Are you afraid of terrorism?
Discussion
boxst said:
I'm amazed that this is the best terrorists can do. Terrible for the people involved, but very ineffectual and no one should be scared. The probability of being involved is minuscule.
That would all change if they got their act together and figured out a biological air borne substance or even more unlikely a nuclear device.
Assuming that by 'best' you mean worst, surely 9/11 is the 'best' they can do. So far at least.That would all change if they got their act together and figured out a biological air borne substance or even more unlikely a nuclear device.
As to the original question, nope. Plenty of things out there that might get you, this is just one of them, and a small one at that.
That said, I would be particularly pissed off to have my life cut short in this way. To get terminal cancer, have a plane malfunction and crash, get caught up in a fatal car crash - well, horrific though all those things are, I guess you could to some extent accept that these are 'things that happen', and unfortunately this time it's happened to you.
But to have your life ended by some w
ker with a grudge against society for a cause that doesn't exist - for no real reason in other words other than some people are simply tts. That would really fk me off! Pickled said:
I grew up on various military bases during the height of the mainland attacks - lived at RAF Uxbridge when the IRA bombed it (very soft target) lost a good school mate in this Ballygawley bus bombing and used to have frequent talks from the MOD Police at Cubs telling what type of suspicious packages to look out for, but can't ever remember being afraid, and the thought of not going up town just incase a terror attack might happen has always seemed a ridiculous, just booked a weekend to Paris and didn't give a second thought to something that might happen, I'm more worried about falling off the ladder when I'm cleaning out the gutters than being caught up in a terrorist attack.
Our paths have probably crossed .I lived on Uxbridge then locally when I married .
Also lived on Rhinedahlen later in 89/90 .
Family are ex RAF Music Service .
Probably more aware of the signs than most members of the public .
Like all related to the Forces ,I still scan my car as I approach it but not to the extent of a mirror on a stick .
I am not afraid of terrorism but I am "aware" of it .
It's the sense that some have that something is happening nearby but others don't see things right under their nose .
Not at all concerned but do have contingency plans with my wife on who takes which child if something ever did happen - not a fear thing, just good planning that may save us.
What worries me more is the level of hype and perception. Social media has enhanced the noise compared to back in the 70s, and therefore you cannot control reporting of it.
Terrorism on European soil is far far lower than the 70s and 80s, not one commentator I saw said that after this last attack - wrong perceptions are powerful. Just look at the lectures by the late Hans Rosling on TED for how as a world our perceptions are based not around stats.
What worries me more is the level of hype and perception. Social media has enhanced the noise compared to back in the 70s, and therefore you cannot control reporting of it.
Terrorism on European soil is far far lower than the 70s and 80s, not one commentator I saw said that after this last attack - wrong perceptions are powerful. Just look at the lectures by the late Hans Rosling on TED for how as a world our perceptions are based not around stats.
I'm not at all afraid, but I know many, such as my wife who are. Thankfully the majority of terrorists are low intellect simpletons for whom anything beyond the complexity of stabbing or driving a car at people is to much. Down here in the South West we had the Giraffe Café bombing a few years back where the lad involved only succeeded in blowing his hands and face up.
If we were up against educated and motivated people then it would be a whole different ball game. One only needs to see the actions of Anders Brevik to see how a well planned and executed attack can be carried out. One man, some fertiliser and a couple of legally held firearms led to a horrendous death toll in two locations.
I've always maintained you'd be far better off dumping bales of hay at every motorway junction, and on every major railway line at 07:30 on a Monday morning, that would bring the country to a standstill with no casualties.
If we were up against educated and motivated people then it would be a whole different ball game. One only needs to see the actions of Anders Brevik to see how a well planned and executed attack can be carried out. One man, some fertiliser and a couple of legally held firearms led to a horrendous death toll in two locations.
I've always maintained you'd be far better off dumping bales of hay at every motorway junction, and on every major railway line at 07:30 on a Monday morning, that would bring the country to a standstill with no casualties.
It makes the "we will not be beaten" type stuff spouted by MP's all the more pointless - the reality is no one walks around the UK feeling "I'll not let them get to me" any more than you walk around thinking "I'll not be beaten by a heart attack" .......you just get on with life and don't give it a thought (unless you are the 0.000001% that gets stabbed to death, in which case no monologue of Andrew Neil saying "so you know who you are messing with" will matter.
Jonmx said:
I'm not at all afraid, but I know many, such as my wife who are. Thankfully the majority of terrorists are low intellect simpletons for whom anything beyond the complexity of stabbing or driving a car at people is to much. Down here in the South West we had the Giraffe Café bombing a few years back where the lad involved only succeeded in blowing his hands and face up.
If we were up against educated and motivated people then it would be a whole different ball game. One only needs to see the actions of Anders Brevik to see how a well planned and executed attack can be carried out. One man, some fertiliser and a couple of legally held firearms led to a horrendous death toll in two locations.
I've always maintained you'd be far better off dumping bales of hay at every motorway junction, and on every major railway line at 07:30 on a Monday morning, that would bring the country to a standstill with no casualties.
Great post.If we were up against educated and motivated people then it would be a whole different ball game. One only needs to see the actions of Anders Brevik to see how a well planned and executed attack can be carried out. One man, some fertiliser and a couple of legally held firearms led to a horrendous death toll in two locations.
I've always maintained you'd be far better off dumping bales of hay at every motorway junction, and on every major railway line at 07:30 on a Monday morning, that would bring the country to a standstill with no casualties.
Like most on here I think, I'm not afraid right now as on the whole we do seem to be very well protected by the security and intelligence forces.
Fortunately it seems that not a massive amount of thought and planning went into the London attack on Wednesday but shows what can be done with little thought and resources. He obviously had done some research or had some outside help to know exactly where the softest target and entry point was, I'm sure that wasn't just coincidence.
As mentioned above, had the attack had the planning of someone like Brevik It could have been a much different story.
Not in the least!
I lived in central London through the height of the Irish attacks (which were more worrying than the current deash attempts) and was very close on two occasions. I fly a lot for business to a wide variety of countries. I'm just of the opinion that there's no point letting it affect my life as this would be a win for the terrorists!
If it happens, it happens! We've all got to go sometime, no point in living life in fear of 'what-ifs' and 'maybes'!
I lived in central London through the height of the Irish attacks (which were more worrying than the current deash attempts) and was very close on two occasions. I fly a lot for business to a wide variety of countries. I'm just of the opinion that there's no point letting it affect my life as this would be a win for the terrorists!
If it happens, it happens! We've all got to go sometime, no point in living life in fear of 'what-ifs' and 'maybes'!
Moonhawk said:
Not in the slightest. Terrorists have killed 92 people since 2000. In a single year almost half a million people die, over 17,000 of them in stupid accidents on the roads, around the home etc.
These charts should put things into context:
Tried mentioning things like this on the London thread. Some people took offence. These charts should put things into context:
Disastrous said:
spaximus said:
I am afraid of an act of terror but no more that in the 70's but it has undoubtedly changed in the way these are carried out. Anyone who isn't concerned should be.
What has changed is these Radical Islam nut jobs are not bothered in the slightest to be killed so the bombs that used to be planted had to be planned and took smart people to work out and carry out. You do not have to be smart to drive a car or lorry into unarmed people, or to walk onto a tube with a back pack.
Will I change what I do, no. I always check my escape route in hotels, and on planes, always have and make sure I know where to go. Panic is the worst thing when anything happens. I never walk with ear phones in and neither does my daughter as hearing might save you.
We should carry on but these nut jobs have changed our lives already, areas now have huge barriers to try to stop driving attacks or free movement in and out of buildings and events has changed, so anyone who says nothing has changed clearly have missed what has happened bit by bit.
What we need is to fund the security service better, give them access to anything they want without fear and let then stop nut jobs. Arm more police as if that attack took place in any other city in the UK would there have been several armed police there to stop him?
Afraid I disagree hugely.What has changed is these Radical Islam nut jobs are not bothered in the slightest to be killed so the bombs that used to be planted had to be planned and took smart people to work out and carry out. You do not have to be smart to drive a car or lorry into unarmed people, or to walk onto a tube with a back pack.
Will I change what I do, no. I always check my escape route in hotels, and on planes, always have and make sure I know where to go. Panic is the worst thing when anything happens. I never walk with ear phones in and neither does my daughter as hearing might save you.
We should carry on but these nut jobs have changed our lives already, areas now have huge barriers to try to stop driving attacks or free movement in and out of buildings and events has changed, so anyone who says nothing has changed clearly have missed what has happened bit by bit.
What we need is to fund the security service better, give them access to anything they want without fear and let then stop nut jobs. Arm more police as if that attack took place in any other city in the UK would there have been several armed police there to stop him?
I never check my escape routes, I don't think about being attacked and giving unlimited power to security services is the last thing we should do.
I don't think a bomb planted by someone intelligent is any better/worse than a hire car driven by a fanatic. Ultimately, if it's my day to die, I don't really care whether the car is driven by a fanatic, an OAP or a drunk driver. All the same to me.
Do you worry about, say, an hour long motorway journey?
The reason I always check I know the escape routes is simple it might never happen, but it might and if it gives me that opportunity to survive and escape then that is a good thing. Many reports of deaths in fires and other accidents were as a result of doing the wrong thing a the wrong time.
Some people can accept fate, but I don't want to leave to fate when I could change it by simple things.
As I said it will not change what I do, it never did in the 70's, but how many now would travel to Egypt? Tour operators are not flying there and the resorts are empty so terrorism has affected many and changed their mind set.
The point I was making with the Islamic terrorists is it is almost impossible to stop them unless you change every thing they want to die, 70's terrorists wanted to live to do more.
I have no fear of the security services being allowed to use whatever means to stop this evil, some do. I respect that feeling but it is the lesser of two evils.
caelite said:
Without turning it into an NP&E discussion, if so many of us have little to no fear of UK terrorism, how come there is less uproar when we have our civil liberties constantly curbed in favour of 'security'?
Perhaps there are so few terrorist attacks because the security services are doing a good job in stopping them. bearman68 said:
Not in the slightest bit worried about 'terror' attacks. I'm sure it was worse in the 70's. I am concerned that the security services are over reacting to it, so that a) Multiplies the apparent danger in 'the publics' mind, and b) enables the reduction of civil liberties, supported by said public, and c) Just makes everything a little bit more st than it need be. No more kindles on 'planes, and never ending queues of people with no shoes, and an increased programme of fk wittery that doesn't represent the real risk.
All IMO of course.
Have to say I agree - day to day I have zero worries about it, but the interference with air travel is now a complete pain in the ass...t than it need be. No more kindles on 'planes, and never ending queues of people with no shoes, and an increased programme of fk wittery that doesn't represent the real risk.All IMO of course.
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