Car Bomb found in Times Square

[Bonam]

People in Quebec lived through the War Measures Act and the British lived through various IRA bombings. In part because of the Nazi blitzkrieg in Poland in 1939, I think some people falsely perceive "war" as an all out battle. Most wars are not fought that way and whenever I have spoken to people who lived through wars, even Russians who lived through World War II, I am surprised how often "normal" life went on.

Normal life went on for Russians in WWII? Who are you kidding dude? Was starving in Leningrad for almost 900 days "normal"? Is having almost 1/4 of the male population of a country killed off within a few years "normal"? Is being evacuated to refugee camps in Siberia and losing half your family on the way normal? Is dieing among endless heaps of other soldiers in the streets of Stalingrad normal? Sorry but that comment just stuck in my craw, I have family that went through WWII there and it was anything but normal.

Political correctness is an ignorant extreme version of a very good western invention: the scientific method. And the scientific method means questioning bland generalizations to discover the truth.

No, political correctness is not an overextension of the scientific method. And no, the scientific method is not what you say it is. The scientific method is a specific step by step process. What you are referring to could at best be called a part of "critical thinking". That is still not the basis of political correctness, however. Anyone who speaks "politically correctly" has their real opinion under the surface, they simply do not speak it for fear of ostracism or reprisal. The enforcement of political correctness is a limitation of freedom of speech with the intent of eradicating certain ideas from the population over the span of several generations. If no one says certain things aloud, then people born after that time will not hear those things and not form those ideas. As such, political correctness is hopelessly doomed to failure, both because it is directly at odds with one of the chief ideals of a free society (freedom of speech), and because no matter the effort that a government exerts, ideas can never be completely eradicated and will always propagate from generation to generation.

[DogOnPorch]

Life was normal in Poland and Russia during WW2??

I'm with Bonam...death was normal in those places during the War.

[BubberMiley]

What do you expect from someone who seems to equate Quebec's FLQ crisis with WWII?

[sharkman]

Life was normal in Poland and Russia during WW2??

I'm with Bonam...death was normal in those places during the War.

I think the point is that people adjusted to the hardships and kept on living. People in most situations do this, life finds a way.

[DogOnPorch]

I think the point is that people adjusted to the hardships and kept on living. People in most situations do this, life finds a way.

Do you really think that's true?

Here...read of but one normal day in the Ukraine in 1941.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_Yar

[sharkman]

Yes I do. Those people that were not killed tried to keep on living. Finding something to drink, something to eat, something to keep warm.

I think the point being made was to reference Russia and others in generic terms. People there got used to living while a war was going on. It's either that or kill yourself. Eating dogs, cats, horses, whatever you need to survive. Maybe they drank their urine at times, I don't know.

[DogOnPorch]

Yes I do. Those people that were not killed tried to keep on living. Finding something to drink, something to eat, something to keep warm.

I think the point being made was to reference Russia and others in generic terms. People there got used to living while a war was going on. It's either that or kill yourself. Eating dogs, cats, horses, whatever you need to survive. Maybe they drank their urine at times, I don't know.

I'm well aware of what happens to civilians during wars. To say life was 'normal' or that folks got 'used' to living in the forest while being hunted-down by Hungarian SS men is armchair speculation at best. The War in the East wasn't anything like the Blitz or occupation in the West. No rules...no Geneva Convention...no mercy. It's a horror that we in the West simply cannot fathom if you ask me. Imagine Toronto surrounded...shelled...fought over...bombed...starved...occupied...for say 900 days as Bonam mentions re: Leningrad. We can't...we'd tone it down in our own minds into something 'normal' we could wrap our heads around.

[JB Globe]

I'd venture if confirmed Islamic attacks became common place in the united states, it would become a very unpopular place for muslims to live, and a lot of them, regardless of guilt or innocence, would end up getting shot.

Which, ironically, is EXACTLY the kind of reaction that the folks who carry out the bombings are hoping for.

Politicians know this - they also know that it's easier to win elections through fear-mongering than it is to explain to a scared and ignorant public that Al-Qaeda and others desperately want to engage the US in global asymmetric warfare under the guise of a "Clash of Civilizations" . . . And they want to do this because they would probably win: the US would bankrupt itself fighting un-winnable foreign wars like that in Afghanistan.

When you subscribe to the "all Muslims are terrorists" line of thinking, you make Bin Laden smile . . . And I hate thinking of that guy smiling . . .

[JB Globe]

Difference between the US and countries that have incessant terrorism is that the US would never stand for it, I don't think. Better to bomb the hell out of every Muslim country than to suffer constant attacks on American civilians would be the prevalent thinking in Washington, if it ever came to it.

If what you're saying is true, which it probably isn't, than Americans are even more stupid than their worst detractors give them credit for.

After all - it takes a special kind of idiot to carpet bomb several countries which count themselves as your biggest oil supplier.

Remember when you were a kid and you would see how loosely you could dangle something from your fingertips without dropping and breaking it? . . . But sometimes you'd end up breaking it? Bombing Saudi Arabia and permanently tanking the US economy would kinda be like that.

Good thing I think you're wrong on this one.

[JB Globe]

I think, if anything, the USA is a very bleeding-heart country. Look at how carefully many politicians, government employees, and the media walked on eggshells with the whole Major Nidal Hassan mass murderer. When the rational among us were strongly inclined to believe that this was an example of domestic Islamic terrorism as the story was breaking, I remember seeing people all over the news exercise absurd degrees of political correctness.

There's nothing rational about that impulse at all - not in the logic used in formulating the conclusion, and certainly not in how often it's applied.

If Fort Hood and Times Square prove that Muslim-Americans are all secret terrorists, than the crap that Wall Street has been pulling for the past several years absolutely proves that white people are corporate criminals . . . I mean, if someone subscribes to that BS logic of course.

If people are going to be an emotionally reactionary, they should at least be CONSISTENT about it for God's sake . . .

Edited May 6, 2010 by JB Globe

[Guest TrueMetis]

There's nothing rational about that impulse at all - not in the logic used in formulating the conclusion, and certainly not in how often it's applied.

If Fort Hood and Times Square prove that Muslim-Americans are all secret terrorists, than the crap that Wall Street has been pulling for the past several years absolutely proves that white people are corporate criminals . . . I mean, if you subscribe to that BS logic of yours.

If you're going to be an emotional reactionary, at least be CONSISTENT about it for God's sake . . .

And of the two the f*cker's on wall street are way more dangerous.

[JB Globe]

I must be missing it..... Could you point out how many of those people were shot?

The only people I am aware of who were shot by people out looking to kill Muslims immediately after 9/11 were a Sikh man who was either working or filling up his tank at a gas station and an Egyptian . . . Who was a Coptic Christian.

I've been meaning to dig up the links for years, I'll see if I can find them.

I'm sure there were a boatload of people that were assaulted, and I'm sure most of those instances didn't get reported because of how busy the police were on those days and the general toxicity in the air in those days and weeks.

[JB Globe]

And of the two the f*cker's on wall street are way more dangerous.

You know, even if that bomb went off, you could probably argue that the recent Wall Street scandals would have killed many times more people indirectly due to the millions of families who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs.

Random little known fact - terrorists would have to blow up a plane every week for terrorism to be as dangerous to US citizens as driving their frickin' car.

But no one's shitting their collective pants about driving to Wal-Mart, are they?

+9 Years in and people still don't know jack about how terrorism works - they have no idea how terrorists are pulling their puppet strings by getting them to freak out over something that is less likely to kill you than a lightning strike. They have no clue that when we change our daily lives, our national policies, and ditch our values that we're actually giving terrorists what they want.

And I hate giving those buggers what they want.

[Sir Bandelot]

+9 Years in and people still don't know jack about how terrorism works - they have no idea how terrorists are pulling their puppet strings by getting them to freak out over something that is less likely to kill you than a lightning strike. They have no clue that when we change our daily lives, our national policies, and ditch our values that we're actually giving terrorists what they want.

And I hate giving those buggers what they want.

And on that note:

Suspicious truck sparks new NYC terror scare

These people are crapping their drawers. Terrorism, indeed.

[Bonam]

If what you're saying is true, which it probably isn't, than Americans are even more stupid than their worst detractors give them credit for.

After all - it takes a special kind of idiot to carpet bomb several countries which count themselves as your biggest oil supplier.

Remember when you were a kid and you would see how loosely you could dangle something from your fingertips without dropping and breaking it? . . . But sometimes you'd end up breaking it? Bombing Saudi Arabia and permanently tanking the US economy would kinda be like that.

Good thing I think you're wrong on this one.

US reliance on middle-east oil is overstated. The largest producer of oil for the US market is the US itself, and the second largest is Canada. We might finally make some progress on alternate energy technologies though. Furthermore, middle east countries bombed into submission would resume their supply of oil, much like conquered Iraq.

[M.Dancer]

After all - it takes a special kind of idiot to carpet bomb several countries which count themselves as your biggest oil supplier.

The US hasn't carpet bombed anyone let alone an oil producing nation in over 35 years. On top of that, the US has bombed only one nation that is an oil producer, but that nation wasn't selling much because of sanctions. Today Iraq's oil procduction is higher than it was in 2001 and very little of it goes to the US....but every barrel that does is paid for and goes back to Iraqi people.

[Sir Bandelot]

These people are crapping their drawers. Terrorism, indeed.

Bomb scare aboard Greyhound bus

May 6 2010 (AP) ... Police were in contact with people on the bus, but it was unclear why they remained on board for more than two hours before they started to leave. They left the bus one by one -- separated by a couple of minutes each -- and carried no purses or bags. Most held their hands aloft as they passed officers with their weapons drawn.

Yeah, we're going to save you from the terrorists. But if you make just one false move...

[Guest American Woman]

And on that note:

Suspicious truck sparks new NYC terror scare

These people are crapping their drawers. Terrorism, indeed.

Just for clarification purposes, who in that link you provided is "crapping their drawers?"

I get the feeling you'd like it if people were, but it sounds to me as if people were just responding in a normal way; doing what they should be doing.

[Sir Bandelot]

it sounds to me as if people were just responding in a normal way; doing what they should be doing.

Ya, maybe in your country...

[Guest American Woman]

Ya, maybe in your country...

Police being diligent and doing their job and people reporting suspicious activity to the police is "normal," and I would hope they are doing the same in Canada.

Seriously. I get the impression that you would love it if people were crapping their pants left and right in the U.S., but Americans are able to make a call regarding suspicious activity, and police are able to do their job, without "crapping their pants."

[Bob]

I don't think that's an example of being a "bleeding heart," it's more an example of being PC, as you also said, which I believe are two different things.

Fair enough, but I'm sure we can agree that there is a degree of overlap between the two concepts.

I think there is a fear of coming across as biased against all Muslims, and I think the mind-set of the poster saying Americans would shoot Muslims in the U.S. if we experienced more car bombs is the reason why; it's that mentality, that type of accusation, that makes the media/government feel as if they have to be oh-so-PC about these things. Granted they should be careful as to what they say while a story is breaking, but once the facts become clear, there should be no fear of calling something exactly what it is.

I agree 100%. There's also people on the extreme fringes who misrepresent criticism that the rational among us have about phenomenons that have become strongly associated with particular minority groups are "racist" or "prejudice".

There is a perfect example of this problem in this very thread - read JB Globe's response to my post. He misrepresents my statement that to the rational among us, the Major Nidal Hassan story early on was obviously an example of "home-grown" Islamic fundamentalism is an example of me describing all Muslims as terrorists. Many of the early facts, combined with but not entirely based on Major Nidal Hassan's ethnicity and background, painted a pretty clear picture of a religious extremist.

Upon reviewing August1991's reply to my post, I'm afraid that my comments are again being misrepresented as a generalization of all Muslims. It's very frustrating that this happens when I've said nothing even remotely resembling a generalization of this massive group of people. I made a very common-sense statement, and I'm responded to with posts suggesting that I am prejudiced and stereotyping.

I don't think "the USA" sees advocating tighter border security and enforcement as "racist." Some do, I'm sure, but I don't think it's the prevailing feeling here, and I don't think the government has any qualms about tightening the border/security.

My mistake, allow me to clarify - I meant to say a SIGNIFICANT and VOCAL group of Americans and American organization are anti-border security pro-open borders. If the government has no qualms about tightening border security, why has so little progress been achieved? It's not a complex issue like managing the economy where outcomes are difficult to anticipate. It's the exact opposite - patrol heavily, punish severely, and build effective barriers. Perhaps not cheap, but definitely not too complicated.

I won't argue with you there. But again, I'm not so sure the reason for it is a bleeding heart mentality. I don't think it's because they feel oh-so-much for the person involved; it's a fear of criticism, which is a different matter.

I think it's the result of a little from column A, and a little from column B.

[Sir Bandelot]

Seriously. I get the impression that you would love it if people were crapping their pants left and right in the U.S., but Americans are able to make a call regarding suspicious activity, and police are able to do their job, without "crapping their pants."

Around here, when a truck breaks down on a bridge we don't go into full alert mode.

What really freaked them out is that it smelled like gasoline. Imagine that, from a broken truck!

Seriously, I know there's been an attempted attack and so everyone needs to be more vigilant. Perhaps threats have even been made, which the authorities know about and that's why they're reacting this way. Being very careful is better than being lax and allowing an actual attack to take place. But despite that being true, to me this just underlines the very insidious nature of terrorism. They don't even need to be successful in the attack, once they whip the nation into a frenzy of fear. I know I wouldn't want to be the one who has to step off a bus and face a whole squad of cops with guns drawn at me...

[Guest American Woman]

Around here, when a truck breaks down on a bridge we don't go into full alert mode.

Believe it or not, that truck wasn't the only vehicle to break down in NYC that day, either; I'd be willing to bet all my worldly possessions on that. Yet that's the only one that someone thought might be suspicious, and for the reasons given in the article. But I'm guessing it'll still be simply "a truck that broke down on a bridge" to you.

What really freaked them out is that it smelled like gasoline. Imagine that, from a broken truck!

So every time someone makes a call they are "freaked?" If I notified airport security of an unattended bag, would that mean I was "freaking?"

And for the record, I've been in a number of broken down vehicles in my life, and none of them ever smelled like gasoline. Furthermore, the man who called said he thought he saw someone fleeing from the truck. Good thing the vendor who alerted the police to the bomb attempt in NYC didn't have your mentality.

Seriously, I know there's been an attempted attack and so everyone needs to be more vigilant. Perhaps threats have even been made, which the authorities know about and that's why they're reacting this way.

How many vehicles do you think there are on the roads in NYC in a single day? How many do you think break down? Yet this is the only call to have been made since the terrorist attempt. In a city of millions. I hardly think that's evidence of everyone freaking and crapping their drawers. And yes, everyone does have to be more vigilant, which is exactly what I said. Why you try to make that into something derogatory is difficult to understand.

Being very careful is better than being lax and allowing an actual attack to take place. But despite that being true, to me this just underlines the very insidious nature of terrorism. They don't even need to be successful in the attack, once they whip the nation into a frenzy of fear. I know I wouldn't want to be the one who has to step off a bus and face a whole squad of cops with guns drawn at me...

There you go again ... with the "nation whipped into a frenzy of fear." Good Lord. One call made, as millions and millions of people go about their routine daily business, and you come to this ludicrous conclusion. One call was made, and likely the right call for the man to make under the circumstances, and you have a nation of 300+ million people living in fear. Ridiculous.

Edited May 7, 2010 by American Woman

[Sir Bandelot]

Plus the people on the Bus...

[Oleg Bach]

The terrorist looks like a half retarded ninkumpoop..the law enforcers are also of the same quality..I hope they are keeping themselves amused.