Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death • Hacker News Board

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#11

Post by pjc50 » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

corndoge wrote: post #2

I hate feeling completely powerless in these kinds of situations. All I can do short of flying to Syria and taking up arms against such tyranny is upvoting this post. Absolutely pathetic. Update: The least we can do: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/syria...

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

It would be a lot easier to argue against execution if we weren't in the habit of remotely executing people without trial. Presumably the Syrians have designated him an 'unlawful combatant' or some such pretext.

Also, we are not going to war in Syria. The Russian government has been quite clear that they are allies of Assad.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#12

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

corndoge wrote: post #2

I hate feeling completely powerless in these kinds of situations. All I can do short of flying to Syria and taking up arms against such tyranny is upvoting this post. Absolutely pathetic. Update: The least we can do: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/syria...

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

[deleted]

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#13

Post by jqm » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:30 PM UTC

corndoge wrote: post #2

I hate feeling completely powerless in these kinds of situations. All I can do short of flying to Syria and taking up arms against such tyranny is upvoting this post. Absolutely pathetic. Update: The least we can do: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/syria...

"flying to Syria and taking up arms"

meh... why not? everyone else seems to be doing it.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#14

Post by vezzy-fnord » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:35 PM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

corndoge wrote: post #2

I hate feeling completely powerless in these kinds of situations. All I can do short of flying to Syria and taking up arms against such tyranny is upvoting this post. Absolutely pathetic. Update: The least we can do: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/syria...

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manners and of morals engendered by both. No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare." -- James Madison

I'm also curious how war is compatible with "spreading the ideal of free speech". If anything, war is usually associated with the curtailing of free speech, and is when sedition is most actively persecuted.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#15

Post by xlm1717 » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:35 PM UTC

stoolpigeon wrote: post #7

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

How is Syria a legitimate threat to national security of the US? (not rhetorical)

We could use vague language like harbors terrorists or funds terrorists.

More realistically, though, I perceive ISIS as a greater threat to US national security. As an example, the TSA is already getting more ornery with airport security in response to the Russian airplane downed over Egypt for which ISIS has taken responsibility. And ISIS only claims responsibility as revenge against Russian intervention in Syria, intervention on behalf of the government of Syria.

If Syria is a threat, it's a lot less pressing than the threat posed by the militants fighting Syria.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#16

Post by xlm1717 » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:37 PM UTC

maqr wrote: post #10

corndoge wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millions of people being aware of Khartabil's situation doesn't mean anything if he's executed. Preventing that is the goal. It cannot be accomplished without force, or threat of force, or some other form of pressure that only world governments have the capacity to apply. And we are not any of those.

We (the people) should probably be at least one of the governments. I don't know how these decisions are actually made, but I would think there'd be at least one government with one military team that would willingly rescue him. If anyone is in the military, what's the feeling when these kinds of things happen? It seems like there should be brave people volunteering for those kinds of rescue missions where someone re…

I imagine they feel similarly powerless. Sending brave people in there would necessarily force a military confrontation with Russia, which I think everyone would agree is a very bad idea.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#17

Post by zensavona » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:44 PM UTC

vezzy-fnord wrote: post #14

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices…

> I'm also curious how war is compatible with "spreading the ideal of free speech".

Probably the same way the US spread the ideal of freedom to the Middle East.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#18

Post by jqm » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:45 PM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

corndoge wrote: post #2

I hate feeling completely powerless in these kinds of situations. All I can do short of flying to Syria and taking up arms against such tyranny is upvoting this post. Absolutely pathetic. Update: The least we can do: http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/syria...

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

Maybe part of the reason we won't, (and shouldn't), do anything about Assad is because of the outcomes of our last military "fixes". What we left behind is a lot worse than what was there originally.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#19

Post by mangeletti » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:50 PM UTC

stoolpigeon wrote: post #7

DiabloD3 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, honestly, its shit like this other countries should go to war over. The United States was founded on free speech, not just having it, but spreading that ideal everywhere. FOSS is free speech. We dropped bombs on Iraq for non-existant WMDs, and invaded Afghanistan over a CIA agent that was living in Pakistan, yet we won't do anything to an out of control government bent on destroying what little society it has l…

How is Syria a legitimate threat to national security of the US? (not rhetorical)

Syria is a very much a threat to US interests, because it has a regime hostile to us, friendly to Russia and Iran, and it borders the Mediterranean Sea, giving competitors to the US that could be friendly to Turkey (read: Russia via Georgia) a trade and supply route to the Mediterranean. Because of this, the economics that are favorable to Turkey, in a situation where Syria "falls" to Russia, create interests that conflict with those of the US, particularly during war.

In other words, from geopolitical and war strategy standpoints, Syria is currently one of the more important countries in the world, to the US.

Re: Reports that Bassel Khartabil has been sentenced to death

#20

Post by jqm » Fri, Nov 13, 2015, 5:55 PM UTC

mangeletti wrote: post #19

stoolpigeon wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is Syria a legitimate threat to national security of the US? (not rhetorical)

Syria is a very much a threat to US interests, because it has a regime hostile to us, friendly to Russia and Iran, and it borders the Mediterranean Sea, giving competitors to the US that could be friendly to Turkey (read: Russia via Georgia) a trade and supply route to the Mediterranean. Because of this, the economics that are favorable to Turkey, in a situation where Syria "falls" to Russia, create interests that co…

Yep. It also borders Israel and sits directly on the main trade route between the oil/gas rich Sheikdoms and Europe.