Paris Terrorist Attacks

GostHacked · November 19, 2015

So they got the 'suspected' ring leader. Dead in a raid.

I guess we will never know if he really was the ring leader, and who was backing him and those groups.

Michael Hardner · November 19, 2015

I guess we will never know ...

My question to you is... in the area of intelligence and security what DO you know ?

GostHacked · November 19, 2015

My question to you is... in the area of intelligence and security what DO you know ?

This attack happened at a very convenient time. It is being used to create more hate against a certain group of people. Just in time to have many nations rethink their immigration ideas regarding people from Syria. I know that we have collectively failed in this war on terror. As these nations were to be pacified not to be a hotbed of terrorism ever again. Once the dictators were gone, many who would not fight are now fighting.

All this was predictable and there have been a few of us here who have states just that before and after many of you started to wake up to that reality. Better late than never I guess. But the damage is already done.

Did we really accomplish that mission? Ask yourself those tough questions and then we can have a proper dialogue on how to go forward.

Michael Hardner · November 19, 2015

I know that we have collectively failed in this war on terror.

To summarize: you know that we have failed.

All this was predictable ...

I think that that's somewhat arguable. Certainly continued chaos after 10 years would have been a safe bet, but ultimately there are a lot of unpredictable elements here and I wouldn't want to engage in armchair global/regional strategy games.

...and there have been a few of us here who have states just that before and after many of you started to wake up to that reality.

I don't think you should include me in this, as my mind is definitely open and not made up on most aspects of these conflicts. Anybody who is 100% sure of everything is naive, IMO, and I don't think you are in that group in case you're wondering.

Did we really accomplish that mission? Ask yourself those tough questions and then we can have a proper dialogue on how to go forward.

You seem to be drifting into asking me what I think, assuming I was in favour of these wars. I don't think you get it.

Anyway all you have stated that you know is that the approach failed. I agree with you. So, given that we know so little I'm a little confused because it sounds like you expected to know more about these very specific attacks than you do now.

Moonlight Graham · November 19, 2015

The problem was we took on a job of culture change, and that is not something you finish up in a few years. The US spent decades changing Japan and South Korea.

To say it was unwinnable is nonsense. Of course it was winnable, and easily winnable. What we lacked was the patience, because in this world of sound bytes and short attention spans we want instant fixes.

Japan went a lot easier because of a population pacified by the horrific fear caused by 2 nukes dropped on them. Hard to rile up folks in town to sign up for an Insurgency when they've already had their ass handed to them w/ total military defeat.

Yeah we might have been able to win theoretically, but the civilian casualties, human rights horrors, and our own costs in blood and treasure makes the cost/benefit not so good.

poochy · November 19, 2015

I am no one's conscience but my own. I am also no fan of Islam...or Christianity in any form. Islam is though, from what I can see, the worst religion. Whether that has to do with cultural practices of its believers, or simply the religion itself, I'm not sure. What I am sure of is that it's wrong to paint an entire group as the same simply because they share said terrible religion with a terrorist.

How about if the muslim moderates can become more radical for the awful Islamophobia they experience and then that is something we should be trying to prevent perhaps the non muslims who are being slaughtered have at least an equal right to become more radical and then more Islamophobic. Of course the poster I was responding to seemingly chooses only to see things in the, 'the the west is bad' direction, which is why I asked. This really had nothing to do with you, but you chose to stick your nose in it and play the 'im above it all referee', and did so without seeming to understand the point.

In the end, people are killing each other, pick a side, or don't, but don't tell people there are no sides to choose.

Smallc · November 19, 2015

If you had a salient point, I must not have caught it. What I caught was you stereotyping.

Moonlight Graham · November 19, 2015

Aren't the actions of virtually all politicians tightly bound up in what they think will be popular and gain them votes?

That's only when a large % of voters care enough to pay attention to a certain policy, then care enough to weigh their voting choice on that political action.

Sometimes, err many times voters are either uninformed or apathetic towards policies that actually greatly affect them (or others who may lack power, like regular Afghanis overseas). When politicians realize this they're allowed to do whatever the hell they want. That's why apathy and ignorance is horrible for a democracy, because you're then giving politicians the mandate to do whatever the hell they want...and most politicians are self-serving bastards who'll behave corruptly if they're allowed to.

eyeball · November 20, 2015

The problem was we took on a job of culture change, and that is not something you finish up in a few years. The US spent decades changing Japan and South Korea.

To say it was unwinnable is nonsense. Of course it was winnable, and easily winnable. What we lacked was the patience, because in this world of sound bytes and short attention spans we want instant fixes.

So why wasn't this ability to follow through on the job factored into it's planning and execution? Is even that too much to ask for?

eyeball · November 20, 2015

Aren't the actions of virtually all politicians tightly bound up in what they think will be popular and gain them votes?

That very phenomenon is responsible for some of the biggest blunders the west commits in it's quest for whatever its looking for.

eyeball · November 20, 2015

I have noticed you have a tendency to believe anything which says bad things about the West without much effort at validating it.

You see the very same phenomenon when people dismiss lefties.

It seems this group advocates for Iranian Khomeni style Islam and spends much of its time attacking liberal Muslims.

Yes well, that's because they've got a bunch of hard-boiled conservatives running Iran too. Lefties can't catch a break anywhere they go. I guess the day will finally come when the vast majority of the world's refugees are lefties...hopefully there'll be another planet we can flee to.

Edited November 20, 2015 by eyeball

socialist · November 20, 2015

Will you apply similar demands to the issue of climate change?

You seem to be a member here who knows what is really going on in this world. You know the media in Canada sells us fluff, and a majority of Canadians eat it up like cupcakes.

But please be objective and let me know what you think of this video. To me, it's alarming.

http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/enemies_foreign_domestic/coming_attractions_from_t.php

-1=e^ipi · November 20, 2015

But please be objective and let me know what you think of this video.

The video covered lots of things. It is difficult to generalize.

I would caution against confirmation bias though. It's easy to come to a conclusion when one is looking for evidence to support that conclusion.

socialist · November 20, 2015

The video covered lots of things. It is difficult to generalize.

I would caution against confirmation bias though. It's easy to come to a conclusion when one is looking for evidence to support that conclusion.

But one must realize our own media shows us very little of the truth.

poochy · November 20, 2015

If you had a salient point, I must not have caught it. What I caught was you stereotyping.

Aww certainly, ill take that as a capitulation, if the best you can do is run back to the racist/bigot/stereotyping narrative, well, i guess the discussion is a bit bigger than you.

Smallc · November 20, 2015

Aww certainly, ill take that as a capitulation, if the best you can do is run back to the racist/bigot/stereotyping narrative, well, i guess the discussion is a bit bigger than you.

I don't think that you're a racist or a bigot. I think that you expect to much of people that simply share a religion. You're not alone in that.

Big Guy · November 20, 2015

A 52 year old guy finds a nice studio in Paris, just across from various entertainment sites. He comes in one night, opens his windows and goes to sleep:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attacks-man-52-found-dead-in-his-flat-after-being-shot-by-stray-bullet-that-passed-through-a6739531.html

Across the street, all hell breaks loose. A stray bullet ricochets off cement, comes in through his open window and hits him in his back while he is sleeping. A couple of days later somebody finds him dead in his bed.

I guess when your number is up - it's up!

Scotty · November 20, 2015

So why wasn't this ability to follow through on the job factored into it's planning and execution? Is even that too much to ask for?

Is this a trick question? Because the part of the American government which plans for the future is in the sub-basement of a building in Idaho next to the furnace and wedged in by cleaning supplies.

And it's still using MS 3.1 on its computer.

eyeball · November 20, 2015

No it's not a trick question, not at all.

And your answer is probably close enough to the truth to stand on its own.

socialist · November 21, 2015

No it's not a trick question, not at all.

And your answer is probably close enough to the truth to stand on its own.

It's sure to be entertaining to watch the EU collapse as the citizens of each country apply pressure on their gutless politicians. They have been asleep, lulled by their fantasy. They are in for a very rude awakening. And North Americans have bailed the morons out enough times in the last 100 years. Maybe it's time for them to solve their REAL issues by themselves.....and "climate change" ain't one of them.

I'm Glad I visited Europe when it made some sense.

GostHacked · November 22, 2015

But one must realize our own media shows us very little of the truth.

This is about the only truthful post you have ever made on this forum. And that is including your sudden shift away from the socialist garbage that is put out by you.

socialist · November 22, 2015

This is about the only truthful post you have ever made on this forum. And that is including your sudden shift away from the socialist garbage that is put out by you.

I was a socialist. When I was a socialist I, like you currently, believed everything I heard from the CBC. Maybe you are unaware Gost, but the CBC has its own agenda, and informing the public is not part of that agenda. Have a great day my friend.

GostHacked · November 22, 2015

I was a socialist. When I was a socialist I, like you currently, believed everything I heard from the CBC. Maybe you are unaware Gost, but the CBC has its own agenda, and informing the public is not part of that agenda. Have a great day my friend.

First off, I don't believe everything the CBC puts out. What? News organizations have agendas? Good thing you are here, I never would have known./sarcasm

I'll mention this then get back on topic, I recall how much you backed the agenda of the new discovery learning process, which now you have ditched and can't support anymore. You are just now getting to where most of us already are. Unless you are just switching sides for other purposes I have yet to understand.

socialist · November 22, 2015

First off, I don't believe everything the CBC puts out. What? News organizations have agendas? Good thing you are here, I never would have known./sarcasm

I'll mention this then get back on topic, I recall how much you backed the agenda of the new discovery learning process, which now you have ditched and can't support anymore. You are just now getting to where most of us already are. Unless you are just switching sides for other purposes I have yet to understand.

Yes, I became disgusted at what I saw. I saw Inquiry learning destroy kids' academic progress. I quit teaching because I was powerless against the machine. Inquiry learning is alive and well in Canadian schools, hurting thousands of kids. I had to shut up or quit. I quit. You either preach what the bosses tell you and keep your job, or you speak up against the nonsense and get pushed out.

GostHacked · November 22, 2015

Yes, I became disgusted at what I saw. I saw Inquiry learning destroy kids' academic progress. I quit teaching because I was powerless against the machine. Inquiry learning is alive and well in Canadian schools, hurting thousands of kids. I had to shut up or quit. I quit. You either preach what the bosses tell you and keep your job, or you speak up against the nonsense and get pushed out.

You were never a teacher to begin with. This probably was your biggest error, in thinking you were. You have always been a slave to the system from the start.

But I am hoping you see the irony in your current stance of lambasting socialism while you are sporting Justin Trudeau's picture.