Violet Lilly Blossom Wrote:Pray tell, what is cowardly about having the stones to bomb a ton of people? I mean... not taking credit for it might be cowardly... but the bombing itself takes a small measure of gall.

What, would you rather they go in guns blazing? If bravery is stupidity, I'll take cowardice just about every time.

And for those other times, it's a last desperate attempt... if it doesn't pan out: it wasn't going to anyway

No, no gall needed. Just an internet connection and some supplies available at your local retailer. I mean, how much gall does it take to walk away and let an explosive device do all your work for you? None. None at all.

Vae, never mistake good nature for cowardice. Just because 99.999...9% of the population lacks the sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies necessary to willfully blow up other human beings for the sake of fuck-all doesn't mean they're cowards. Just means they're not socio/psychopathic. Which, in my opinion and the vast majority of other people I can assume, is a very good thing.

Wouldn't be very conducive to society if everyone just blew each other up on a whim. I wouldn't even say it'd be more entertaining either, having been waaay too close to an explosion at one point and finding the sensation to be HIGHLY unpleasant.

(April 17, 2013 at 8:24 am)Faith No More Wrote: No, no gall needed. Just an internet connection and some supplies available at your local retailer. I mean, how much gall does it take to walk away and let an explosive device do all your work for you? None. None at all.

Well, you're the one who did all the work in building the explosive device, planting it, and detonating it.

I think it's bold and impudent to kill a mass of people and believe you can get away with it (maybe so you can do it again). Most Assault-Rifle toting retards went down in a blazing glory of stupidity... I mean again: if it's cowardice to watch the pretty booms you make, and bravery to be shot dead in response to your utter stupidity, I'll be a coward every time.

It's not even an insult at that point

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(April 17, 2013 at 11:58 am)Creed of Heresy Wrote: Vae, never mistake good nature for cowardice. Just because 99.999...9% of the population lacks the sociopathic and psychopathic tendencies necessary to willfully blow up other human beings for the sake of fuck-all doesn't mean they're cowards. Just means they're not socio/psychopathic. Which, in my opinion and the vast majority of other people I can assume, is a very good thing.

Firstly, I'd say your numbers are off. Given the right situation... many people would be willing to blow up other human beings. Haven't you read up on some of dat human history? War war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war war and some more war war war war war war war war war have a little war war war war war war war war war war with your cousinz war war war war war war war war also some war war war war war in case that you missed the other war war war war war war war and some snacks from the places you raid during a war war war war war war war war war.

Nobody does it for fuck-all... people do it because it's fun, or they think it's a good decision, or because they just felt like doing it on a whim. We're a very predictable people, really.

Quote:Wouldn't be very conducive to society if everyone just blew each other up on a whim. I wouldn't even say it'd be more entertaining either, having been waaay too close to an explosion at one point and finding the sensation to be HIGHLY unpleasant.

Sure it would be... a different society.

It might not be more entertaining for you... but I know I'd have a good time. I don't have anyone who if they died I'd be more than severely put-out... and if I'm killed, then hey: that's an improvement.

Mostly, I'm just hoping that we don't get embroiled in bombs before I can get set up. Hookers be rushing me, I tell ya.

And yet, Vae, those who actually go to war in the modern day are always a minority percentage of the population of the nation waging said war. Last time we had total war was WWII, and as I recall that was caused by two aggressive nations dragging about a dozen other nations into defending themselves and their interests...a minority as opposed to a majority. And, well, we all see what happens when the minority aggressors go up against the majority defenders. War is a different story as it is; it's done for a reason, though sometimes a really bad reason...and how strange indeed that aggressive nations are often looked down upon in history when their only goal was conquest. The mongols led a mighty conquest across Asia and while they may have brought roads and trade to many nations and peoples, we still look down on them because they were murderous bloodthirsty warmongers. The only people who venerate them are the macho-man chest-beating types who think they were totally awesome because they were totally killy, not realizing that if they were alive in those days, the mongols would've cut them down just as happily as anyone else. The Romans are perhaps one of the sole examples of a civilization that was a war-power that are still respected, and this is largely because they were highly disciplined and in their wake, those conquered benefited from being brought under Roman control, for the most part.

It all depends on the reason. Reason is what differentiates whether what you do is good or bad. Even if it's good to you, if it harms the greater whole, it's bad. Ad populum.

Bombing a marathon isn't good. Nor is it even really something to joke about happening. Besides, you know precisely what society I was talking about, don't be coy. ;D Or, actually, keep being coy, it's one of the things we love about ya.

(April 17, 2013 at 9:04 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: And yet, Vae, those who actually go to war in the modern day are always a minority percentage of the population of the nation waging said war. Last time we had total war was WWII, and as I recall that was caused by two aggressive nations dragging about a dozen other nations into defending themselves and their interests...a minority as opposed to a majority. And, well, we all see what happens when the minority aggressors go up against the majority defenders.

Every civilian is waging war when their government does war declare... you'll note that they are providing for the war effort with their taxes, their infrastructure, and by making more babies. It's all well and good to attack the combat soldiers of your enemy... but it's usually cheaper, safer, and of higher an impact upon them to annihilate the (typically) lightly defended infrastructure and massed populations of them.

I see what happens: the aggressors nearly win, and are beaten only with a last-minute alliance... and by themselves overextending. See: had hitler's landgrab stopped with a fair portion of Europe, he could have had his people hold that territory for a while as he gained a powerful lead, and then continued. In small bursts, defending every new line drawn. Assaulting Russia when he did was a major mistake on his part (albeit if I were him, I too might have eagerly looked upon the lightly defended Russian west flank).

Had japan stopped with IndoChina, they likely could have had the materials they would have needed for their war effort within a few years... and then continued the landgrab. In small bursts, economizing the former lands of the weak. Their assault upon the USA accelerated the country into the war... I know the concern of their leaders, but still: I believe they would have been better served to colonize IndoChina and establish a larger warbeast.

Quote:War is a different story as it is; it's done for a reason, though sometimes a really bad reason...and how strange indeed that aggressive nations are often looked down upon in history when their only goal was conquest. The mongols led a mighty conquest across Asia and while they may have brought roads and trade to many nations and peoples, we still look down on them because they were murderous bloodthirsty warmongers. The only people who venerate them are the macho-man chest-beating types who think they were totally awesome because they were totally killy, not realizing that if they were alive in those days, the mongols would've cut them down just as happily as anyone else.

Just about everything done by a person is done for a reason, I find... whether the doer is aware of that reason or not. Aggressive nations are looked down upon by some people, others might similarly look down upon the passive nations who were weak enough to be conquered by the aggressive nations some would sneer upon

I do venerate the mongols... they made a mighty nation for a time, and a moderately progressive one at that. What I remember of the mongols is not their murderousness... it is their mercy: allowing surrender and a tax, for continued sovereignity. If you find them to be particularly bloodthirsty, I'd have to wonder what you thought of most nations who've started a war, or taken land.

I think they were awesome because they were successful

Quote:The Romans are perhaps one of the sole examples of a civilization that was a war-power that are still respected, and this is largely because they were highly disciplined and in their wake, those conquered benefited from being brought under Roman control, for the most part.

The Romans are your 'one good empire' example?

I imagine that those they conquered *would* benefit, seeing as the romans happily engaged in that whole 'infrastructure building' thing.

Quote:It all depends on the reason. Reason is what differentiates whether what you do is good or bad. Even if it's good to you, if it harms the greater whole, it's bad. Ad populum.

No... morality is what differentiates between good and bad. Under your morals, a larger population being conquered by a smaller population is bad. Under mine... this is good, as clearly the smaller nation can make more effective use of what it has than the larger population. Efficiency, y'know?

Quote:Bombing a marathon isn't good. Nor is it even really something to joke about happening. Besides, you know precisely what society I was talking about, don't be coy. ;D Or, actually, keep being coy, it's one of the things we love about ya.

I joke about everything under the sun... certainly don't see anything particularly special about this happening.

As for the society you're talking about, I'm actually not a fan of it. Sure, I appreciate some bits of it, but these are only because I'm in a medical minority. Once that annoyance is fixed: someone can shake things up as much as they like, for all I care

(April 18, 2013 at 12:03 pm)Violet Lilly Blossom Wrote: What I remember of the mongols is not their murderousness...

That's because every time they were going to murder someone, they'd pull the old "tap Violet on the shoulder and duck" routine so you would look away. How could you fall for that so many times???

(April 18, 2013 at 12:08 pm)Tonus Wrote:

(April 18, 2013 at 12:03 pm)Violet Lilly Blossom Wrote: What I remember of the mongols is not their murderousness...

That's because every time they were going to murder someone, they'd pull the old "tap Violet on the shoulder and duck" routine so you would look away. How could you fall for that so many times???

Hardly. I'm well aware they butchered many a thousand of humans. I am also aware they typically gave the option of surrender first.

Obviously, if you don't surrender: they'll just have to kill you

(April 16, 2013 at 9:03 am)Faith No More Wrote: Well, A Theist, this is America, where every brown person that can be found becomes a "person of interest" right after the shit hits the fan, so I don't take much stock in that report.

Glad to hear Shell is okay. My wife's uncle finished the race twenty minutes before the explosion and he and his family left just ten minutes before it happened.

I'll never understand what drives people to commit such a cowardly act.

Quote:Well, A Theist, this is America, where every brown person that can be found becomes a "person of interest" right after the shit hits the fan, so I don't take much stock in that report.

Hmmmm....Well FNM, from the photos just released by the FBI the two "people of interest" don't look exactly white either....if a picture captured a brown person putting down a suspicious looking package in the very spot just moments before where the explosion occurred, then I don't suppose law enforcement would be looking for two white guys...

On the news: One of the two terrorists, (suspect #1 in black hat), suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing has been killed in a shoot out with police...at least one police officer is dead from the shoot out...evidently both suspects are Middle-Eastern and have been in our country about a year...according to FBI, they came here to kill Americans...the explosives they had were also said to be of military grade...Boston police are telling residents to stay in their homes as they search for the second terrorist and not to answer their doors unless it's the police...

Chechen Muslims! Who'd ever imagined that it was religious extremists?!!!

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/U...9-07-01-55