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Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

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Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#421

Post by PeterisP »

vor_ wrote: post #361
PeterisP wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most likely. While I offer my condolences to the victims and their families, this isn't the most fatal or most gruesome incident even this month - simply this one happens to involve white western people, so it will be considered by news agencies as more important than the civilian suffering in Syria, Afganistan, North Korea, Somalia or Mexican drug wars. If you and your relatives are safely far away from Boston, then…

Perspective is always something that one should maintain, but I can't help but roll my eyes at any response to bad news that invokes the phrase "white western people". It makes your viewpoint seem politically motivated.

Apologies, that was biased, and I have no idea about the ethnicity of the victims. Perhaps "people from wealthy english-speaking countries" would be more accurate?

I struggle to find any other significant differences between this incident and, for example, the terror-murder of 7 people in Mexico (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandt...) or the 6000 last month victims in Syria that will get much, much less outrage and impact than this bombing.

The only difference in value of people lives to global media seems to be their country of residence. Now THAT is politically motivated.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#422

Post by tbrooks »

dhimes wrote: post #406
youngerdryas wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just a little too soon after, only a couple hours, combined with confusion over for-profit status makes it look tone deaf but it is really not. People are suffering - help suffering people.

As pg tries to explain, it's not a YC company but a charity he supports (and therefore knows about) and it's also one that he thinks can help people get (afford) medical treatment.

It doesn't matter whether its a non-profit or for-profit, charity or business, or whether pg personally benefits from Watsi flourishing.

He's using the events in Boston as a way to promote a service that has nothing to do with the horror occurring in Boston.

I'm not saying Watsi isn't great -- it is. But this isn't the time or place to call attention to Watsi. It's tasteless and rude.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#423

Post by untog »

brownbat wrote: post #399

CBS LOCAL reports that security footage shows man with multiple backpacks near the scene before explosion, reporters suggest devices were placed in trashcans, and police have recovered at least one unexploded device: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013/04/15/several-hurt-in-explos... Update: Police commissioner Ed Davis claims there is no suspect in custody: http://www.businessinsider.com/live-boston-mayor-holds-press...…

Boston Police says they have no idea where NY Post is getting it's information from.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#424

Post by goostavos »

ignostic wrote: post #206

Our behavior is interesting, given the post I just read on how news is so rarely worth reading and watching. I see a lot of people at work looking for the latest updates. Someone’s watching TV in the next room – they’re just repeating everything over and over, mixing in the new tiny details they learn. I’m really sad about this, but where I know no one in Boston and can’t do anything about it, I’m just going to check…

> I know no one in Boston and can’t do anything about it, I’m just going to check back tomorrow when we know more rather than working myself up looking for the latest like I usually would.

To the best of my ability, I'll do the same.

There's nothing we can currently do. The news for the next 24 hours will be nothing but the newscasters making assumptions, bad connections, and conjecture. The rest of the time will be filled with interviews from people "on the ground." We'll gain nothing from watching it.

I feel like the smallest, tiniest "fuck you" I can muster to the person who did this is to spend this time working on something to make a slice of society marginally better, rather than spending the night passively absorbing all the negativity and sorrow he/she has caused.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#425

Post by rayiner »

betterunix wrote: post #402
rayiner wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AEDPA is designed to keep people from spamming the federal courts with frivolous habeas petitions, particularly in capital cases. It has 'anti-terrorism' in the name, but it's almost entirely about the 'effective death penalty' part.[1] Among other things it's heavily focused on forcing federal courts to give more deference to state court judgments and avoiding situations where prisoners invoke minor technical violat…

"It doesn't limit habeas rights--it creates stricter procedures for invoking that right" Much like free speech zones don't limit free speech rights, they just create stricter procedures for exercising those rights. AEDPA was not just about habeas corpus rights. It covers penalties for conspiracies that involve explosives and for hacking into government computers. It covers counterfeiting activities. It covers law enf…

Not every attempt to address security and terrorism can be deemed "rights-contracting." The other stuff in AEDPA doesn't contract any rights, just addresses particular kinds of crimes. The only thing that arguably contracts rights are the habeas portion, and that's more appropriately seen as improving habeas procedures rather than contracting rights.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#426

Post by youngerdryas »

3pt14159 wrote: post #365
youngerdryas wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, because you are spoiled, whining nerd, who has no idea about real suffering.

Fuck off. How much blood has the western world lost to achieve freedom, privacy, and a government by the people for the people? We cannot continue to allow the enemy to terrorize us into giving up our liberties. Also, fuck off with the "whining nerd" shit.

Terrorists are exploiting our freedoms so security may make you wait for your latte...oh look those people died hope I don't have to wait.

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#428

Post by kevinmchugh »

tbrooks wrote: post #379

Really PG? https://twitter.com/paulg/status/323909260826259457

"[R]andom acts of benevolence are a good reaction to random acts of violence."

I find some kind of beauty in that. It might just be the phrase "random acts of benevolence", which I've never seen before, but I intensely respect this position.

https://twitter.com/paulg/status/323914172528197632

Re: Explosions near Boston Marathon finish line

#429

Post by asynchronous13 »

VLM wrote: post #339
taurath wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Transit is much harder and has a much stronger security presence - people in general are also far more alert for suspicious packages. It would be much tougher I'd think to get something like this onto a subway rather than a huge crowd.

Whoops I looked it up and apparently a "mall" in boston is what the rest of the world would call a boulevard or parkway. So they're actually evac a street lined with trees. My worry was it they're shoving people in immense lines thru the doors of what the rest of the world would call a "mall" making a tempting target for the opfor. I am surprised its verified to be packages and not dudes wearing vests or whatever. Th…

"mall" meant walkway or promenade for a long long time. It's only very recently that "mall" became short-hand for "Shopping Mall".
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