Kinja reply list

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ReburnsABurningReturnsHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:21am
Terrorism, in the colloquial sense that it includes the rise of ISIS, is not a sideshow.

Defeating ISIS is a moral responsibility for us, because we can directly trace their rise to our horrifyingly dumb choices. Millions of people face death or, if they are “lucky”, cultural subjugation and oppression as a result of ISIS.

I understand that isn’t what most people think of when they talk about “Terrorism”, but I do think the defeat of ISIS deserves a very close 3rd place to your other top two priorities, not because we have a great deal to fear from them, but because millions of people who live much closer to them do, and it is our fault.
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  Thaddeus S. VentureReburnsABurningReturns
  12/15/15 10:30am
  You make a decent point with the “...and it is our fault”, but that fault lies in our insistence in involving ourselves in middle east politics because of our addiction to oil. Continuing down that same path isn’t getting us anywhere. What’s that Einstein said about insanity? Warhawks, right, left, and center, are clearly insane.
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  AnnieBodyReburnsABurningReturns
  12/15/15 10:36am
  Okay but here’s the thing about that: the last few times we tried to fix shit over there we created even bigger problems. At what point do we acknowledge that our meddling is causing a lot of the problems and maybe the answer needs to be: stop meddling. How can the answer to the problem created the last time we got militarily involved in that region be more military involvement in the region? Who emerges in the next power vacuum we create? It doesn’t seem like we do well creating democratic states after we impose freedom. Do you truly believe this time will be different and we will make the smart choices (which I’m not sure there are many) and peace, harmony and stability will be the result?
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Harry BellafonteHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:07am
Hamno, you continue to minimize an issue that is both real and substantial for the vast majority of Americans. Just because terrorism is at the forefront of our minds doesn’t mean that we somehow don’t care about the other issues you raise here. It only means that terrorism, for whatever reason, is scarier, more real, and a larger threat to our everyday lives than everything else.

To minimize terrorism as anything other than a “real issue” is stupid, and will do nothing to help bring those issues that YOU think are the most important ones to the forefront. Terrorism is not going away, so unless we come up with a way to realistically address it, and have a dialogue that doesn’t reduce fear of terrorism to being simply a distraction, nothing else can be addressed.

Get over your “holier than thou” act or whatever the fuck this is. Start talking about solutions rather than bemoaning the ills of life. You’re being a lazy journalist.
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  ironic_usernameHarry Bellafonte
  12/15/15 10:15am
  You make some really salient points here. Maybe you should duct tape plastic over your windows and doors just to be extra sure you’re safe.
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  Emily_8361Harry Bellafonte
  12/15/15 10:20am
  First, it’s not for “whatever reason.” It’s because politicians and media tell us to be afraid of the terrorists and playing right into their hands. Second, it may not prevent us from caring about those issues. However, we have spent trillions of dollars on an ineffective “war on terror.” That money could have been spent to fix our crumbling infrastructure. Also, while we’re distracted by the fear of terrorism, income inequality continues to rise, jobs continue to leave overseas, etc. These issues IMO is more of a threat to our country’s future well being.
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Flow BeeHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:03am
A scared person is an easily controlled person. Americans would do well to ask themselves why the media and politicians want them to be so scared all the time.
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  toothpetardFlow Bee
  12/15/15 10:16am
  We just love our morality plays.
  
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  GoBackItsATrapFlow Bee
  12/15/15 10:22am
  that requires a certain amount of self-awareness...
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Jerry-NetherlandHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:15am
Well, this is happening now:

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED HAS JUST CLOSED THE ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOWN BECAUSE OF BOMB THREATS

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la…
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  LuisGJerry-Netherland
  12/15/15 10:21am
  Yeah, good timing by Hamilton on posting this.
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  Jerry-NetherlandLuisG
  12/15/15 10:26am
  It does seem like over-reaction, sending home 650,000 students and all teachers & staff, but they’re showing the school bus yards with thousands of school buses returned (many already had kids on them and had to turn around):
  
  http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/show/live-vide…
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emptycontentHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:04am
Between September 12, 2001, and now, you had a better chance of being killed by lightning than dying from a terrorist attack on US soil.

Killed. Not struck by lightning which are even better odds, killed.
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  Pink Skullemptycontent
  12/15/15 11:15am
  Good thing mass shootings don’t count as terrorism.
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IAMBlastedBiggsLostBurnerHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:18am
Terrorism is the sort of thing that is so effective because it hits at core emotions regarding personal safety (or lack of it). It’s asymmetrical, doesn’t conform to easily identified boundaries, and has it’s roots firmly planted in complete randomness. Also, it comes from a set of internal beliefs, which is why the “War on Terror” was a fucking shitstorm from the start: you can’t go to war against an emotion, because you’ll never see the end of it. In fact, fighting it makes it stronger, which then elicits the counter action where those who see themselves as victims begin to act from a sense of reactive rage, which then hits back at the terrorists, and so on and so on and so fucking on.

There is no easy answer to how to eliminate it—though an acceptance of the true fragility of life itself might be a good start, because it might curb some of the desire to consider the use of armed force as a first option—but it's pretty safe to say that the live-in-fear/kill-everything-that-frightens-us reaction cycle simply doesn't work.
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  ARP2IAMBlastedBiggsLostBurner
  12/15/15 10:33am
  Which is particularly amusing when the Bush Administration wanted to bomb Iraq and accused those who opposed it of having a “Pre 9/11” mentality.
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  IAMBlastedBiggsLostBurnerARP2
  12/15/15 10:40am
  Indeed. The "Pre 9/11, Hey, Let's Actually Think About This For A Minute" mentality. Man, I miss that...
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10" Rubber BilboHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:21am
“creating rules for shared economic prosperity with poorer nations”

Wait, since when is that an important issue? Our government’s responsibility is to make us prosperous. “Guardians of our liberty” and all that jazz, y’know? Making other nations prosperous isn’t necessarily orthogonal to that, but it is, at best, a happy side-effect.
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  Thaddeus S. Venture10" Rubber Bilbo
  12/15/15 10:32am
  Are you familiar with the term neighborhood?
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  10" Rubber BilboThaddeus S. Venture
  12/15/15 10:35am
  Yes.
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Watchu Talkin Bout WillisHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:18am
America, fear is the pencil sharpener of reality. And you, America, should be very sharp. Americans, in my administration, I Ted Cruz, will make certain that each and every American is blanketed with fear until the feeling no longer holds any significant meaning.

America, you are already as pliable as a slow cooked toddler, but my administration will make certain that you lose all ability to object to the inevitable coming of the Lord. And I assure you, the Dark Lord will come everywhere.

Be afraid America. Be afraid of ISIS and Mojitos. Be afraid of men with beards and women with mouths. Let fear pulse through your fingers until you are compelled to vacate any and all remaining ounces of better judgement and drop your ballot into the box with a happy little star next to my name, Tedward Cruz.

Make Cthulu digest you all!

Tedward Cruz 2016!
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  AnnieBodyWatchu Talkin Bout Willis
  12/15/15 10:30am
  Mr. Tedward, you look like the kind of man who could, at best, grow a patchy molester beard. No doubt that’s part of why you want us to fear the beard.
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  Watchu Talkin Bout WillisAnnieBody
  12/15/15 10:38am
  
  GIF
  
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GeorgeGeoffersonLivesHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:03am
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  tracyallenparksGeorgeGeoffersonLives
  12/15/15 10:14am
  omg was that not the best tweet!
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MockingbirdHillHamilton Nolan
12/15/15 10:22am
If you are afraid of the shadowy terrorist hiding in the bushes then you can’t focus on stagnant wages, massive wealth inequality, melting polar icecaps, loss of biodiversity, the removal of regulations, healthcare, pensions, civil liberties, reproductive rights, Veteran’s healthcare, uparmoring of police, illegal search and seizure laws, regressive taxes, corporate favoring trade deals, the Military industrial complex, removal of Glass-Steagal, internet throttling, patriot act, institutional racism, or a few corporations controlling almost all forms of media in your neighborhood. I think it works pretty good, all things considered.
What you don’t know about your neighbors just might kill your baby! Stay tuned to CNN!
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