

When your adversaries are armed with suicide bombs and have no intention of living, armed citizens are very easily victimised. Iraqi civilians have plenty of firearms, and minimal restrictions on carrying them.

What actually did reduce the magnitude of the damage caused in the Paris attacks was the kind of intrusive security checks on people entering the Stade de France that are usually rather less popular around here...

Post reply on HN