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> I'm not sure it's reasonable to stipulate that the surveillance we conduct actually deters ISIS. I'd say its a reasonable assumption. ISIS's goal is to actua
by leereeves 10y ago
> I'm not sure it's reasonable to stipulate that the surveillance we conduct actually deters ISIS.
I'd say its a reasonable assumption. ISIS's goal is to actually succeed, not to get caught by surveillance before an attack.
> We need to grow up.
And stop trying to prevent terrorism? That's not growing up. While the Brits were playing golf during the Blitz, they were also investing vast amounts of money and lives into shooting down German planes.
- tptacek 10y agoThe comparison you're drawing is between the RAF and the harassment of Muslims in the US. Lord only knows what the other leg of your Manhattan Project metaphor would be! later edit In case this actually needs to be said: in the course of prosecuting a war against terrorism (itself a spectacularly bad idea, lending itself as it does to a perpetual state of war), we've invaded and more or less conquered Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, and are in what any reasonable person would call a state of war with Syria and Yemen. You can look at a map of west Asia to see what that adds up to.
- leereeves 10y agoI'm not drawing a comparison to harassment of Muslims. I've had similar experiences and I'm not a Muslim and CBP would have no reason to believe I was. And I resent you trying to use claims of racism to derail a discussion about reasonable precautions.
- tptacek 10y agoI think you might resent the story, which is about "claims of racism", and not so much this comment thread.
- leereeves 10y agoI'm used to people using incidents taken out of context to justify claims of racism. Sometimes, they don't even check the details, as when they pushed the story of an Olympian who was detained due to Trump's travel ban without realizing it happened under Obama.
- leereeves 10y agoresponse to later edit We haven't conquered Libya. In fact, the Obama administration pulled out and left the country in chaos and more vulnerable than ever to terrorism. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36013703 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36013703
- tptacek 10y agoAnd Montgomery's Market Garden operation failed, too. What's your point? Mine was simply that it's ridiculous to claim that the US has taken terrorism less seriously as a military objective than the UK took theirs.
- leereeves 10y ago> it's ridiculous to claim that the US has taken terrorism less seriously as a military objective than the UK took theirs Then what was the point of saying that the Brits had rules for golf during the Blitz?
- tptacek 10y agoObviously, that regardless of what our military might be doing, our societal and public policy responses to this threat have been comparatively juvenile.
- leereeves 10y agoI agree with you about one thing. The war on terror is a mistake (or a plan to make money). "Terror" can't be fought by the military. Only "societal and public policy responses" can stop terrorism. What "mature" response are you suggesting?
- ch4s3 10y agoDon't forget Somalia.
- mhluongo 10y agoNot a great analogy. The threat of terrorism isn't on par with your country surviving constant air raids, and the benefit of shooting down a raiding plane is much more clear