Does Osama Bin Laden Frighten You?

[Ace Pace]

Random violent crime and idiot drivers are far more threatening than suicide bombers, unless you live in a place like Israel.

Outright wrong. In 2002, the worst year for the current Intifada, 451 people died. At the same time, over 500 people died from car acidents inside a few months of the same year. That number has not siginficently changed, while the amount of people killed from terror attacks has significently gone down.

I'll take living on the edge of Israel over standing in a road here.

[Enforcer Talen]

Nah, not really. I have a certain amount of tension about peak oil, global warming, bioweapons, something like that, but OBL? Nah.

I guess my perspective on is, we all die sometime, I just worry when we all die at once.

[ArmorPierce]

Well I lived in NY at the time of the terrorist attack, I was able to smell the smell of crushed gravel and concrete from Brooklyn and I have many friends and family living and working in New York. Considering all this, I have no fear of Osama Bin Laden. He attacked a buidling where a bunch of rich people work. I am not rich so I don't have to worry about that.

[General Zod]

Well I lived in NY at the time of the terrorist attack, I was able to smell the smell of crushed gravel and concrete from Brooklyn and I have many friends and family living and working in New York. Considering all this, I have no fear of Osama Bin Laden. He attacked a buidling where a bunch of rich people work. I am not rich so I don't have to worry about that.

Cause rich people were the only ones killed *I'm a smarmy asshole*?

[Col. Crackpot]

Well I lived in NY at the time of the terrorist attack, I was able to smell the smell of crushed gravel and concrete from Brooklyn and I have many friends and family living and working in New York. Considering all this, I have no fear of Osama Bin Laden. He attacked a buidling where a bunch of rich people work. I am not rich so I don't have to worry about that.

the families of the janitors, dishwashers and kids in the WTC day care may have something to say about that. That was the most idiotic things i have ever seen posted on this board, You fuckwad.

[Scottish Ninja]

In the United States in 2001 there were 42,196 driving deaths, compared to 2,996 deaths caused by terrorism. This means that if you were in the US throughout 2001, you were fourteen times more likely to die in a car accident than to be killed by terrorists.

If we extend that to the period from January 1st, 2001 to now, we have approximately 315000 traffic fatalities and the same number of deaths due to terrorism. For residents of the United States, you have now been 105 times more likely to have been killed in a car accident, and over 40 times more likely to have been killed by a drunk driver.

I haven't heard anything about a "Global War on Cars" or a "Global War on Drunk Driving" though. I bet if we started throwing drunk drivers instead of the lot we're currently holding into Gitmo we'd save a lot more American lives.

[ArmorPierce]

the families of the janitors, dishwashers and kids in the WTC day care may have something to say about that. That was the most idiotic things i have ever seen posted on this board, You fuckwad.

vast majority were rich. I fail to see how that me saying that I am not rich means that I don't have to worry about that is the most idiotic thing you ever seen posted on this board. Fact is that the vast majority of people that were killed were rich or a paramedic/fire fighter. I'm not a cop, I'm not a fire fighter (who are comparatives rich compared to me and my family) and I'm not a rich guy with an office in the building. You also realize that the janitors in the WTC were unionized? They made a good amount of money as well as have good benefits and are, compared to me and my family, are rich. And according to a quick internet search there was no nursery children that were killed in the wtc attack and even if there were, they'd be children of rich people which I am not.

SO, fuck you, you retarded ass. You don't know my situation, what you consider rich is not what I consider rich. I don't know why you would take such offense to me stating that since I'm dirt poor I don't have to worry about osama bin laden attacking us here.

[General Zod]

vast majority were rich. I fail to see how that me saying that I am not rich means that I don't have to worry about that is the most idiotic thing you ever seen posted on this board. Fact is that the vast majority of people that were killed were rich or a paramedic/fire fighter. I'm not a cop, I'm not a fire fighter (who are comparatives rich compared to me and my family) and I'm not a rich guy with an office in the building. You also realize that the janitors in the WTC were unionized? They made a good amount of money and are compared to me and my family are rich. And according to a quick internet search there was no nursery children that were killed in the wtc attack and even if there were, they'd be children of rich people which I am not.

SO, fuck you, you retarded ass. You don't know my situation, what you consider rich is not what I consider rich. I don't know why you would take such offense to me stating that since I'm dirt poor I don't have to worry about osama bin laden attacking us here.

Do you honestly think terrorists give a flying fuck whether or not their targets are rich or poor? Trying to claim that being poor means you don't have to worry about it is the height of retardation.

[ArmorPierce]

Do you honestly think terrorists give a flying fuck whether or not their targets are rich or poor? Trying to claim that being poor means you don't have to worry about it is the height of retardation.

No but I am suggest that the only thing I have to worry about Osama Bin Laden here is attacking big iconic buildings. Those are the only buildings that he has targeted here. If he started to shoot up highways or car bombing stores and what not that's when it even begin to might affect me or involve me. The questions isn't whether we fear terrorists, the question was whether we fear Osame Bin Laden.

[General Zod]

Do you honestly think terrorists give a flying fuck whether or not their targets are rich or poor? Trying to claim that being poor means you don't have to worry about it is the height of retardation.

No but I am suggest that the only thing I have to worry about Osama Bin Laden here is attacking big iconic buildings. Those are the only buildings that he has targeted here. If he started to shoot up highways or car bombing stores and what not that's when it even begin to might affect me or involve me. The questions isn't whether we fear terrorists, the question was whether we fear Osame Bin Laden.

Too bad you didn't say this right from the beginning, otherwise I might have been willing to believe you. Instead you just look like a backpedaling douchebag.

[ArmorPierce]

Do you honestly think terrorists give a flying fuck whether or not their targets are rich or poor? Trying to claim that being poor means you don't have to worry about it is the height of retardation.

No but I am suggest that the only thing I have to worry about Osama Bin Laden here is attacking big iconic buildings. Those are the only buildings that he has targeted here. If he started to shoot up highways or car bombing stores and what not that's when it even begin to might affect me or involve me. The questions isn't whether we fear terrorists, the question was whether we fear Osame Bin Laden.

Too bad you didn't say this right from the beginning, otherwise I might have been willing to believe you. Instead you just look like a backpedaling douchebag.

Now that I reread the the opening post of the thread I see that he is speaking about Osama Bin Laden plus any other terrorist organization. However the point still stands that I was talking about Osama Bin Laden

onsidering all this, I have no fear of Osama Bin Laden. He attacked a buidling where a bunch of rich people work. I am not rich so I don't have to worry about that.

I don't know why I have to go into depth explaining why I don't fear of being inside a buliding being targeted by Osama Bin Laden. Why must it be further explained? I didn't say anything that was assholish or insentive. The building is a place where a bunch of rich people work that I have no business in. Maybe once I graduate that might change eventually for now it does not. He targets these building where a bunch of rich people work. He targeted it because it is an iconic American building. It is iconic a building because of the fact of it representing American wealth and dotting the NY skyline that would have a bunch of rich people working in it. I'm stating facts. Pointing out to some people that are not so rich does not invalidate that it indeed is a building where a bunch of rich people work. Osama Bin Laden wouldn't have targeted some projects in the ghettos, he goes for grandeur stuff.

[General Zod]

I don't know why I have to go into depth explaining why I don't fear of being inside a buliding being targeted by Osama Bin Laden. Why must it be further explained? I didn't say anything that was assholish or insentive. The building is a place where a bunch of rich people work that I have no business in. Maybe once I graduate that might change eventually for now it does not. He targets these building where a bunch of rich people work. He targeted it because it is an iconic American building. Because it is an iconic building it has a bunch of rich people working in it. I'm stating facts. Pointing out to some people that are not so rich does not invalidate that it indeed is a building where a bunch of rich people work.

And precisely what standard do you use to measure what constitutes as "rich"? Anyone who has more money than you? It seems to be a pretty shitty standard so far that doesn't give your point much credibility, and the fact that you seem to think they only target places where rich people go is laughably ignorant. Can you even name anywhere else the Al Qaeda has attacked? There's plenty of valid reasons not to be worried about Bin Laden, but claiming it's because they only target places rich people go is where your reasoning takes a nosedive into the shitter and makes you look like a backpedaling douchebag every time you try and defend it.

[ArmorPierce]

And precisely what standard do you use to measure what constitutes as "rich"? Anyone who has more money than you? It seems to be a pretty shitty standard so far that doesn't give your point much credibility,

What you consider rich is all relative. In some 3rd world countries people living in the ghettos are considered rich. Too people like my taxation professor who is a cpa and a lawyer with her own practice, an income of $150,000 income a year is not a lot of money. I'd consider anyone with a higher income potential or from a from a family with a higher income potential to be rich. The more poor you are, the more significant a increase in wealth is. For example a person with an income of 5,000, 5,000 more is double their wealth that is a 100% increase. For someone with 50,000, a 5,000 increase whilst a good increase is only a 10% increase in his or her wealth. You get it? I consider people who can live off of inheritance comfortably/luxuriously and live off the interest that there money makes comfortably/luxuriously to be super duper rich. Yes, I consider middle class rich, at least when I compare it to myself. When I reach middle class I do know that I won't consider myself rich however. As I said, it's all relative.

and the fact that you seem to think they only target places where rich people go is laughably ignorant. Can you even name anywhere else the Al Qaeda has attacked?

Anywhere within the united states? World trade center 1993, The Pentagon. Correct me if I'm wrong but there has been no non-high profile attacks or (correct me if I'm wrong) attempted non-high profile attacks within the United States (which is where I live, obviously).

[Surlethe]

Every night, before I go to sleep, I check under my bed for Osama bin Laden.

[General Zod]

What you consider rich is all relative. In some 3rd world countries people living in the ghettos are considered rich. Too people like my taxation professor who is a cpa and a lawyer with her own practice, an income of $150,000 income a year is not a lot of money. I'd consider anyone with a higher income potential or from a from a family with a higher income potential to be rich. I consider people who can live off of inheritance comfortably/luxuriously and live off the interest that there money makes comfortably/luxuriously to be super duper rich.

Your reasoning is totally circular. "Rich" is relative, but anyone from a "higher income potential" is rich? How the fuck does that even make sense? Are "higher income potentials" relative too?

Anywhere within the united states? World trade center 1993, The Pentagon. Correct me if I'm wrong but there has been no non-high profile attacks or (correct me if I'm wrong) attempted non-high profile attacks on American grounds.

How about this for starters?

• # 2002 (Oct.): Nightclub bombings in Bali, Indonesia, killed 202, mostly Australian citizens.
  # 2002 (Nov.): Suicide attack on a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, killed 16.
  # 2003 (May): Suicide bombers killed 34, including 8 Americans, at housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  # 2003 (May): 4 bombs killed 33 people targeting Jewish, Spanish, and Belgian sites in Casablanca, Morocco.
  # 2003 (Aug.): Suicide car-bomb killed 12, injured 150 at Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.
  # 2003 (Nov.): Explosions rocked a Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, housing compound, killing 17.
  # 2003 (Nov.): Suicide car-bombers simultaneously attacked 2 synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 25 and injuring hundreds.
  # 2003 (Nov.): Truck bombs detonated at London bank and British consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 26.
  # 2004 (March): 10 bombs on 4 trains exploded almost simultaneously during the morning rush hour in Madrid, Spain, killing 191 and injuring more than 1,500.
  # 2004 (May): Terrorists attacked Saudi oil company offices in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, killing 22.
  # 2004 (June): Terrorists kidnapped and executed American Paul Johnson, Jr., in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  # 2004 (Sept.): Car bomb outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, killed 9.
  # 2004 (Dec.): Terrorists entered the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing 9 (including 4 attackers).

Needless to say there's quite a few locations here where people who aren't necessarily wealthy go to that have been targeted. Whether they're in the US or not is irrelevant to my point.

[aerius]

His beard freaks me the fuck out.

[Adrian Laguna]

Osama and his buddies don't scare me, nor have they ever scared me. Come on Al-Qaeda, show me what you can do, the US needs an excuse to test its atomic arsenal.

[Simplicius]

Every night, before I go to sleep, I check under my bed for Osama bin Laden.

He's a pretty tall guy, so his feet would definitely stick out from under the bed. I'd check the closet too.

[Jack_Ryan]

No, mostly because he's a laughable fellow. He orchestrated the destruction of two of our buildings. We blew up two of their countries.

Also because fearing him only helps him.

Terrorism relies on fear to work.

[TithonusSyndrome]

I used to wonder when I was younger if I could knock him out from behind if I ran into him at random. Not for any toughguy reasons, but that $25 million bounty is pretty sweet and it would be a sensational news coup.

But no, I don't fear bin Laden - despite the fact that al Qaeda operatives were found in my hometown, the only non-world city location on earth they were found in.

[Kanastrous]

Well I lived in NY at the time of the terrorist attack, I was able to smell the smell of crushed gravel and concrete from Brooklyn and I have many friends and family living and working in New York. Considering all this, I have no fear of Osama Bin Laden. He attacked a buidling where a bunch of rich people work. I am not rich so I don't have to worry about that.

Don't complain about rich people not giving a shit about poor people, then, because they're poor.

Class warfare cuts both ways.

[Sarevok]

Osama does not scare me.

The so called "war" against Osama does.

Like Obiwan in Star Wars in the process of striking him down he has become more powerful than anyone could imagine. 8 years ago no one in this bumfuck country knew about this cave dweller in Afganistan. 8 years on there had been a few suicide bombings, some small scale insurgencies and few days back my mom barely made it out of a battle between riot police and armed militants besieging the central mosque. This is not Lebanon or Syria, we never had gangs of youngsters with Ak-47s, suicide bombers in hotel lobbies, car bombs wiping out 80 people at once. Yet all these things starting to happen. Those who fantasized about a global war against terrorism in 2001 have now sown the seeds of that fantasy becoming a reality.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

It's true that wealth is highly subjective. Four million dollars would let me accomplish every single goal I have in my life; another million would cover my death as well. Five million dollars as a lifetime's savings, however, would be pathetic to one of the numerous rich who make 1 million a year--and don't see themselves as rich. Or 2 million, or 2.5 million.. And indeed that kind of income pales before the income of some people.

Some people have, in assets, right now, one thousand times as much as all the money I can dream of saving and spending beyond mere survival in my entire life.


Mind, ten years from now I may will be considered rich myself, with an advanced graduate degree in a very demand and lucrative engineering field that's a rather needed specialty. But there will be many, many people who look down on me--not only for my refusal to waste the money on frivolity when I have accomplishments to achieve in life, but also for simply only bringing home a hundred thousand or hell even potentially two hundred thousand a year--that will be seen as barely "middling" to them, while people in the place I'm in right now would see me as rich.


As for the nominal topic at hand, I think the average person isn't scared enough and doesn't take life seriously enough in the modern world, but, uh, terrorism is the least of your concerns right now, seriously. Also one of the least preventable.

[PeZook]

Outright wrong. In 2002, the worst year for the current Intifada, 451 people died. At the same time, over 500 people died from car acidents inside a few months of the same year. That number has not siginficently changed, while the amount of people killed from terror attacks has significently gone down.

I'll take living on the edge of Israel over standing in a road here.

Huh...which means that you have to live in a place like Israel during the height of the Intifada for terrorism to even approach things like drunk driving in its threat level, and even then it doesn't actually exceed that.

Not to mention the Intifada has little to do with OBL

[Hillary]

Of course, all of the 51 who died on London's public transport system were millionaires.

As for the OP, I don't feel scared or threatened to be honest and I was on the tube system when the 7/7 bombs went off (would have been somewhere like Notting Hill Gate at the time). I figure that the chances of being on the actual train that is bombed (considering the number of trains on the system) is very low. Even if you are, the chances of being in the same carriage is 1 in 8. Even then, you'd have to be in the same part of that carriage to be very seriously injured. Not a probability to worry yourself over in my opinion.

The sort of people who live in fear of OBL are the same ones who also think there's a paedophine on every street corner and that illegal immigrants will bankrupt the country. File under stupid.