Mumbai

[Inder]

The communal rioting after all of this is going to be great fun.

Here's hoping they can resolve this with minimal casualties.

[Noise Inspector]

Already up to 80 deaths last I heard.. :(

[Dr. Medulla]

Not going to be good. At all.

[Inder]

BBC is reporting there were sixteen separate attacks in the commercial district.

[Dr. Medulla]

This attack is why I've thought a lot of the fear over terrorism in the US is somewhat overblown. If there were active terror cells in the US, they could accomplish a great deal in terms of panic and insecurity by coordinating a bombing or shooting inside, say, movie theatres in different cities. Hijacking planes or dirty bombs have a lot of Hollywood cachet, but a coordinated attack on civilians during leisure activities would be highly unnerving and effective, I think.

[101Walterton]

This attack is why I've thought a lot of the fear over terrorism in the US is somewhat overblown. If there were active terror cells in the US, they could accomplish a great deal in terms of panic and insecurity by coordinating a bombing or shooting inside, say, movie theatres in different cities. Hijacking planes or dirty bombs have a lot of Hollywood cachet, but a coordinated attack on civilians during leisure activities would be highly unnerving and effective, I think.

A synical person might say you get your moneys worth from your taxes in protection alone

[Dr. Medulla]

This attack is why I've thought a lot of the fear over terrorism in the US is somewhat overblown. If there were active terror cells in the US, they could accomplish a great deal in terms of panic and insecurity by coordinating a bombing or shooting inside, say, movie theatres in different cities. Hijacking planes or dirty bombs have a lot of Hollywood cachet, but a coordinated attack on civilians during leisure activities would be highly unnerving and effective, I think.

A synical person might say you get your moneys worth from your taxes in protection alone

Check please!

[Inder]

CNN's beating the "targeting Westerners"/possible Al Qaeda ties drum ad naus, much to my distress and irritation.

I suspect that if it wasn't for these witness accounts that the perps were asking for Westerners to identify themselves, this would probably be a "Kashmiri separatists" story rather than a "terrorist attack" media line.

[eumaas]

This attack is why I've thought a lot of the fear over terrorism in the US is somewhat overblown. If there were active terror cells in the US, they could accomplish a great deal in terms of panic and insecurity by coordinating a bombing or shooting inside, say, movie theatres in different cities. Hijacking planes or dirty bombs have a lot of Hollywood cachet, but a coordinated attack on civilians during leisure activities would be highly unnerving and effective, I think.

A synical person might say you get your moneys worth from your taxes in protection alone

God knows the terrorists don't have any grievances against us because of the actions of our government.

[Dr. Medulla]

CNN's beating the "targeting Westerners"/possible Al Qaeda ties drum ad naus, much to my distress and irritation.

I suspect that if it wasn't for these witness accounts that the perps were asking for Westerners to identify themselves, this would probably be a "Kashmiri separatists" story rather than a "terrorist attack" media line.

The TPTB are so fucking solipsistic that they assume their audience is as well—if it can't be spun into something that places "us" in the middle, no one will care.

[Rat Patrol]

CNN's beating the "targeting Westerners"/possible Al Qaeda ties drum ad naus, much to my distress and irritation.

I suspect that if it wasn't for these witness accounts that the perps were asking for Westerners to identify themselves, this would probably be a "Kashmiri separatists" story rather than a "terrorist attack" media line.

The TPTB are so fucking solipsistic that they assume their audience is as well—if it can't be spun into something that places "us" in the middle, no one will care.

ZOMG! Trr'st attack on Prez'dint-'lect BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S watch!!1! This never would've happened if we elected a git'r'done Republican.

Wait, what?

[Dr. Medulla]

CNN's beating the "targeting Westerners"/possible Al Qaeda ties drum ad naus, much to my distress and irritation.

I suspect that if it wasn't for these witness accounts that the perps were asking for Westerners to identify themselves, this would probably be a "Kashmiri separatists" story rather than a "terrorist attack" media line.

The TPTB are so fucking solipsistic that they assume their audience is as well—if it can't be spun into something that places "us" in the middle, no one will care.

ZOMG! Trr'st attack on Prez'dint-'lect BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S watch!!1! This never would've happened if we elected a git'r'done Republican.

Wait, what?

It also proves that only white Christians (especially those speaking English) are the only ones who care about peace and civilization.

[coffeepotman]

My views have been changing over time and I now think that maybe the reason that we don't have things like this happen in the US is because we a such a heavily armed nation. Maybe guns really do keep America free. LET THE FLAMING BEGIN, but we've never had the problems as eastern and western Europe has like being invaded by other countries, fascist/communist dictators, military coups and terrorist attacks in the streets. (Besides Timothy McVeigh, and he was an ex vet who the military probable did experiments on anyway, that's why they executed him so quickly) We have our share of nuts who go into schools and workplaces and shoot them up but that happens elsewhere too. It could also be our isolation on the other side of the world and I don't think Canada wants to invade the US even though the weather is much warmer here. 9/11 had people crashing planes from the sky but it wasn't attackers on the streets. And another thing is that Americans fight back. The rest of the world might not like it, and I agree sometimes but we would rather live free or die. Were not gonna roll over, you hit us and we'll hit you back 10 times as hard. It might not be right all the time but that is just how it is. This all sounds strange coming from me because I'm a pretty far left leaning guy but like a said my views are changing on this issue anyway. I don't own a gun but I'm starting to think that its good that some people do, the government might think twice before turning on it's own people. Oh and No I DIDN'T vote George Bush.

[Dr. Medulla]

If you're going to make the argument that relatively easy access to guns makes America immune to violence, I'd like you to consider these points:

(1) In the late 60s, early 70s, the US was plagued by domestic terrorism from the left and vigilante and organized violence from the right. Can't happen in the US?
(2) Murder and gun violence rates are higher in the US than in, say, Canada or Europe? Why is that? Is numbingly regular and widespread gun violence more acceptable than a spectacular terrorist attack?
(3) You casually dismiss 11 Sept or Oklahoma City as seemingly not counting in your claim that the US is safer than other nations. That seems a rather dubious line of argument—the dead are still dead. But why haven't countries like, again, Canada or Norway been hit by the kind of terrorist violence seen in India or the US?
(4) What do you attribute the Mumbai attacks to? A lack of guns? People not caring about their own safety?

[coffeepotman]

Points well taken.