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Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
"Looking the Wrong Way
New York City’s new search policy is a waste.
By Heather Mac Donald
Time to get real: Only Muslims commit Islamic terrorism. By definition. Ask Osama bin Laden, who called on Muslims, and Muslims only, to kill Americans wherever they can find us.
Yet the New York Police Department has promised that its new policy of subway bag checks will be scrupulously random. This senseless sacrifice to political correctness will waste precious police resources with little improvement in public safety.
The British police have just released photos of the suspects in the Thursday subway bomb attempts. Did the police look for freckled-face Irish lassies on the subway videotapes? Unlikely. The suspects all appear to be South Asian or North African. The British are indifferent to the civil-libertarian hysterics because they were just attacked and fear they will soon be again. It will apparently take another strike on U. S. soil to wake up NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly and the rest of the American law-enforcement establishment that public safety comes before political correctness.
To be sure, random checks have a certain logic. There is always a chance that al Qaeda will be able to persuade a Minnesotan grandmother, say, to carry a bomb onto a New York subway. If law enforcement pays extra attention to people of apparent Muslim origin, it risks ignoring the non-conventional Islamic terrorist.
But that risk is far smaller than the risk that while a police officer is inspecting the golf-club bag of a Manhattan banker on his way to Westchester, a Pakistani carrying a bomb will slip onto the Number 4 line. It is unlikely that al Qaeda and other Muslim terror groups have recruited large numbers of Anglo-Europeans to their cause; the vast majority of would-be killers remain al Qaeda’s core constituency: disaffected Middle Easterners, South Asians, and North Africans.
The disconnect between what we know and what we do remains stunning to behold. Public discourse after the 7/7 bombings focused exclusively on Muslim extremism — has it been exacerbated by the Iraq invasion, say, or is it provoked by an abstract ideological hostility to the West? Yet when it comes to taking action, government officials pretend that all groups are equally likely to commit Islamic terrorism and that Muslim identity should play no role in targeting preemptive law-enforcement action.
There’s always a hope that the NYPD is lying through its teeth, and will in fact allow its officers to notice national origin and back them up against the inevitable lawsuits. If Commissioner Kelly means what he says, however, it will be most interesting to observe whether following another New York attack, the NYPD searches for leads among worshippers in St. Patrick’s Cathedral with the same alacrity as it canvasses Brooklyn’s radical mosques.
— Heather Mac Donald is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research."
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
Based on this morning's news reports it would appear that, after a THIRD round of London 'Tube' station evacuations, that MI5 and London Police are now conducting 'thorough' searches of would-be underground passengers with particular emphasis paid to detaining and searching young men of arab/north african appearance. Given the British gov'ts limited resources and the apparent determination of Islamic Terrorists to keep on hitting British civilian targets, this is certainly understandable (albeit not politically correct).
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
"Muslims commit Islamic terrorism. By definition"
so we somehow KNOW that every act of terrorism is one of ISLAMIC terrorism? Wow...does the crystal ball get HBO too?
Unless you know the act is one of ISLAMIC terrorists, ISLAMIC profiling is no good...it gives the non-islamic terroristgroups a free ride.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by discretedancer
"Muslims commit Islamic terrorism. By definition"
so we somehow KNOW that every act of terrorism is one of ISLAMIC terrorism? Wow...does the crystal ball get HBO too?
Unless you know the act is one of ISLAMIC terrorists, ISLAMIC profiling is no good...it gives the non-islamic terroristgroups a free ride.
Wake up sleeping beauty... there you go... open those big wide beautiful eyes... it's not the Irish that are laying the bombs now...
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
I find this to be pure bigotry and of no value what so ever.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by TnT
I find this to be pure bigotry and of no value what so ever.
Well, maybe social evolution will occur - as in Islamic Radicals finally reaching the point of blowing up Berkeley?:-\
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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as in Islamic Radicals finally reaching the point of blowing up Berkeley?
why would they blow up one of their strongest allies ?
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by Melonie
why would they blow up one of their strongest allies ?
Cause those women don't wear bra's and like to speak their minds!
Like the Nazi's (and the Iraqi's/Egyptians/Afghani's) they will turn on their own... I wouldn't doubt it if they were planning something special for the west coast this time around.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
Great input Seraya . It's nice to get a first hand viewpoint .
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
obviously, Seraya is there ... but she can't see everything going on in the UK ...
and probably even more telling ...
and most important of all where the topic of this thread is concerned ...
"A second joint meeting of the leaders of the three biggest political parties - along with their home affairs spokesmen - reconvenes today to review proposals for tightening anti-terrorist laws drawn up by chief police officers. Last week's first meeting was truncated by Thursday's failed bomb attack."
~
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
The point was that you stated you have not seen 'passenger searches' taking place in London, a statement which was instantly lauded by TnT, but which was contradictory to news reports aired in the USA.
Certainly 'passenger searches', or more specifically 'passenger searches' which specifically profile young males of arab/north african appearance in order to make such searches practical given the limited manpower of London Police, is one of the first topics for today's joint meeting. I had not realized that last week's meeting, which was supposed to have officially approved 'profiling', was in fact disrupted by a well timed (but failed) terrorist attack.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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The point was that you stated you have not seen 'passenger searches' taking place in London, a statement which was instantly lauded by TnT, but which was contradictory to news reports aired in the USA.
WTF is "lauded" /:O
I just looked the word up in my online websters and it came back no such word .
And seriously what a terrible thing it was for me to have appreciated a first hand view from London ::)
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
I wasn't slamming you TnT ... I was merely pointing out that Seraya's local assessment of London events was not consistent with US news reports of 'passenger searches' taking place. Your extremely timely response to Seraya's post could have simply been appreciative of any first hand info from London. However, it could also come across as implying/supporting a conclusion that the US news reports of London 'passenger searches' were not true.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by Casual Observer
Idiocy.
Profiling works.
Aja... as do warrantless searches & seizures, censorship, repression of "undesireable" religions and religious beliefs, interrogation and/or trial without counsel, supression of speech, etc., etc., etc.
Just think... we can solve all our problems in one fell swoop and live in a perfect little ordered society where there's no terrorism, no crime, and "the trains run on time" if we can just see our way clear to go ahead and flush the whole fucking Bill of Rights down the toilet asap!
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by GnBeret
... a perfect little ordered society where there's no terrorism, no crime, and "the trains run on time" ..!
If we have to go with the whole Singapore model, at least we get that cool "caning" shit.
:bullwhip:
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by stant
If we have to go with the whole Singapore model, at least we get that cool "caning" shit.
:bullwhip:
K... but only if it comes with 5'0", 98lb., Asian girls clad in black leather...
Damn, did I say that out loud?
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by GnBeret
Aja... as do warrantless searches & seizures, censorship, repression of "undesireable" religions and religious beliefs, interrogation and/or trial without counsel, supression of speech, etc., etc., etc.
Just think... we can solve all our problems in one fell swoop and live in a perfect little ordered society where there's no terrorism, no crime, and "the trains run on time" if we can just see our way clear to go ahead and flush the whole fucking Bill of Rights down the toilet asap!
There will be some jazz loving White Rose crowd out there somewhere looking to make trouble...
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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Originally Posted by stant
If we have to go with the whole Singapore model, at least we get that cool "caning" shit.
:bullwhip:
YOu know what, I think that little punk should have gotten his ass whooped.
We ain't heard nothing about him since have we?
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
I don't think anyone heard you GB, so I bumped it up:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GnBeret
K... but only if it comes with 5'0", 98lb., Asian girls clad in black leather...
Damn, did I say that out loud?
Guess what Deog.... a quick search on this topic turned up the news that the dumbass punk white boy that was caned a few years ago, causing much public whining, was more recently busted in Florida for abusing butane as a drug. Yes, butane.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
Well, I spend about half my time in London, and regularly use the tube, and aside from the Circle line being closed, I haven't noticed any bag checks anywhere or major disruption. Maybe there are some random checks somewhere, but I haven't noticed them. Maybe we don't have to because the video surveillance in London is like Big Brother!!! Manhattan doesn't have that kind of surveillance except up by Columbia Univ - 116th up to about 125th. Anyway... the Muslim situation in the UK and France is VERY different from anything we see in the US. I'm an American who lives in Paris and London. The UK has SERIOUS homegrown problems on its hands. The French have a serious problem as well, but have handled it very well via strongarm tactics. They learned their "homegrown" lessons and how to deal with it from the Algerian terrorist situation years ago.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
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The French have a serious problem as well, but have handled it very well via strongarm tactics. They learned their "homegrown" lessons and how to deal with it from the Algerian terrorist situation years ago.
Absolutely true, but rarely publicized !
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
Absolutely...it never fails to amaze me how the US gets thrashed for even its most minor slip-ups, while the French, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, Australia, ad infinitum...etc...etc...etc... can have even worse imperfections/flaws institutionalized and not even questioned. I've lived and worked most of my adult life outside the US...worldwide. The US is just held to an extraordinarily higher standard.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
Re: bag checks & violation of "rights":
In Paris, the police have been doing random bag searches and detainments in the Metro (subway) for years. They always detain, search and question people who they think look suspicious; i.e. anyone of color. I've never seen a light-skinned person going through one of the searches. always felt sorry for them. they carry automatic rifle/machine gun looking things - stop people randomly, and go through their stuff. We don't have that in the UK or US. Strangely though, I think the Paris Metro system, especially in the banlieu areas on the RER, is the most unsafe I've experienced in the world - uncontrolled violent hooligans. Manhattan and London are candyland in comparison....my opinion.
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Re: Weekend Commentary - next chapter in Political Correctness vs National Security
I bet $100 on national Security to win.