The terrorist attacks we don't care about
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As many of you know, there are terrible mass killings carried out often in many places in the world, but most of them get little to no attention from the news media or from us on social media. Or from nations' governments, for that matter. I thought we needed a thread for all of these awful attacks that kill so many people in places most of us are not so familiar with. Our sense of detachment from people outside of the "western world" is a sad reflection of its biases, but I'd like for these things not to go as unnoticed as they are.
So, most recently, and one that hits home for me because I work at a university and do have a minor fear of it happening on my own campus: The Taliban attack at Bacha Khan University in Pakistan. There has been some coverage of course, a few minor mentions, but no one really seems to give a shit. But they are making a comeback, killing innocent people, crushing the rights of people, particularly women and girls, and doing their disgusting thing over in Pakistan and other places. The NY Times claims that the attack has renewed fears... and I'm sure that is very true in Pakistan. But it sure doesn't seem to have renewed any western fear or even concern.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/world/asia/bacha-khan-university-attack-charsadda.html
And this would be a good place to discuss why "we" don't care about these attacks outside countries that are mostly white. There are plenty of theories to talk about!
![;) ;)](https://community.pearljam.com/plugins/emojiextender/emoji/yahoo/wink.gif)
As many of you know, there are terrible mass killings carried out often in many places in the world, but most of them get little to no attention from the news media or from us on social media. Or from nations' governments, for that matter. I thought we needed a thread for all of these awful attacks that kill so many people in places most of us are not so familiar with. Our sense of detachment from people outside of the "western world" is a sad reflection of its biases, but I'd like for these things not to go as unnoticed as they are.
So, most recently, and one that hits home for me because I work at a university and do have a minor fear of it happening on my own campus: The Taliban attack at Bacha Khan University in Pakistan. There has been some coverage of course, a few minor mentions, but no one really seems to give a shit. But they are making a comeback, killing innocent people, crushing the rights of people, particularly women and girls, and doing their disgusting thing over in Pakistan and other places. The NY Times claims that the attack has renewed fears... and I'm sure that is very true in Pakistan. But it sure doesn't seem to have renewed any western fear or even concern.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/world/asia/bacha-khan-university-attack-charsadda.html
And this would be a good place to discuss why "we" don't care about these attacks outside countries that are mostly white. There are plenty of theories to talk about!
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
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I didn't say we didn't know what the problem is as far as the attacks specifically. Obviously the problem is terrorism and the motives behind it. I meant figuring out why people don't care if it's not happening in the West. There are various theories there, from racism and xenophobia to expecting it to happen in certain places (which also suggests a severe bias). And why does this imbalance in how much people care matter? Because change only happens when people give a shit.
LIVEFOOTSTEPS.ORG/USER/?USR=435
Are you intentionally dismissing the point I am trying to make? I.e. it is not RIGHT that we only focus on the attacks and deaths and destruction where there are rich white people? I know that is the case. But it seems like a problem to me, not a casual given that I'm happy to dismiss. That people just say, "oh, well that's business as usual in that cesspool" is what's going to prevent these things from getting better. Things will only change if people care. That is why I posted the thread. So we have a place to give a shit. Meanwhile, innocent people are murdered. Not sure about you, but I actually do care if innocent men, women, and children die, even if they do happen to live in a "cesspool".
In my first post I said I think we do care.i saw the story when evening news covered it.Even commented to my wife about it.Coverage was light but it was reported.Then I told you why I think it's not covered as much.
It's not a "white" country issue.I can tell u we debated a lot over the boko assholes who took the girls in Africa.It got plenty of coverage.I think this story just didn't move the media meter as much.nothing more sinister.Plus there was a lot of other news breaking at same time.We have a short attention span.
Not just talking about the one attack I mentioned - that just happened to be the most deadly recent one (there were more elsewhere). Sometimes there is some coverage (as with the university - I did post a NY Times article about it). Others aren't covered at all. Sometimes massive massacres aren't covered at all, especially in Africa. I mean really fucking barbaric horrific shit where hundreds die. Not a blip on anyone's radar for some reason. This is where we can talk about how the media fucking sucks for not covering shit (I really do find it disgusting - I'm at the point where I think the law somehow needs to step in when it comes to the job the news media is doing), and express that we give a shit when no one else seems to.... If no one cares to talk about it, the thread will fall off the first page (in a year or so, since that's how long it usually takes for something to fall off the first page these days, lol).
We are Myopic to a certain extent,and I think every region is.We only hear about the horrific shit and that is just a blip and then gone.
I mean how can we fit in other news when there is so much election and weather here.lol
Fuckus rules all
Rob
Seattle
Anyway, this is where news about attacks that most don't particularly care about because they aren't too worried about humans who don't look like them or spend money like them can be posted and discussed.
Boots on the ground is a non-starter and even talk of direct action against the militant extremist perpetrators is more often than not met with accusations of Islamophobia, Xenophobia and war mongering.
Just to clarify, I agree with you and appreciate the point you are making. However, is just talking about these attacks enough?
The most basic human instincts are those of survival and the protection of your own family. When such attacks occur in third world countries, they basically don't set off our threat-detector. However, when they happen in a country like France or England it's close to home and it scares us. We see these people as being very akin to ourselves and thus perceive that what could happen to them could as easily happen to us.
This theory may seem to paint us in a bad light as inherently selfish beings but we can't control our most basic instincts
Not really Dudeman - I don't have any grand plan... but just talking about it is certainly better than than nothing. Everything has to start somewhere I suppose. Obviously it was that massive outpouring over the Paris attacks that highlighted the extreme contrast. That massive outpouring likely fueled real action, so the lack of such outpourings when other attacks happen logically leads me to assume that no real action follows.
-EV 8/14/93
But we can all relate to being attacked while attending a concert- a pretty frightening ordeal to entertain in your mind.
This event was far from ordinary.
* And I'm not trying to dismiss your premise by saying such.
-EV 8/14/93
-EV 8/14/93
https://www.rt.com/news/330764-damascus-bomb-attack-isis/