Mass shooting in Brooklyn subway: When is a terrorist attack not terrorism?

[Smyrna]

@Smyrna

I’d guess with all of the cameras in the subways and around NYC, this shooting was captured on film?

Broken surveillance cameras hampered hunt for Brooklyn subway shooter

I really can’t believe the continuous failures of government. The real problem is that “we” don’t really know how incompetent government is, until they’re needed? That’s when the spotlight, as in this very case, is on them, pointing it out.

[bigtwnvin]

But the excuses from the goobermint as to why their incompetence is so glaring are epic!
I’m guessing Trump, Covid or Putin will be blamed for inoperable surveillance cameras. And the sheeple will believe it!

[zantax]

@Samm

@WuWei

The word “random” does not appear.

The point is, it was random to the victims. That’s all that is required to instill fear the survivors, the witnesses and people who read and hear about it. It makes many people fear going to any public area where they could become a victim regardless of how low the probability of a similar incident happening is.

To be consistent, shouldn’t every rapist and mugger also be charged with terrorism? How many women fear walking alone at night?

[DougBH]

Was the motivation for the rape or robbery either political or ideological?

[zantax]

@DougBH

Was the motivation for the rape or robbery either political or ideological?

The metric I was responding to was instilling fear in the public. It having to be political or ideological doesn’t make much sense to me.

[Ben_Natuf]

no, it’s “meant to intimidate the public”, not “intimidate the victim”. the fact that some people may be intimidated does not mean the action was meant to intimidate them.

[zantax]

@Ben_Natuf

no, it’s “meant to intimidate the public”, not “intimidate the victim”. the fact that some people may be intimidated does not mean the action was meant to intimidate them.

Whether it’s intentional or not the harm to the general public is the same.

[Bill.in.PA]

Yes, there is a pattern of security camera or body cams being off when violence occurs.

The actions of the FBI and the media seem to follow a similarly suspicious pattern.

[Samm]

@zantax

@Samm

@WuWei

The word “random” does not appear.

The point is, it was random to the victims. That’s all that is required to instill fear the survivors, the witnesses and people who read and hear about it. It makes many people fear going to any public area where they could become a victim regardless of how low the probability of a similar incident happening is.

To be consistent, shouldn’t every rapist and mugger also be charged with terrorism? How many women fear walking alone at night?

No. Not in the vast majority of cases anyway. That’s where motive comes into play.

[Samm]

@zantax

@DougBH

Was the motivation for the rape or robbery either political or ideological?

The metric I was responding to was instilling fear in the public. It having to be political or ideological doesn’t make much sense to me.

If you didn’t consider motive, then all crime against persons not known to the perpetrator that instills fear in the public at large could be considered terrorism. You have to draw the line somewhere.

[Ben_Natuf]

one is covered by the law, one us not. just because you want it to fit the law doesn’t mean it does

[zantax]

@Samm

@zantax

@Samm

@WuWei

The word “random” does not appear.

The point is, it was random to the victims. That’s all that is required to instill fear the survivors, the witnesses and people who read and hear about it. It makes many people fear going to any public area where they could become a victim regardless of how low the probability of a similar incident happening is.

To be consistent, shouldn’t every rapist and mugger also be charged with terrorism? How many women fear walking alone at night?

No. Not in the vast majority of cases anyway. That’s where motive comes into play.

The societal harm is pretty similar. Worse even, not many US women worried about a terrorist attack as opposed to rape.

[Samm]

You are right, but the distinction is still evident.

[zantax]

@Samm

You are right, but the distinction is still evident.

That is my point, its a bogus distinction. Societally, rapists generate far more general societal fear than terrorists. So do muggers and car jackers. In the USA

[Samm]

Yes, but street crime motivated to obtain money or sex is background noise, wholly separate from random (again … to the victims) acts of violence that are instigated for the primary purpose of causing fear. Acts of terrorism are terrifying because there is no predictability and no safe location or time to avoid them from happening to you.

[zantax]

@Samm

Yes, but street crime motivated to obtain money or sex is background noise, wholly separate from random (again … to the victims) acts of violence that are instigated for the primary purpose of causing fear. Acts of terrorism are terrifying because there is no predictability and no safe location or time to avoid them from happening to you.

Rapists sow far more fear than terrorists

[Samm]

Perhaps, but again, that’s where motive comes into play.

[zantax]

@Samm

Perhaps, but again, that’s where motive comes into play.

Point is, the reason we give harsher penalties to terrorists is because they instill fear, so do rapists, on a much broader scale.

[Ben_Natuf]

no, we give them harsher penalties because their intended victim is everybody. they attack the system, the system protects itself

[biggestal99]

@zantax

Rapists sow far more fear than terrorists

The people running for their lives on 9/11/2001 would disagree with you.

Allan