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Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

nytimes.com

161–170 of 672 posts

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#161
The war on terror has been going on for 15 years now - are there more terrorists in 2000 or 2015?

Sooner or later, we will have to come to the realization that terrorism cannot be eliminated by force. Stop destabilizing Arab countries, stop imperial interference in Northern Africa, and perhaps we'll see an end to this nonsense.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#162
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by that? The border between France and neighboring nations is always open.

It's open but that doesn't mean that everyone who shows up at the gate will be allowed in, right?

There are no gates. There is a sign. http://travel.jeffersoncampervan.com/Pictures/PixoriginalSit...

Cross border travel within the EU is like moving between states in the US, easy to miss.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#163

In Paris right now. We are in shock. At both the scale and the extremely coordinated nature of the attacks on civilians at multiple locations. I work near rue Bichat and Le Petit Cambodge, a warm little restaurant in the 10e that my colleagues and I frequent, where people were tonight killed. The Bataclan is a well-known concert venue for metal bands, where I've seen several bands play live. Les Halles is at the cent…

Actually, this is not the first time that France has declared a state of emergency.

It was declared in 1984 and 2005. And it was declared in Algeria in the 1950s and 1960s.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#164
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd try - seriously. I don't know who came up with "an eye-for-eye and tooth-for-tooth would lead to a world of the blind and toothless" but I believe it. I'm sure it's something I'd struggle with when the hard choice arises, but I honestly believe I'd try to keep to it.

Yea but you weren't born with these ideas, you can't know how you'd be if you grew up in a different context.

I'm was not born with idea of harming people, but if my family ended up as "collateral" damage during a wedding I'd be in a pretty dark place. Lots of dark ideas would come to me.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How can a country possibly prevent these things while still maintaining a free society? You can't even prevent them when not being a free society. Its not like terrorism only occurs in free societies.

This is bullshit and you know this. There is very little chance of anyone successfully getting up to terrorism if society is a) riddled with informers b) detaining people without charges is legal c) totalitarian ideology and political supremacy makes the establishment of parallel societies impossible. Border controls make importing terrorists next to impossible. The former eastern Bloc had no terrorist incidents. Pul…

> The former eastern Bloc had no terrorist incidents.

Yeah, the whole Eastern Block was one big terrorist incident All the terrorists in the world combined have nothing on Stalin's death count.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#167
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It won't; a lot of people are radicalising just because of the 'war on terror'. As I said in another comment, what would you do if your family was bombed in a drone strike?

Wow, you literally side with the terrorists over the victims. Illuminating.

I think the point is that drone strikes that kill innocent victims can be a source of radicalization. Ignoring that aspect of our foreign policy would be idiocy.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They knew something was up they just didn't know what. http://sofrep.com/44480/french-and-german-police-knew-paris-...

The weakness of security states is that to "win" the police need a 100% capture rate. The terrorists only have to be successful once.

That depends on how you measure success. Some would say that just avoiding one is a success.

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are trying to rationalize with people who are irrational. They don't reconcile. It sucks. It's depressing.

Terrorism is usually a rational act. It is terrible, but it has political goals. This, for instance, may be aimed at ending the European involvement in Syria and their taking in refugees.

It might be not about political goals:

http://www.gwern.net/Terrorism%20is%20not%20Effective

Re: Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What should be done? Bomb the hell out of the Syrians? Surely they have suffered enough. Iraq III? Maybe this time.... maybe.... Send the ground troops into Saudi? Quatar? Acknowledging that some of ISIS / Al-Qaeda gripes do have some merit, stop interfering in other countries affairs, stop propping up dictators because they are "our" dictator. Something else? Unfortunately for the Syrians, my money is on bomb the he…

We have to concentrate on stabilizing Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc., assist the Kurds and other moderate groups against the extremists, and be vigilant within our own borders, yet without sacrificing our liberties. Beyond that, there's not much more we can do.

Moderate is a relative term.

Compared to ISIS, Asad is a secular moderate. Hell, Al Quaida is moderate compared to ISIS. Every other sensible actor in Syria left the country long time ago.

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