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The degree to which ordinary Americans are isolated from the violence of these conflicts is mind-boggling. The notable absence of car-bombs alone is telling how

The degree to which ordinary Americans are isolated from the violence of these conflicts is mind-boggling. The notable absence of car-bombs alone is telling how privileged we are to be able to lead our lives without fear of getting murked on the way to Starbucks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_car_bombings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_car_bombings

beervirus 6y ago
Why is that mind-boggling? We spend a lot of money and employ a lot of people to prevent domestic terrorists from doing such things.
- phobosanomaly 6y ago
  The mechanism itself is not mind-boggling to me. I'm in awe of the degree to which a democracy can set in motion tremendous violence seemingly on a whim with the voting constituents of the democracy being utterly divorced from the end-result.
ardit33 6y ago
Mass shootings (either, school shootings, shootings in church, shootings in clubs, that vegas shooter, the occasional incel shooter, etc.. etc..), are a form of terrorism, albeit not necessary with political motives. Most of the world do not experience them either.
- sharkweek 6y ago
  I can say we have been effectively terrorized by mass shootings when things like this hang in kindergarten classrooms: https://i.imgur.com/ztiYy9R.png https://i.imgur.com/ztiYy9R.png
  - phobosanomaly 6y ago
    It's terrible, right? But, it's important to contextualize it with the level of violence occurring in these countries destabilized as a result of US foreign policy. Much of it makes the violence in the US (as horrific as it is) look like Sesame Street: "On 9 August 2018, Saudi Arabian expeditionary aircraft bombed a civilian school bus passing through a crowded market in Dahyan, Saada Governorate, Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia. At least 40 children were killed, all under 15 years old and most under age 10." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahyan_air_strike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahyan_air_strike "MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan — Four attacks across Afghanistan on Saturday night and Sunday killed at least 26 government security officers, while two schools were also set ablaze, according to Afghan officials." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/world/asia/afghanistan-attacks-schools.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/world/asia/afghanistan-at... "BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber detonated a truck filled with explosives on the playground of an elementary school in northern Iraq on Sunday morning, killing 13 children and the headmaster, the police said. Shortly afterward, another suicide truck bomb struck a police station in the same village, killing three officers." https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/middleeast/deadly-bombing-at-elementary-school-playground-in-iraq.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/middleeast/deadly-b... "HELMAND, Afghanistan/KABUL (Reuters) - At least 40 civilians attending a wedding party were killed by explosions and gunfire during a raid by U.S.-backed Afghan government forces on a nearby Islamist militant hideout, officials in Helmand province said on Monday." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack/at-least-35-people-at-wedding-party-killed-during-nearby-afghan-army-raid-idUSKBN1W80MI https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack/at-lea... This stuff just goes on...and on...and on... But, compare it with the death tolls from school shootings in the United States within the last 20 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States_by_death_toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_th... Consider that our foreign policy can have the effect on others that school shooters have on our own children.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
    Do they learn to sing that like a hymn?
- phobosanomaly 6y ago
  I would say that most of the world isn't running around overthrowing governments. My point is that we are insulated from the fallout of overthrowing governments. Not that we don't have a problem with school shooters. It's that we can roll into a country, overthrow the leader resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and feel zero domestic impact from that.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
bananabreakfast 6y ago
What are you talking about? Nearly all American children lead their lives with the everyday fear that they are going to get shot at school.
- phobosanomaly 6y ago
  > "The degree to which ordinary Americans are isolated from the violence of <these conflicts> is mind-boggling." I am not personally familiar with any school shootings in the United States that were perpetrated by militants from Iraq or Afghanistan.............?

beervirus 6y ago

Why is that mind-boggling? We spend a lot of money and employ a lot of people to prevent domestic terrorists from doing such things.

phobosanomaly 6y ago
The mechanism itself is not mind-boggling to me. I'm in awe of the degree to which a democracy can set in motion tremendous violence seemingly on a whim with the voting constituents of the democracy being utterly divorced from the end-result.

ardit33 6y ago

Mass shootings (either, school shootings, shootings in church, shootings in clubs, that vegas shooter, the occasional incel shooter, etc.. etc..), are a form of terrorism, albeit not necessary with political motives. Most of the world do not experience them either.

sharkweek 6y ago
I can say we have been effectively terrorized by mass shootings when things like this hang in kindergarten classrooms: https://i.imgur.com/ztiYy9R.png https://i.imgur.com/ztiYy9R.png
- phobosanomaly 6y ago
  It's terrible, right? But, it's important to contextualize it with the level of violence occurring in these countries destabilized as a result of US foreign policy. Much of it makes the violence in the US (as horrific as it is) look like Sesame Street: "On 9 August 2018, Saudi Arabian expeditionary aircraft bombed a civilian school bus passing through a crowded market in Dahyan, Saada Governorate, Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia. At least 40 children were killed, all under 15 years old and most under age 10." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahyan_air_strike https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahyan_air_strike "MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan — Four attacks across Afghanistan on Saturday night and Sunday killed at least 26 government security officers, while two schools were also set ablaze, according to Afghan officials." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/world/asia/afghanistan-attacks-schools.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/15/world/asia/afghanistan-at... "BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber detonated a truck filled with explosives on the playground of an elementary school in northern Iraq on Sunday morning, killing 13 children and the headmaster, the police said. Shortly afterward, another suicide truck bomb struck a police station in the same village, killing three officers." https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/middleeast/deadly-bombing-at-elementary-school-playground-in-iraq.html https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/07/world/middleeast/deadly-b... "HELMAND, Afghanistan/KABUL (Reuters) - At least 40 civilians attending a wedding party were killed by explosions and gunfire during a raid by U.S.-backed Afghan government forces on a nearby Islamist militant hideout, officials in Helmand province said on Monday." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack/at-least-35-people-at-wedding-party-killed-during-nearby-afghan-army-raid-idUSKBN1W80MI https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack/at-lea... This stuff just goes on...and on...and on... But, compare it with the death tolls from school shootings in the United States within the last 20 years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States_by_death_toll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_th... Consider that our foreign policy can have the effect on others that school shooters have on our own children.
- LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
  Do they learn to sing that like a hymn?
phobosanomaly 6y ago
I would say that most of the world isn't running around overthrowing governments. My point is that we are insulated from the fallout of overthrowing governments. Not that we don't have a problem with school shooters. It's that we can roll into a country, overthrow the leader resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and feel zero domestic impact from that.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

bananabreakfast 6y ago

What are you talking about? Nearly all American children lead their lives with the everyday fear that they are going to get shot at school.

phobosanomaly 6y ago
> "The degree to which ordinary Americans are isolated from the violence of <these conflicts> is mind-boggling." I am not personally familiar with any school shootings in the United States that were perpetrated by militants from Iraq or Afghanistan.............?