ISIS is completely overrated

[Quetzal]

Basically ISIS is a non issue compared to the other problems. When ISIS starts killing tens of thousands every day then come back to me.

This isn't a numbers game with a magical equation to determine when something is deemed important.

 

[Quetzal]

ISIS did not even exist a couple of years ago. Neglecting it now sounds like a very bad idea to me.

Of course, attempting to deal with it militarily sounds even worse.

Correct, which is what makes this situation so darn complicated and messy...

 

[BSM1]

-Is your hand OK?
-Yes
-Are you blind?
-No
-It' esencial to press play at exact the same time. Now, dance with me.

Well, since you put it this way...

 

[cambridge79]

People in the United States are so concerned about ISIS when so many more people die from starvation, preventable diseases, homelessness, car crashes, etc. Millions of people are dying from these things which are barely talked about, and yet ISIS seems to be everyone's biggest concern. I don't get why people are so worried about peanuts--a few hundred dead is nothing compared to the number of people who die from heart disease or cancer every hour. if we invested as much money in medical research as we do in military defense and waging war we'd probably have something close to a universal cancer cure and drugs to cure heart disease. Or we'd solve the problem of homelessness in the United States. Or we'd save everyone from starvation overseas.

Basically ISIS is a non issue compared to the other problems. When ISIS starts killing tens of thousands every day then come back to me.

ISIS is so successful because they have convinced everyone that they are much more important than they really are.

I ve always had the feeling that terrorism is completely overhyped, unless you live in countries like Iraq or israel. In your country car crashes kill 20 people a day and nobody gives a damn. If terrorist were killing 20 people a day people would hide in their homes till they see the military in the streets dealing with them.

 

[Covellite]

I ve always had the feeling that terrorism is completely overhyped, unless you live in countries like Iraq or israel. In your country car crashes kill 20 people a day and nobody gives a damn. If terrorist were killing 20 people a day people would hide in their homes till they see the military in the streets dealing with them.

Terrorism is fundamentaly different from car crashes.

 

[Deidre]

Perhaps, we are accustomed to a certain 'type' of violence in the US, for lack of a better word...but ISIS behaves in a way that is disturbingly different, and maybe that is why people are so taken aback by the group. Hard to say, really.

 

[Covellite]

Perhaps, we are accustomed to a certain 'type' of violence in the US, for lack of a better word...but ISIS behaves in a way that is disturbingly different, and maybe that is why people are so taken aback by the group. Hard to say, really.

When Franz Ferdinand was killed, the WWI started. He was in a car, but if it was car chrash WWI would start later or would never happen. The difference between car chrashes and political violence.

 

[Mycroft]

You're really comparing illnesses and accidents to a group of genocidal lunatics committing crimes against humanity?

Being genocidal isn't really all that without the wherewithal to commit said genocide.

 

[Jumi]

its not really our problem. Iran, turkey, and assad would crush them if we let them have free reign in regards to ISIS.

Turkey stop ISIS? I'm not so sure about that.

 

[Quetzal]

Perhaps, we are accustomed to a certain 'type' of violence in the US, for lack of a better word...but ISIS behaves in a way that is disturbingly different, and maybe that is why people are so taken aback by the group. Hard to say, really.

You might be on to something. In wars past, we could see an army coming. There would be dispatch riders and radio broadcasts warning of imminent danger. For civilians, there was deliberate action you could take to "get out of the way" so to speak. Now, with tactics being employed by ISIS (and US military drones), that is taken away. What is left is a considerable amount of paranoia and fear.

 

[serp777]

This isn't a numbers game with a magical equation to determine when something is deemed important.

Well it should be if we to be intelligent and efficient. When A causes > deaths than B, then A should be addressed before B. if you're interested in saving the most lives possible and helping humanity, then you'll try to address things which cause the most deaths and damage to quality of life. Why focus on the smallest contributor?

If you're not interested in saving as many lives as possible though then I guess ISIS is a reasonable concern.

 

[serp777]

It became the USA problem when they invaded Iraq and thereby created ISIS.

American involvement attracts more terrorists because it is military in nature.

Exactly, so clearly American intervention is worthless. Why would we try the same thing over and over again and expect different results? I agree with you, so lets try something radically different than another military intervention that is sure to only attract more terrorists looking for glory against an enemy thats easy to paint as evil. One way to do something different is to address issues like world hunger or preventable diseases with some of the money we invest in counter terrorism interventions. This will, in turn, save more lives than ISIS could possibly dream of killing.

 

[psychoslice]

There is something to what you say, but on the other hand ideologies can grow pretty fast, and ISIS' is certainly one worth containing.

I agree, I see ISIS like a small cancer that if not kept in checked could grow and be fare more dangerous.

 

[serp777]

I am many things but naive and ignorant are not among them. And, for the record, I make a point of voting every chance I get... and have done so for decades.

So, let me get this straight, you don't think the 10's of billions of dollars being spent on the Syrian refugee crisis is a reason to go after the cause? Wait till that cause is killing 10's of thousands a day? Seriously?

I've heard pretty superficial thinking before, but this really does take the cake. Congratulations!

I'm trying to parse a meaning from this but I'm not getting anything... was there a point to this comment?

Who knew, eh?

Well honestly you had first just typed out a poorly thought quip that had no content so I responded in kind with an equivalent comment.

And absolutely yes wait. We could save millions every year by focusing on world hunger and preventable diseases and other more prominent issues. Its very simple logic: millions of deaths >>> tens of thousands of deaths. But tens of thousands of deaths is when it starts to get on the radar. If we actually work on helping humanity instead of being the world police then there may be fewer terrorists anyways. American intervention is what attracts and creates terrorists. Also I don't hear you complaining or highlighting the tens of thousands that are killed in Africa now and I don't see you making a call for the United States to go and deal with African warlords and the rest of the riff raff of the world. And its not like the syrians are the only refugees either. Apparently its only because ISIS is involved that you think its a priority. I don't get why you're airbrushing the other more significant issues and highlighting the problems with isis. There are bigger evils and larger fires out there than ISIS. its time to get real and address more serious problems. I mean even the drug cartels in Mexico have caused more deaths and displacement, especially when you factor in the deaths caused by drugs.

Furthermore the only reason for the syrian refugee crisis exists is because of a chain of events that was ultimately started by the United States when we invaded Iraq, and then later by arming rebels against assad and doing airstrikes, etc. Every time America intervenes militarily in the middle east it has always led to more complicated problems. The solution is to stop being insane and stop doing the same thing over and over again.
ISIS is an issue the middle east should deal with and the United States should just but out.

 

[serp777]

I agree, I see ISIS like a small cancer that if not kept in checked could grow and be fare more dangerous.

Except meanwhile you have a gunshot wound and ebola. Don't you think those are more important to address first than the small cancerous mole on your skin?

 

[Quetzal]

Well it should be if we to be intelligent and efficient. When A causes > deaths than B, then A should be addressed before B. if you're interested in saving the most lives possible and helping humanity, then you'll try to address things which cause the most deaths and damage to quality of life. Why focus on the smallest contributor?

If you're not interested in saving as many lives as possible though then I guess ISIS is a reasonable concern.

This is more important than that and anyone with any sense of critical thought can see that. They are challenging the very integrity of Europe. They are challenging all the nations by placing their citizens at risk. ISIS is a militant group that is seeking out and destroying the infrastructures that make people feel secure and safe. They are challenging our peace of mind and undermining what makes society work. No one is saying the other things aren't important but I believe it would be very foolish to say that ISIS isn't important.

 

[serp777]

Other problems exist therefore we shouldn't worry about this other one?

I didn't know Ostriches could use computers. That's awesome!

Yeah when the other problems massively outweigh this relatively tiny one and when worrying about it and trying to intervene militarily does more harm than good. I mean maybe doctors should also address small cuts before gun shot wounds. Don't you think a gun shot wound deserves all the attention before addressing someone's small cut? And the analogy works because other problems cause many orders of magnitude more deaths than ISIS could hope to achieve currently. If ISIS caused as many deaths as world hunger nukes would start flying.

I also had no idea parrots could use computers either. This point has already been made like 10 times in one form or another.

 

[psychoslice]

Except meanwhile you have a gunshot wound and ebola. Don't you think those are more important to address first than the small cancerous mole on your skin?

I see, but that small mole on your skin if diagnosed malignant could be more dangerous than the gunshot or Ebola, who really knows ?.

 

[serp777]

This is more important than that and anyone with any sense of critical thought can see that. They are challenging the very integrity of Europe. They are challenging all the nations by placing their citizens at risk. ISIS is a militant group that is seeking out and destroying the infrastructures that make people feel secure and safe. They are challenging our peace of mind and undermining what makes society work. No one is saying the other things aren't important but I believe it would be very foolish to say that ISIS isn't important.

Its not important comparatively. Global warming threatens the very integrity of the entire world. Preventable diseases and cancer undermine the foundations of our society as well, except all over the world. I would rather ISIS be 100 times stronger but have a cure for cancer. ISIS would be killing tens of thousands but we'd be saving hundreds of thousands of people every year.

I mean and ISIS is not threatening the very integrity of Europe. That's ridiculous. I'd need to see significant reliable evidence that Europe's biggest expense and largest problem was ISIS.

 

[Quetzal]

Its not important comparatively. Global warming threatens the very integrity of the entire world. Preventable diseases and cancer undermine the foundations of our society as well, except all over the world. I would rather ISIS be 100 times stronger but have a cure for cancer. ISIS would be killing tens of thousands but we'd be saving hundreds of thousands of people every year.

I mean and ISIS is not threatening the very integrity of Europe. That's ridiculous. I'd need to see significant reliable evidence that Europe's biggest expense and largest problem was ISIS.

You don't seem to have the capability to understand why ISIS is an important problem to deal with. There are so many false comparisons here I cannot even begin to describe all the ways your thinking is flawed. Instead, I will simply leave it at that.