I don't think you know what pathologists do.In the case of the Orlando massacre, that is indeed a task for pathologists. The causes and consequences of religious fanaticism is another matter. — Wayfarer
I am curious: what would be a Buddhist solution to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar currently being carried out by Buddhists, while that great beacon of democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi, basically does nothing? Physician, heal thyself!ABSTRACT: Religiously inspired terrorism can be understood as a response to a fundamental problem of secular modernity: the ‘‘God-shaped hole’’ that motivates it. The key issue is identity, and the anxiety that lack of secure identity arouses. Secular values undermine the ontological identity that religion traditionally provided. By devaluing such religious solutions to the ungroundedness of our constructed sense of self, the modern/ postmodern world aggravates the sense of lack that it cannot understand and with which it is unable to cope. This may seem too abstract, but the problems created are all too real. This essay discusses these problems and adumbrates a Buddhist solution. — Wayfarer
I think the supposition that the Orlando shooter himself was gay or bisexual and frequented gay dating sites was later debunked, IIRC — Arkady
In the immediate wake of the shooting, there were reports that Mateen had used gay dating apps such as Grinder (Grindr?). These reports, as you say, came to nought. There were other rumors swirling about him, as well. I thought I may have been missing something, as I've not followed the most recent developments into the Mateen investigation (to the extent that said investigation is still ongoing), so I checked his Wiki page. It looks like there are conflicting reports about him attending that nightclub which he eventually attacked, with some emphatically saying "yea," and others also emphatically saying "nae."As far as I know no gay dating app accounts were ever discovered, but there is a boat load of eyewitness testimony suggesting he frequented the night club he attacked. How was all that debunked? Severe homophobia seems the primary motivator of the attack, regardless of whether or not self-hatred was a factor. — VagabondSpectre
Foolish anti-theists think they can actually eliminate a religion, not realizing that as they more broadly attack the religion as a whole the more they generate widespread sympathy for it. — VagabondSpectre
Yet then there was the Cold War, that was the focus of attention. For example the vast number of hijackings didn't make airline security to increase as now.We forget, or we weren't born yet, that there was more terrorist activity in Europe in the 1970s than in Europe in the present decade. — Bitter Crank
But the sheer magnitude of the loss of life of 30,000 people — WhiskeyWhiskers
Do you agree? I don't see how you couldn't without at the same time admitting your objectivity is compromised. — WhiskeyWhiskers
especially if they're a minority and you're a conservative, and if the media keeps the enemy constantly in mind — WhiskeyWhiskers
and many other tragedies that Western governments continue to neglect simply because they don't make as exciting news copy as terrorism does — andrewk
Why is there no hysteria over road deaths, inadequate-health-system-related deaths, or poverty-related deaths, all of which dwarf terrorism-related deaths? — andrewk
You know it's not simple. If it were simple it would have been done. — andrewk
The article made it clear to me that this statistic is itself likely to be baseless fear-mongering that "manipulates our emotions and sells papers/gets clicks." So you ought to take a look at why you're taken in by a story like that but sneer at stories about terrorism. — Thorongil
No, because those statistics are probably bullshit. Again, the article, if you chose to read it, helpfully presents both sides and the "government murders 30k" narrative was pretty well deflated as hyperbolic nonsense. — Thorongil
Wow, an unnecessary and rank smear against conservatives. — Thorongil
50 people dead from a terrorist attack is 'morally worse' than 50 people dead from a disease. But it doesn't follow, for example, that the US should spend 250,000 times more per death on terrorism than strokes ($500,000,000 vs $2000 each). Nor does it follow than it's a bigger threat to us. Nor does it follow that it's worse for society overall in a non-moral sense. — WhiskeyWhiskers
No one except you is disputing the numbers — WhiskeyWhiskers
Can you explain what makes intentions matter more than the actual relative ineffectiveness of terrorism when compared with other, more dangerous causes of death that we aren't even comparably concerned about in our day to day lives? — WhiskeyWhiskers
Surely all deaths of normal citizens are equally bad. — WhiskeyWhiskers
So another question is, why is the latter a bigger problem than the former, even though homicides are just as intentional as terrorist murders? — WhiskeyWhiskers
I'd also like to hear which side of the gun ownership/2nd amendment debate you fall on, just in case you're secretly a massive hypocrite across these two issues. — WhiskeyWhiskers
Here's some more evidence — WhiskeyWhiskers
If you took that as a smear, that says more about how you view conservatives than about how I do — WhiskeyWhiskers
It's a fairly well known fact that conservative minds have a more in-group/out-group mentality (this is why nationalism and tribalism occur more on the right, and the lefts 'openness to experience' renders them less sceptical of out-group individuals) — WhiskeyWhiskers
cool-headed risk-analysis that implores people to regain some perspective when thinking about the risk of terrorism to them and their families. But you choose to overlook all that just because terrorists have bad intentions? — WhiskeyWhiskers
If we spent on those problems a quarter of the money and removal of personal freedom involved in the 'war against terror' we would reduce the annual death toll by a large multiple of the annual death toll in Western countries from terrorist acts.But solving "road deaths, inadequate-health-system-related deaths, or poverty-related deaths," is simple, right? — Thorongil
My recollection is that you made some statement purported to be a reason, it was challenged and shown to be no reason at all, and you didn't even attempt rebut that challenge. It was too many pages ago to find, but if you want to do that and try to recycle it, go for it.I gave you the reason. — Thorongil
lower speed limits, mandate collision avoidance systems in all cars, introduce vulnerable road user laws like in Europe, require driver re-licensing at least triennially, make activities like mobile phone use while driving result in immediate loss of licence. — andrewk
But no, we couldn't do that could we, because being allowed to drive your own car however you want is the American dream. — andrewk
My recollection is that you made some statement purported to be a reason, it was challenged and shown to be no reason at all, and you didn't even attempt rebut that challenge. It was too many pages ago to find, but if you want to do that and try to recycle it, go for it. — andrewk
Why is there no hysteria over road deaths, inadequate-health-system-related deaths, or poverty-related deaths, all of which dwarf terrorism-related deaths? — andrewk
I don't think that saying that deaths on account of illnesses and road accidents, and deaths on account of terrorism, is a fair reflection of the kind of problem that terrorism represents. One major point about deaths caused by terrorism, is that those deaths are the consequence of deliberate intent to kill, which neither road deaths nor natural deaths are. — Wayfarer
I agree that the US, in particular, has massively over-reacted to the actual threat of terrorism, and furthermore that the US attitude towards guns, and the NRA, pose a far higher risk of actual violent death, than does Islamic terrorism, on US soil. But none of that means that Islamic terrorism is not a threat to peace and safety everywhere it appears. — Wayfarer
If you want to argue that more money and loss of freedom — andrewk
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