Terrorists Don't Kill Enough People to be in the News This Often

[SwiftBradley]

I seems to be in the minority but, I don't really care about terrorism. So many other things present greater threat to my quality of life. Why is terrorism such a big deal? Yeah some people have died, but people dies everyday, tens of thousands of them(maybe more i don't know). Many of those deaths are preventable esspecially if a government is willing to drop a couple hundred billion dollars on the problem. It seems to me that the war on terror is entirely irrational. Spensd this money on something more worthwhile, i'll worry about getting killed by terrorists like i worry about getting struck by lightning. We are all going to die in a eventually, get busy living and stop worrying about terrorists.

[RPatterson]

Yeah I didn't think the twin towers would be such a big deal. It wasn't like TONS of people died.

[SwiftBradley]

Based on your other posts you are probably the biggest moron on this site. Anyone with a brain care to respond?

[Stu Pidasso]

I say you should attack a cancer early and and agressively.

Stu

[Gamblor]

Issues like cancer and traffic accidents DO get tons of money in terms of government research grants, donations, etc, but the fight against them is boring. There are no tanks and bombs and guns, so the news doesn't really care until there's a serious breakthrough.

On the other hand, images of American soldiers charging across open desert, now that's TV. Terrorism, instead of slowly killing off populations like AIDS does, is a sudden shock event and therefore carries more entertainment value, which is what the news is really there for. No CEO of NBC or CNN ever looked at dismal numbers and said "But you know what? We really explained the facts well."

You want to know what it's like when terrorism is a daily problem? Move to Jerusalem.

[MMMMMM]

It isn't just the relative numbers killed by various things that causes concern; it's that when human beings are trying to kill you it is especially disconcerting and dangerous. When human beings are organized for that purpose, it is yet more so. When those human beings are irrational and fanatical, more so again.

The relative numbers could change in the future if terrorists or fanatics ever acquire nuclear weapons: the numbers killed by terrorists could skyrocket then, compared to those killed by certain diseases or accidents.

There is something inherently very disturbing about depraved human beings on missions of terror and murder--sort of like it is more disturbing that Jeffrey Dahmer killed certain individuals than if they died of disease or in auto accidents. Perhaps it is because human beings should know better, and act better. Perhaps it is because it is willful evil as opposed to death by natural or unavoidable causes.

Also, Islamist terrorists want to forcibly establish Islamic rule as widely as they possibly can. They are totalitarians who hate any form of tolerance or pluralism and don't care how many they have to kill to achieve their fanatic goals. They are rabid believers in a 7th century doctrine, and believe that they are charged by Allah to force the world to submit to Allah's law. Their belief in
Paradise for those who die fighting for Allah's law is another deluded aspect of this cult-like mentality. And truly, calling their belief system a cult would be more accurate than not.

So there is a growing danger from these cult members as they seek greater and greater destructive powers. They are so thoroughly brainwashed to fight those who do not subscribe to their narrow view of the world, that classifying them as homicidal maniacs would not be wrong. They are actually as insane as Jeffrey Dahmer was, for all practical intents and purposes, and their purposeful
organization make them the more malignant and darkly threatening for the future.

Islamic terrorists are like mad dogs and are best dispatched as quickly as possible. And yes, specifying "Islamic terrorists" is important, because that is the enemy which has declared war not only on Western civilization, but even on other Muslims who do not subscribe to their own narrow views.

Organized psychopathy is always fascinating--and always dangerous.

[ACPlayer]

It would be far better if:

1. The terrorists did not get the attention from the media that they so desperately want. Without attention the primary force of their tactic (creating fear) would be diminished.
-- and ---

2. Our administration did something positive to address the terrorist problem (which is a real problem and cannot be ignored).

So, far the terrorsits have got the attention they crave from the media creating fear in our community and active support from the administration to help create an environment where the extremist Islamist have bo problems recruiting additional terrorists.

[ACPlayer]

It seems to me that the war on terror is entirely irrational

.... it is our strategy (or perhaps lack of one).

[jdl22]

excellent analysis.

Your mentioning of Israel however I believe demonstrates his point really well. I don't know how many people have died in Israel (I'm sure you will tell me) in the last few years due to terrorism but this is absolutely nothing compared to the aids epidemic ripping through Africa. For example, in South Africa in 2001 20% of the people were HIV positive. That year 360,000 people died of aids related causes in that country alone. 5 million people were currently living with the disease there. 5 million depending on where you consider Israel's border is not far off from its population.

Israel is easily the country most affected by terrorism. While they didn't have the equivalent of 9/11 the effect on daily life is much more extreme there than here. Even in the case of Israel the aids epidemic in a single African country is several orders of magnitude greater. Israeli terrorism frequently will make the US national news while thousands of people dying of aids only makes it if the President made a hollow promise that day during the state of the union.

[MMMMMM]

Not to argue with your points, but just to add something: people can avoid AIDS if they choose to. They can't avoid being blown up by a suicide bomber in Israel if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sure AIDS is tragic but it isn't only the numbers that matter. Going out and fooling around with lots of people sexually is like playing in traffic, especially in some regions. To my way of thinking there is a difference between avoidable tragedies and murder.