Recently I was involved in a discussion regarding the two Boston Marathon bombers. It started off with someone expressing concern about the amount of anger and hatred being directed towards the bombers.
I am dismayed and afraid about the amount of hate and vengeance for the two who planted the bombs. It is spreading the attitude of vengeance in our country. I saw a quote from Ghandi this morning which I have not verified, but it struck me as true. "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". What is the difference between those two and us wanting to kill them?
This comment launched a discussion that had one side advocating that we should try to understand – show “empathy” towards how people could become so “disenfranchised” that they would commit such violent acts? They also argued that it was unhealthy for us, as a society, to feel so much anger, hate and a desire for vengeance against the perpetrators.
I disagree.
We have the ability to indulge ourselves in this discussion precisely because we live in a civilization that instinctively and actively removes the monsters from society. We should be thankful that the instinctive emotion by our society is anger, disdain and hate towards these monsters and not empathy or compassion.
A civilization that frets too much on whether it's acceptable to dehumanize monsters has little expectation to survive in the long-run. It only took two monsters to shut down Boston. And I think we all know that there are many many edge cases out there that could become such monsters. Our civilization could be severely disrupted by a handful of individuals like the Boston Marathon bombers. We should show no tolerance whatsoever for individuals that act in this way.
Therefore, as a society that seeks to survive, we should absolutely show the maximum amount of disdain, disgust and contempt for human beings to engage in such behavior. We should absolutely make it clear that people who engage in this act are so loathed that we no longer even think of them as human but rather as animals, vermin, and monsters. We so reject their actions that we figuratively have kicked them out of our species.
I think it's intellectually facile to argue that it's somehow "wrong" to dehumanize human beings like this. At best, it's the result of not thinking through the consequences of what would happen if a significant plurality of our society showed an ounce of compassion or empathy towards these kinds of monsters. And at worst, it's simply indulging in feel-good sanctimonious back patting (i.e. "Look at me, I'm an intellectual because I imagine that intellectuals are above feeling 'negative' human emotions).
If we want to keep our society, we better hope that people continue to think of human beings that would seek to destroy them as monsters, vermin, animals and worse. “What is evil?” someone asked. Pointlessly and indiscriminately murdering innocents who were there to support loved ones participating in an event that celebrated excellence. That’s evil.
Just my 2 cents.
What? We are America, we blow up two nations before we even begin to think! Maybe I am reading this wrong, but are you saying America is being too passive and needs to be more aggressive towards the extremist? I had no idea Europeans thought about us that way...
I don't even get what point he's trying to make.
I feel like English might not be this person's first language? His grammar and mechanics are reasonable, but....
TwoWolves posts:
I think the point he's trying to make is that America (particularly under the Obama regime) is refusing to recognize the radical Muslim practice of the mean side of Islam.
Maybe?
This thread is getting wierd(er).
We don't normally confuse the industrial-military complex with the people of America*. You must be in charge I presume?
* left-wing agitators excluded of course.
There are actually people out there who still believe Bush engineered 911 and brought down the towers with "controlled implosions". So its not a stretch to see how people would deny the crimes these animal brothers committed, or sympathize with them. The sympathizer doesn't necessarily have to be a balls out sympathizer. They could instead be a soft sympathizer who suggests that we have judged the monsters to harshly and are in fact, monsters ourselves for wanting to see an actual monster executed asap. I'm not surprised these brothers were Chechen. Those animals have shown what they are about in Beslan and South Ossetia, we should have never granted such evil people asylum.
According to Fox, the youngest bomber is 19 and came to America when he was 6 so it seems the radicalization happened here. Don't know how much we'll learn about that in the trial.
The older bomber, 26, was married and had a child. He went back to Chechnya and spent 6 months there. Russia contacted the FBI and the CIA about the older bomber.
It's very safe to say there is a lot we still don't know (and may never know!).
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/mukasey-boston-bombings-jihad/2013/04/21/id/500610
I think I need to be blunt.
Next person who makes a discriminatory comment will be making his/her last comment on these forums.
It is enough that terrorists/monsters may seek to justify their motivations via a mis-construed understanding of a religion and/or idealism, but when an 'observer' declares such 'motivation' as a determination that all followers of such religion/idealism are tarred by the same brush then on THESE FORUMS you are in violation of our TOU and will be removed.
Jafo, you Australians are so mean!
Oops...
I think what he was trying to say is that the US wants to be the world leader in terms of freedom and democracy. But since 9/11, what have we really done other than Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia and other countries are having similar problems with terrorists.
There should be a unified front and the US is not taking point. As the situation is unfolding in Boston, more details emerge. And it looks like once again our intelligence community are not sharing info just like 9/11. In any case, what do we do? Try to bring them to the 21st century kicking and screaming or just leave them alone like some isolated tribes in South America who never seen a white man?
Basically, the Europeans want to know is the US gonna led them from this mess like in WWII...?
While I think there is a serious sickness in the heart of the Islamic religion, that is not the point of this topic. The religion of the perpeatrators -- for the purpose of this topic -- is irrelevant.
My general point is that if we want to keep the society we have, we should be thankful that most people's emotional instinct towards those who would seek to destroy them is anger and not compassion.
I couldn't disagree more, but then that is why I ended my rather long post on page 4 with that 'agree to disagree' remark. To me, what I posted about 'societal stewardship' is something no society on earth can afford to ignore........at least not in the long term anyway.
Understood. I was trying to prevent my post from being hijacked by people wanting to turn it into a referendum on Islam.
I understand. That's also why I posted what looks to be a 'confused face' smiley above.......
It went over the edge when you, Daiwa and I agreed! Now it is just twilight zonish.
No, not really.
Specifically President Putin asked the US administration to stop supplying the terrorists with arms.
Unfortunately, our government hasn't learn from these past mistakes. Bin Laden, Fidel Castro, Manuel Noriega, Shah of Iran.
Those who don't heed the past are doomed to repeat it in the future...
The problem is that these guys were convicted before ever seeing the inside of a court. Which suddenly happens a lot in the US(Guantanmo bay and the patriot act). I myself do have doubt that they are the ones who did it. There is a good chance that these people were set up. I don't trust the American government or military AT ALL. These people are so corrupt and dangerous that I have no doubt in my mind that they are capable of committing false flag attacks. They have been doing that many times, but still people always seem to have the idea that the government would NEVER do something like that.There is so much fishy stuff going on with this. Mercenary contractors being there before the bomb goes off. Both brothers seems to have been captured alive and then suddenly get killed and wounded. Illegal searches of homes by military and police which looks like marshal law being tested on the american people. THAT IS NOT NORMAL. The government should be asked tough questions regarding this.
This bombing will be just another excuse to take away more freedom from the american people even though a thousand times more people die from gun related crime than from terrorism.I just hope the American people wakes up soon, before they loose total control of their country too defence contractors(if it isn't already too late), which makes billions and billions of dollars every time there is a terror attack.
While I agree with you in general terms*, I can't fault the handling of this particular case. Police shot Suspect 1 in self-defense after one of their officers was shot, then pursued and arrested Suspect 2 (also armed and dangerous) after he resisted arrest. He is currently (as of yesterday) nearly incapable of speach due to an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck, and while in the hospital has been informed of his rights and provided with legal counsel. When he gets out, he will be tried in a civilian court like any other criminal.
*sort of, in that there's a problem. But "contractors being there before the bomb goes off"? "Martial law"? The British have a wonderful expression for situations like this- "Cockup before conspiracy".
That wasn't going to happen....nudge nudge wink ...
No...no...no....the fishy stuff is all housed in Area 51.....
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