[helene_t]

Every day there's a front page storry about yet another (yawn...) moslem terrorist atack or other "axis-of-evil" like issues like North Korea. Judging from various American media pages I get the impression that the obsession with this issue reaches even more grotesgue proportions in the US than in Europe. The Yahoo top storries used to be a nice feature of my email account - now I've traded it for "Technology News" since it really annoyed me with all these all-so-predictable terror news. There's absolute nothing the ordinary citicans can do with it except feeling scared or getting hostile to Middle-East immigrants.

How on Earth has it come so far? It really reminds me of Orwells 1984. Imagine the following gadget: while sleeping, children have to listen to a monotone, record voice, saying:
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."

[whereagles]

Other: journalists are payed by media groups whose support for local governments includes legitimization of military action.

By the way:
'Obcessed' --> obsessed
'Moslem' --> muslim
'Domistic' --> domestic

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Jul 13 2006, 11:27 AM, said:

By the way:
'Obcessed' --> obsessed
'Moslem' --> muslim
'Domistic' --> domestic

You forgot

'allways' --> always

Not a big deal though, as long as we understand what a poster means.

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, olny taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pcleas. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by ilstef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Roland

[whereagles]

hum.. that's interesting. It does make it harder to read, though. Reading works via pattern recognition.

[Blofeld]

Just to say that "Moslem" is also valid as a transliteration.

[mike777]

helene_t, on Jul 13 2006, 02:29 AM, said:

Every day there's a front page storry about yet another (yawn...) moslem terrorist atack or other "axis-of-evil" like issues like North Korea. Judging from various American media pages I get the impression that the obsession with this issue reaches even more grotesgue proportions in the US than in Europe. The Yahoo top storries used to be a nice feature of my email account - now I've traded it for "Technology News" since it really annoyed me with all these all-so-predictable terror news. There's absolute nothing the ordinary citicans can do with it except feeling scared or getting hostile to Middle-East immigrants.

How on Earth has it come so far? It really reminds me of Orwells 1984. Imagine the following gadget: while sleeping, children have to listen to a monotone, record voice, saying:
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."
- "Christians have allways been at war with moslems ....."

I can understand the rest of the world being confused when we Americans seem so confused.

Assume the following, even if you strongly disagree, and perhaps you can understand some ordinary American reactions.

Some ordinary citizens do try and do something, they enlist voluntarily and believe they are fighting a just cause for their country.

I can understand if many disagree that the cause is unjust or being fought in the wrong place in the wrong way at the wrong time.

1) America is in a real full blown war, think World War 11.
2) We have family military members in real danger, they are getting shot at and the phone may ring at any time telling you they are dead in Iraq or other countries.
3) Friends of family members are getting wounded and killed.
4) You personally know people who were in the towers on 9-11.
5) You know people in Israel who have been hurt or killed and again the phone may ring with another death at any moment.

Of course if you just view all of this as a criminal police action, or the work of idiots in the USA government without family blood on the line you may think these assumptions are absurd.

[helene_t]

OK Mike, I can understand that those who have relatives in the army have a right to be kept informed about the security situation in countries were the relatives are serving.

Still, what I don't understand is that this issue over-shadow all other news. And much of the terrorism takes place in countries where the US have no soldiers.

[pclayton]

Isn't terrorism newsworthy these days? Or are we so nonplussed by random acts of violence?

The poll questions appear to be of the "Have you beaten your wife lately?" variety...

[helene_t]

pclayton, on Jul 13 2006, 05:43 PM, said:

The poll questions appear to be of the "Have you beaten your wife lately?" variety...

That's intentional, but in case you find terrorism newsworthy enough to justify the flood of terror spam, I included the option "other".

[joshs]

I voted for the put options. It was the funniest cause.

[inquiry]

pclayton, on Jul 13 2006, 10:43 AM, said:

Isn't terrorism newsworthy these days? Or are we so nonplussed by random acts of violence?

The poll questions appear to be of the "Have you beaten your wife lately?" variety...

A better phrase, I think, is "Are you still beating your wife".

The answer to have you beaten your life lately, is either yes or no. Yes is fully explained, but no can mean.. I have beaten her in the past but not now. Or no, I have never beaten her.

The answer to "Are you still beating your wife, if given in yes or no, leaves no wiggle room.

If yes, again fully explained. IF no, it means I am not still beating my wife, but the implication is at one time I was.

But who knows, either way really works for its purppse.

[Blofeld]

And the classical (and most leading, imo) version: "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

[bid_em_up]

Other: Because its sensationalism and attracts readers. Which in turn, attracts advertisers, otherwise known as dollars. And money makes the world go 'round.

Love has absolutely nothing to do with it.

[bid_em_up]

Blofeld, on Jul 13 2006, 02:23 PM, said:

And the classical (and most leading, imo) version: "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Oh? I guess you never heard "Does your mother know that you're gay?" or "Does your priest know that you have sex with animals?"?

Ah, the kids in my school were cruel...

[jikl]

The one at my school was "Are you still having sex with your sister?"

Sean

[luke warm]

helene_t, on Jul 13 2006, 02:29 AM, said:

How on Earth has it come so far?

i think it's because the acts of terrorists affect everyone on earth, some directly, some indirectly, and some who are oblivious