When 3 Gunmen Shoot 19 -it’s Not “Terrorism”

[Big Bad Voodoo]

The real problem is American culture and its fetish with, and tolerance for, violence.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34930.htm

[F3SS]

You're very ignorant. Folks like you have a fetish for trashing my country and making broad assumptions. These guys are zoo animals out of their cages with guns that no law could prevent who have grown up in a shthole area of town taught to live off of the hard work of others and to depend on the government. Yea it's terrorism but not in the same category as the politically correct, you possibly, would like it to be.

[Thanato]

There is a difference between terrorism and random acts of violence. Terrorism has a purpose it's political in nature. Random acts of violence are just that.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

You're very ignorant. Folks like you have a fetish for trashing my country and making broad assumptions. These guys are zoo animals out of their cages with guns that no law could prevent who have grown up in a shthole area of town taught to live off of the hard work of others and to depend on the government. Yea it's terrorism but not in the same category as the politically correct, you possibly, would like it to be.

Sorry to say Fess, but here I am sitting on the outside looking in and there does seem to be a difference in the view towards guns and violence in general between us here in Oz and you there in the States. Compare Doctor Who to Fringe - both shows about eccentric scientist-heroes who get involved in mysterious phenomena. There's a ship load of violence in Who - one story from the 80s has a greater body count then Resevoir Dogs and Terminator combined. There's an old joke in fandom, if a story set on Earth doesn't end with an exploding building, then it's a waste. But the violence is a result, it's a sign of how bad the situation is or how evil the villains are, and it's fairly "PG" violence, death rays etc. But in Fringe the violence is just a means to an end, it's often something that drives the plot, but it's not something that is a shock, nor is violence the tool of the enemy. It's how the heroes save the day. Violence in both shows is "something that happens to drive the drama", but in Who it's always shocking, it's never mundane. It's never treated as just something that happens. While in some American shows (and now I'm getting generic rather then just Fringe) the violence just happens as part of the world in which they live.

And the characters accept that, while in Who they fight against it.

I love Walter and I love the Doctor, but they're literally and metaphorically from two different worlds.

If TV shows are a sign of the culture, then Americans seem to be more familiar with violence then us in Australia or the UK.

[F3SS]

Sorry to say Fess, but here I am sitting on the outside looking in and there does seem to be a difference in the view towards guns and violence in general between us here in Oz and you there in the States. Compare Doctor Who to Fringe - both shows about eccentric scientist-heroes who get involved in mysterious phenomena. There's a ship load of violence in Who - one story from the 80s has a greater body count then Resevoir Dogs and Terminator combined. There's an old joke in fandom, if a story set on Earth doesn't end with an exploding building, then it's a waste. But the violence is a result, it's a sign of how bad the situation is or how evil the villains are, and it's fairly "PG" violence, death rays etc. But in Fringe the violence is just a means to an end, it's often something that drives the plot, but it's not something that is a shock, nor is violence the tool of the enemy. It's how the heroes save the day. Violence in both shows is "something that happens to drive the drama", but in Who it's always shocking, it's never mundane. It's never treated as just something that happens. While in some American shows (and now I'm getting generic rather then just Fringe) the violence just happens as part of the world in which they live.

And the characters accept that, while in Who they fight against it.

I love Walter and I love the Doctor, but they're literally and metaphorically from two different worlds.

If TV shows are a sign of the culture, then Americans seem to be more familiar with violence then us in Australia or the UK.

I have no idea how my post led you to such a comparison but we too have shocking dramatic tv shows where deaths surprise and shock and people fight back. Lets just look to the London butcher too see how real people react to a very real, surprising and shocking death.

[F3SS]

And Fringe is what you're going to use to convince me of your side of the story? Lol

[F3SS]

You did make think think about this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULt7_m_gmm4&sns=em

[DeWitz]

Violence is at least as old as Cain and Abel, or Cro-Magnons appropriating the environmental niche of the Neanderthals partially, at least, by killing and eating them. The contemporary issue, in my opinion, is the commodification of violence--the fact that the Western world, led by the USA, has packaged and sold violence as a product for emotional, psychological and spiritual consumption. This is not to say that bloody video games, slasher movies, replays of gruesome football/basketball/hockey/soccer injuries and prime-time graphic psycho-somato-porn causes violent behavior. I am suggesting that what we regularly feed our children (and ourselves) as "entertainment" indicates how far gone we already are in this department. Hence, no surprise to see people taking cell phone pics of a hacked and dying/dead Brit sprawled in the street, and that one of the beastly miscreant perps got his 15 minutes of fame repeated in endless TV news loops with his blood-soaked hands still clutching his instruments of evil, babbling about his inspid little 'holy war.' And how many 'hits' did the videotaped beheadings of Daniel Pearl and other poor souls get on the 'Net? --- I've said enough.

[supervike]

I have no problem calling what that parade shooter terrorism. It doesn't change it at all.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

And Fringe is what you're going to use to convince me of your side of the story? Lol

I used Fringe because it's the closest thing to Who on American TV - thus trying to compare apples and apples.

[Merc14]

There is an amazing number compiled by the FBI that show a massive reduction in gun crime where CCW is in force. I'm watching the playoffs now but will post tomorrow/

[Thanato]

There is a difference between terrorism and random acts of violence. Terrorism has a purpose it's political in nature. Random acts of violence are just that.

[F3SS]

^^^ You ok? You're talking to yourself.

[Kowalski]

I used Fringe because it's the closest thing to Who on American TV - thus trying to compare apples and apples.

I watched Doctor Who when David Tennant was on there...

sigh....

[supervike]

I watched Doctor Who when David Tennant was on there...

sigh....

My daughter gushes about him as well....

[Kowalski]

My daughter gushes about him as well....

Sorry...

I think it's the English accent.

[Babe Ruth]

The real problem is American culture and its fetish with, and tolerance for, violence.

http://www.informati...rticle34930.htm

The problem is the pernicious effect of semantics for political propaganda, just as Orwell pointed out many years ago.

The use of the word "terrorism" is a propaganda technique meant to make people emotional and irrational. Like the term "anarchy" 100 years ago, the public is conditioned to behave in a most Pavlovian way when the operative term is used.

Invoke "terrorism" and the US Constitution no longer applies. Rational thinking no longer is fashionable. Emotional reaction is induced, and thinking goes away.

Edited May 25, 2013 by Babe Ruth

[Orcseeker]

The definitions of terrorism these days could apply to even gangbangers in the US. But yeh, not much political gain from that standpoint is there?

Terrorist this, terrorist that. Anytime, anywhere. This and them.

That is the chemistry of fear in this age. A tool used by the media to drive the masses.

[Kowalski]

The definitions of terrorism these days could apply to even gangbangers in the US. But yeh, not much political gain from that standpoint is there?

Terrorist this, terrorist that. Anytime, anywhere. This and them.

That is the chemistry of fear in this age. A tool used by the media to drive the masses.

Yep...

[Babe Ruth]

It's a sad situation, but I do think that more and more people are beginning to realize it.

Lots that don't though...

[Kowalski]

Found this interesting site: http://earthblognews.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/a-citizens-guide-to-understanding-corporate-media-propaganda-techniques/

[Collateral Damage]

The real problem is American culture and its fetish with, and tolerance for, violence.

http://www.informati...rticle34930.htm

Many do have a fetish for violence in my country as do many not. It all depends on the person. Each and every person in this world has a choice of their own. How they act upon it is their doing and not my nation as a whole. There are many wonderful people from where I'm from and America is not the only country on Earth to have criminals committing criminal acts.

Edited May 26, 2013 by Collateral Damage