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People always freak out when this happens. As long as there have been people with enough hate (or often political motives) there has always been terrorist attac
by coldcode 11y ago
People always freak out when this happens. As long as there have been people with enough hate (or often political motives) there has always been terrorist attacks. Even the Romans suffered as much.
I don't think there is any solution which makes everyone perfectly safe. Politicians always want to guarantee perfect safety but it's not possible. Some things you can prevent, some things you can stop, but some horrible thing will inevitably happen.
- michaelmcmillan 11y agoYou seem to attribute a lot to politics. I would argue that religion is the variable that plays the dominant role in this war of ideas.
- ascorbic 11y agoIn these situations, religion is politics.
- swiley 11y agoThis isn't talked about enough. More people in both secular and religious contexts need to notice how bad this can get sometimes.
- michaelmcmillan 11y agoHow does the actual belief in paradise have anything to do with politics?
- twoquestions 11y agoYou and many others seem to post that there is a mental cancer infecting 1.5 billion people on this planet, and at any time it could transform its host into a bloodthirsty murderer seemingly at random. I don't buy it.
- kbart 11y agoAll religions are mental cancer, some just have more serious consequences than others.
- tomp 11y agoThat's not exactly true; e.g. in the UK, there was a lot of terrorism in the past by IRA - although Ireland and the UK have different religions, I don't think that was the main issue. The main issue was divisions between two groups of people and the resulting inter-group hate. On the other hand, religion is probably the most important, yet arbitrary and completely illogical, divisive influence in the world. So, religion most definitely is to blame.
- DanBC 11y agoYou don't think religion was the main issue in the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarian_violence#Northern_Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarian_violence#Northern_Ir...
- matthewmacleod 11y agoThe parent's point is valid – although religion is the most obvious expression of social division, the roots are deeper. People don't erupt in open warfare due to differences in religion unless there are other issues – such as social injustice, or economic differentials, or so on.
- pjc50 11y agoNot religion in the sense of theological belief, but religion in the sense of loyalty and belonging. Christianity fractured in 1517 over the question of the extent of Papal authority and corruption. This led to centuries of power struggle as to who was superior: papal authority or civil authority? The UK eventually decided for civil authority in 1688 by installing a Parliament-respecting Protestant monarch rather than a Pope-respecting absolutist Catholic monarch. The ensuing fighting was ended at the Boyne in 1690. But it's still a battle the commemoration of which leads to fighting in the street in NI. This led to a position of Catholic oppression by Protestants for centuries. Is this really a religious issue, or a self-perpetuating cycle of violence?
- amelius 11y agoI would say that religion is only a means here. The underlying reason for the problems is political failure.
- tobltobs 11y agoWhereby the biggest political failure is to not separate politics and religion.
- mozumder 11y agoIt's less religion and more economic disparity. That's why you have beheadings in Mexico as well.
- vixen99 11y agoYour comment invites an extended response (from me, anyway) but we all know that HN is not the place for it. Out of interest, can anyone suggest an HN-style aggregator where cool argument, free speech and pertinent observations on topics of this kind can be put forward for discussion in a civilized manner? Reddit does not appeal but I haven't visited it for some time.
- severine 11y agoMetaFilter, perhaps?