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

VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

mailman.videolan.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 737 posts

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#11

Post by kbart »

rmc wrote: post #8
StavrosK wrote: post #2

Isn't it sad that this has to be said at all? "Hey, not every adherent of a religion supports killing innocent people of a different religion". It'd be like us having to apologize for the Crusades. Besides, the hits were driven by politics, religion is just a facade.

> It'd be like us having to apologize for the Crusades. Or like Americans having to apologise for drone stikes, for Iraq and Afghanistan, and specific attacks like the MSF hospital in Kunduz.

Or like Americans having to apologise for drone stikes, for Iraq and Afghanistan, and specific attacks like the MSF hospital in Kunduz.

At least for Kunduz hospital, it has happened too[0]. Not downplaying other mentioned cases, just straightening some facts up.

0. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/us-afghanistan-att...

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#12

Post by cs702 »

By writing that message, he's making himself a potential target of terror, especially now that this is on the front page of HN and could be picked up by mainstream media. For safety's sake, I hope he contributes to VLC under a pseudonym and not under his real name.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#13

Post by downandout »

I simply do not understand why we don't bomb every last one of the oil wells they control. We could issue arrest warrants for the heads of every company that buys their oil for providing material support to terrorists, and freeze all assets of these companies in any country where the US has treaties that allow it. We don't have to shoot them; we can starve them.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#14

Post by phphphph »

StavrosK wrote: post #2

Isn't it sad that this has to be said at all? "Hey, not every adherent of a religion supports killing innocent people of a different religion". It'd be like us having to apologize for the Crusades. Besides, the hits were driven by politics, religion is just a facade.

No.

The way our mind works, associations need to be strengthened for permanence (which is an extra-weird process because it can apparently modify memories).

More importantly, he needs to get this off his chest. You find people to talk to in the msot unlikely places.

Both language as encoding of thought and transmission are lossy. Rule of thumb: A sentence contains four different things: what I mean, what I say, what you hear and what you understand.

Putting things into words already is an important part of how we for ourselves deal with the incomprehensible, the disturbing and revolting.

Finding agreement, or at least getting feedback form others that our words form a comprehensible sentiment, heck - just knowing that we ended up with a gramatically well-formed sentence comforts us that the abyss between you and me, between you and everyone else can be bridged.

tl;dr: it's great that it can be said.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#15

Post by seivan »

rihegher wrote: post #9
jacquesm wrote: post #6

> They control large areas of land, have their own oil fields, and receive direct support from many countries in the region. Namely from rich oil-producing countries. That's one of those things where we could make a fairly immediate change in policy, it would come at a cost, definitely but it would change the situation for IS for the worse far more effectively than any number of bombs dropped would do.

I don't see media speaking much about these countries that allows financing of ISIS. But if we want to eradicate ISIS, I too think we should deal with its financial sources first. Maybe because these countries are the same countries that western companies want to sell weapons to.

A blind focus on ISIS is also a mistake as Al Nusrah (Al Qaida) is also heavily funded and commits atrocities as well. They are backed by Muslim Brotherhood from Turkey and operate in Syria.

I consider Muslim Brotherhood with Khorasan group far more dangerous than ISIS and I recall reading that some where else, but can't find the source now.

Fun Fact: The spokes person for Sweden funded Islamic Union is quite proud having his father happily punishing infidels in Idlib. Lovely guy.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#16

Post by Luc »

StavrosK wrote: post #2

Isn't it sad that this has to be said at all? "Hey, not every adherent of a religion supports killing innocent people of a different religion". It'd be like us having to apologize for the Crusades. Besides, the hits were driven by politics, religion is just a facade.

> Besides, the hits were driven by politics, religion is just a facade.

I wonder how can you call the main motivation of these jihadists 'just a facade'?

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#17

Post by dtf »

downandout wrote: post #13

I simply do not understand why we don't bomb every last one of the oil wells they control. We could issue arrest warrants for the heads of every company that buys their oil for providing material support to terrorists, and freeze all assets of these companies in any country where the US has treaties that allow it. We don't have to shoot them; we can starve them.

They've already done a pretty good job.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/16/isis-caliphate-...

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#18

Post by kbart »

StavrosK wrote: post #7
kbart wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'd be like us having to apologize for the Crusades. Just a nitpick, but Catholic church did apologize to muslims killed by the crusaders[0]. 0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apologies_made_by_Pope...

Yes, but I don't mean the church, I mean you and me.

I'm an atheist and not affiliated with any religion, but yes, I can see your point.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#19

Post by eronhp »

cs702 wrote: post #12

By writing that message, he's making himself a potential target of terror, especially now that this is on the front page of HN and could be picked up by mainstream media. For safety's sake, I hope he contributes to VLC under a pseudonym and not under his real name.

He lives in Syria surrounded by terrorists, he is already a potential target for terror.

Re: VLC contributor living in Aleppo writing about the Paris attacks

#20

Post by sbarre »

rihegher wrote: post #9
jacquesm wrote: post #6

> They control large areas of land, have their own oil fields, and receive direct support from many countries in the region. Namely from rich oil-producing countries. That's one of those things where we could make a fairly immediate change in policy, it would come at a cost, definitely but it would change the situation for IS for the worse far more effectively than any number of bombs dropped would do.

I don't see media speaking much about these countries that allows financing of ISIS. But if we want to eradicate ISIS, I too think we should deal with its financial sources first. Maybe because these countries are the same countries that western companies want to sell weapons to.

Isn't it naive to think of these countries as one entity? Is the US, or any Western country, one unified allied voice where everyone has the same policies or supports the same causes?

It's very likely that these "rich oil-producing countries" are made up of fragmented power centres and viewpoints, just like everywhere else in the world.

Painting these countries all with one brush is about as foolish as painting Christianity (or Islam) with one brush too.

Post reply on HN