Large explosion in Oslo at government offices

[design_man]

Originally Posted by ill tonkso

I have heard that it may be between 30-40. This may have a higher human cost than 7/7 yet.

It's not a competition, even one murder is horrific, and already the scale of this is far bigger to Norway given its small population.

I do wonder about the "number chasing" reports the rolling media like to indulge in, as if somehow an atrocity is more newsworthy, or more exciting, because the numbers are higher.

It is distasteful to speculate in the way you have done, It can be misinterpreted as ghoulishness rather than genuine concern. Do you have relatives or friends in the city you are worried about?

[kids]

Distasteful? Day of Japan's tsunami this year -

Originally Posted by design_man

I care more about whales than I do about people. If this saves just one whale (because one whale killer has died) then it is for the good. I have strong feelings about this and do not use these words lightly. If it would save whales from extinction I would be happy to see the extinction of the Japanese nation.

[Nightjar]

I take your point about media ghoulishness and their obsession with body counts, but I don't think people on here are thinking that way.

Personally speaking I'm fascinated by the way in which the facts of the story coalesce and dissipate with every passing minute, but ultimately I don't believe that these events change anything in a broader sense.


Edit - touché kids.

[WatcherZero]

Isnt Norway another Whaling country?

[Nightjar]

2039: Terror group, Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (Helpers of the Global Jihad) are apparently claiming responsibility.

2045: Police in Norway have confirmed that ten people were killed when a gunman opened fire indiscriminately on young people at a camp in Utoeya. Previous reports put the number of deaths at four.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14254705

[mexico86]

Originally Posted by 600West218

As deplorable as these attacks are they aren't anything out of the ordinary.

I would argue that they are out of the ordinary. Previous terrorist campaigns on the UK mainland (the IRA, for instance) attempted to kill innocent civilians as a way of pressuring the UK government to take a certain course of action that would benefit the terrorists' cause (e.g., to transfer Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland against the wishes of the majority of the Northern Irish). The shootings and bombings were a means to an end.

In the case of Islamic terrorism, there is a desire just to kill as many as possible, and the political justifications (palestine, occupation of islamic land by crusader infidels) always seem to be something weak that's been tacked onto the end to give the minimum level of credibility among the credulous.

[pricemazda]

I feel now is a good time for this:

[Stairz]

that island looks beautiful.

[ill tonkso]

Originally Posted by design_man

It's not a competition, even one murder is horrific, and already the scale of this is far bigger to Norway given its small population.

I do wonder about the "number chasing" reports the rolling media like to indulge in, as if somehow an atrocity is more newsworthy, or more exciting, because the numbers are higher.

It is distasteful to speculate in the way you have done, It can be misinterpreted as ghoulishness rather than genuine concern. Do you have relatives or friends in the city you are worried about?

What the fuck? I am not competing. I am shocked at the death toll. I know one death is enough but I am simply trying to emphasise the fact that people arent taking this like 7/7. People I have spoken to off of here don't seem to care.

[pricemazda]

thats probably because for most people Norway is a far away place of which we know little.

[mexico86]

Originally Posted by pricemazda

thats probably because for most people Norway is a far away place of which we know little.

Norway is our neighbour - we share a border with them.

[design_man]

Originally Posted by kids

Distasteful? Day of Japan's tsunami this year -

There is a big difference between a natural catastrophe (that some will say is influenced by karma, and others will explain as the action of tectonic plates) and a man-made mass-murder.

Someone woke up this morning and decided to murder a lot of strangers, including, horrifically, young people who haven't even started their adult lives yet. It so happens that Norway is a whaling nation, but today's murder is no act of nature, it's a grotesque act of mass murder.

Do you not find it distasteful that the media (and some bored people with nothing better to do that watch rolling news and post on internet boards) seem to be positively wishing the death-toll to rise just to appease their jaded sense of excitement?

I found that a bit in the tsunami coverage, it was apparent in the press (and actually on the SSC thread if you look at it) that some people gave the impression of being more excited than saddened at the unfolding tragedy. They started using exclamation marks as the news grew more tragic.

How do you feel about what has happened in Oslo today?

[pricemazda]

anyway it seems like the guy arrested was also seen at the bombing two hours earlier. This is now looking slightly more possible as a domestic incident.

[design_man]

Originally Posted by ill tonkso

What the fuck? I am not competing. I am shocked at the death toll. I know one death is enough but I am simply trying to emphasise the fact that people arent taking this like 7/7. People I have spoken to off of here don't seem to care.

Do you have friends or relatives there? I imagine it's being taken as a major disaster in so small a country. It won't be regarded as such here simply because its not our country, just as our own disasters wont have as much saliency in Norway.

I've visited Norway, despite knowing of their whaling, just because I was fascinated by the country, and I left feeling confident that within my lifetime they'd get over the whaling stupidity (which is actually quite modern for them as a nation), because they are smart and kind people. As an urbanist (which is the one thing I think we all are on here, the one thing we have in common) I was hugely impressed by the humanity of their architeture and planning, including their investment in steps to protect people from cars and car-borne pollution and noise. It's an amazing country.

[ill tonkso]

Originally Posted by mexico86

Norway is our neighbour - we share a border with them.

Exactly, a ferry border, but still a border.

People should also look into our historical relationship too (we blew up a ferry full of Norwegian Civilians because the Nazis were transporting Heavy Water on it to make a Nuke to take out NYC for example, an early SAS raid), and the fact that many of us are of Viking descent.

[pricemazda]

But still that doesn't get away from the fact for most people it is a far away place of which we know little.

[mexico86]

Originally Posted by pricemazda

But still that doesn't get away from the fact for most people it is a far away place of which we know little.

The average proletarian is too unaware of the world (and universe) we live in. Basically, if the terrorists aren't attacking x-factor then the proles will not care.

[design_man]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Isnt Norway another Whaling country?

Yes, but there is a lot of opposition and not a huge deal of support for it. I don't think it will last that long. I don't personally think this is the thread or the moment to dwell on that issue, do you?

[Nightjar]

Originally Posted by design_man

Yes, but there is a lot of opposition and not a huge deal of support for it. I don't think it will last that long. I don't personally think this is the thread or the moment to dwell on that issue, do you?

The comments about Norway's history of whaling were aimed at you and your self righteous comments concerning people's morbid fascination with these events.

Try to stop acting the pompous twat please.

[pricemazda]

deleted for bad taste comment/joke