Hostage Siege in Sydney - Militant Islam rears it's head

Its not being a hippy to think that there's a line to be drawn. Take the recent CIA report about "enhanced interrogation." I was thoroughly disgusted by the stuff I've read about so far and that's even accepting the context of post-9/11. Still don't think I'm in the wrong for feeling that way.

While I appreciate the point about suicide bombers, I'd be curious what effect it would actually have. Even taking out other issues like forced bombers since I have no idea what percentage they make up. But, back when you were a soldier, if you were deployed and you heard another Brit had been captured and was being tortured, would it make you more reluctant to go out the next time or would it make you more eager to go give those people a kicking?

 

Yeah, I have to admit a lot of my disgust was at the amount of torture victims who were later found to be innocent. Including at least one clear rape victim iirc. That and the faking of results. I would actually have felt better about it if they said they were doing it for revenge. At least it would be more honest.

I have to be honest, I probably wouldn't feel as bad about certain forms. Thing like white noise and stress positions I appreciate are torture, but I'm not overly fussed about them happening to captured terrorists etc. But the things like sexual assault concern me. Partly because I don't think there's a justification for subjecting anyone to it, and partly because the idea that people are willing to do that to someone and then claim a moral high ground angers me something fierce.

Which as an aside, leads me to another problem I have with torture advocates is by and large I don't think they'd be willing to do it themselves. You not so much, since I have a very low expectation of everyone on this site But it is a problem I have with a lot of people see throwing it out on facebook etc. To steal a game of thrones quote "he who passes the sentence should swing the sword"


On a serious note though, are we seen as a soft target? I've seen the term thrown out a lot by certain demographics but have those words ever come from a terrorist's mouth, or do we just assume that's the case because it happens? Thing is, much as we like to self-deprecate the UK is still a good target for terrorism due to its importance. For all the people doing the whole "we're a small country and not an empire anymore so we should be isolationist" crap, the UK is still one of the biggest players on the planet. And that's without getting into our actual involvement in the areas of conflict.

On top of that, terrorism will happen. My honest belief is that if you want to commit a terrorist act, you can. It's physically impossible to stop. Sure you can make things like bases, embassies etc harder targets, but general terrorism is easy. A bad thing to admit on the internet, but I was on a train the other day visiting Wales and after the "report suspicious packages" bit I thought how easy it would be. Not even a bomb, just take a knife on a busy commuter train and what's really going to stop you?

I'm moe than willing to be corrected, but I don't feel like the idea we're an easy target or a soft target is based in any real evidence or logic. Maybe just a few tabloid headlines.

No worries

 

Assuming he was an actual extremist (which doesn't seem to be the case apparently) then I stand by my original post that its publicity. I would have expected unreasonable demands like prisoner releases, war withdrawls etc that both sides know won't happen, but they wouldn't be real demands.

The story was all over global media, both news and social. That would be his victory achieved already. Think about it, this happened less than 24 hours ago I think and people who read the news already know his name and if they had the slightest interest can find a brief biography of the guy. We know all that about him, and nothing about any of the hostages. His message got out. People know who he is and they saw him pin up a flag. We're aware it was an act of support for the IS movement. Seems a win for me.

Again, assuming he was actually an extremist and not a mentally ill person who got caught up in it.

This to me comes under the same stuff as school shootings. I can't remember anything about who it was or why he came up with it, but there was a psychologist who studied school shootings in the US and gave a 5 or so point plan on how to report it in a way that avoids giving shooters what they're looking for and thus reducing the number of shootings. Or at least copycat ones. This story ticked all of his points for me. Hence my original post saying this should be a blackout subject.

 

Answers it well mate, and I appreciate the effort that went into it

 

QFT
"It's the thin line that separates us from those animals"

If I could quote that 100 times I would. Spot on. That man understands exactly why has has to do what he does in the way he does it, and why people like me should be so damn grateful that he does. Massive respect and thanks to him.

Mitch

 

In happy news:

http://time.com/3633380/sydney-hostage-siege-illridewithyou-australia/

Twitter hashtag campaign thingy from Aussies to say they're not letting the incident change how they treat muslims.