Comments on: London, Not Central Asia the Real Terrorist Threat http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/ A Generalist in a World of Specialists Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:27:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Fred Balt http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17772 Fred Balt Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:11:38 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17772 Hi Cameron, Thanks for your reply. Isincerely hope that your planned (or dreamed about!) visit will become a reality. we are already looking forward to it and just kow that you will enjoy the RSA! Excuse me for being ignorent but I don't know how to link an interesting e-mail that I have received today to your blog. I'm therefore taking the liberty to send it to Marlize's e-mail address. Please ask her to forgive me! It links up perfectly with the subject of your "London the real Terro threat" Maybe you have seen it before but it surely shows what is going on in England and Europe today. Regards to you all! Fred Balt Hi Cameron,
Thanks for your reply. Isincerely hope that your planned (or dreamed about!) visit will become a reality. we are already looking forward to it and just kow that you will enjoy the RSA!
Excuse me for being ignorent but I don’t know how to link an interesting e-mail that I have received today to your blog. I’m therefore taking the liberty to send it to Marlize’s e-mail address. Please ask her to forgive me! It links up perfectly with the subject of your “London the real Terro threat” Maybe you have seen it before but it surely shows what is going on in England and Europe today.
Regards to you all!
Fred Balt

]]> By: Cameron Schaefer http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17771 Cameron Schaefer Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:47:11 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17771 @ Fred, So great to hear from you! You definitely hit on many of the challenges facing not just London, but Western countries, as you say, in general. There is such a fine line between being an open country and completely losing your cultural identity. The challenge is for us to figure out how to walk it better. I'll definitely keep working on the cooking skills and also on getting a trip set up to come visit you guys! Thanks again for the shout and keeping in touch, will give your greetings to the Schaefer tribe. @ Fred,

So great to hear from you! You definitely hit on many of the challenges facing not just London, but Western countries, as you say, in general. There is such a fine line between being an open country and completely losing your cultural identity. The challenge is for us to figure out how to walk it better.

I’ll definitely keep working on the cooking skills and also on getting a trip set up to come visit you guys!

Thanks again for the shout and keeping in touch, will give your greetings to the Schaefer tribe.

]]> By: Fred Balt http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17769 Fred Balt Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:40:46 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17769 Hi Cameron, Your picture of London is very true. Just walk in the centre of London and you'll notice that it has become a real conglomerate of different cultures and religions. Warnings about Islamic extremists in the past fell on deaf ears. The western countries are really soft (for the sake of political correctness) when it comes to protecting their own territories. England is a very good example of a country which could protect itself very efficiently but they chose to be "open " for all. A real wake up call is neccesary before it is almost too late. No country can effectively fight a terrorist war within its own borders. The aim of Islamic organisations is to infiltrate friendly western countries while it is quite difficult to infiltrate their countries. I couldn't agree more that the wars in Afghanistan etc. is fruitless if the internal policies of western countries protect these terrorists within the borders of these western countries. Anyway I also agree that your blog can be very serious at times (although I always enjoy it!) Please sharpen your cooking skills because by the time you come to visit us here in the RSA we would really enjoy it to be treated on some of your delicious dishes! Regards top Marlize, Malone and Judah! Hi Cameron,
Your picture of London is very true. Just walk in the centre of London and you’ll notice that it has become a real conglomerate of different cultures and religions. Warnings about Islamic extremists in the past fell on deaf ears. The western countries are really soft (for the sake of political correctness) when it comes to protecting their own territories. England is a very good example of a country which could protect itself very efficiently but they chose to be “open ” for all. A real wake up call is neccesary before it is almost too late. No country can effectively fight a terrorist war within its own borders. The aim of Islamic organisations is to infiltrate friendly western countries while it is quite difficult to infiltrate their countries.
I couldn’t agree more that the wars in Afghanistan etc. is fruitless if the internal policies of western countries protect these terrorists within the borders of these western countries.
Anyway I also agree that your blog can be very serious at times (although I always enjoy it!)
Please sharpen your cooking skills because by the time you come to visit us here in the RSA we would really enjoy it to be treated on some of your delicious dishes!
Regards top Marlize, Malone and Judah!

]]> By: Cameron Schaefer http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17737 Cameron Schaefer Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:05:18 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17737 @ Isao, There is definitely a risk that in implementing measures to prevent terrorism we may be inadvertently destroying the institutions of freedom that make our society worthwhile. See here: http://www.schaefersblog.com/david-foster-wallace-on-the-freedom-vs-security-discussion-america-isnt-having/ @ Collin, Yeah, I hoped that someone would see why I threw that last line in there. It's funny how things that would once be considered quite outrageous like bombing sovereign countries that we're not at war with has very quickly become no big deal. I understand why commander's love UAV's, but I think there are still some big philosophical questions regarding their use that we haven't even begun to debate at the national level. Just because we can doesn't mean we should...I think that may have to be a blog post for another day. Thanks for being such a loyal commenter! @ Isao,

There is definitely a risk that in implementing measures to prevent terrorism we may be inadvertently destroying the institutions of freedom that make our society worthwhile.

See here: http://www.schaefersblog.com/david-foster-wallace-on-the-freedom-vs-security-discussion-america-isnt-having/

@ Collin,

Yeah, I hoped that someone would see why I threw that last line in there. It’s funny how things that would once be considered quite outrageous like bombing sovereign countries that we’re not at war with has very quickly become no big deal.

I understand why commander’s love UAV’s, but I think there are still some big philosophical questions regarding their use that we haven’t even begun to debate at the national level.

Just because we can doesn’t mean we should…I think that may have to be a blog post for another day.

Thanks for being such a loyal commenter!

]]> By: Collin http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17734 Collin Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:36:59 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17734 Cameron, Your last sentence really hit me: "After all, I doubt the people of London would take to kindly to a strategy that involved firing missiles on their city from unmanned drones." For some reason that just really made clear to me how strange our war is becoming. I mean, we aren't fighting against pakistan's or Afghanistan's governments, but we drop bombs on both of those nations all the time...We aren't at war with Britain, but maybe we should drop precision bombs when we've got intel on a radical in a building...wow, scary. I think you're on to something. Cameron, Your last sentence really hit me:

“After all, I doubt the people of London would take to kindly to a strategy that involved firing missiles on their city from unmanned drones.”

For some reason that just really made clear to me how strange our war is becoming. I mean, we aren’t fighting against pakistan’s or Afghanistan’s governments, but we drop bombs on both of those nations all the time…We aren’t at war with Britain, but maybe we should drop precision bombs when we’ve got intel on a radical in a building…wow, scary. I think you’re on to something.

]]> By: Isao http://www.schaefersblog.com/london-not-central-asia-the-real-terrorist-threat/comment-page-1/#comment-17733 Isao Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:42:49 +0000 http://www.schaefersblog.com/?p=1443#comment-17733 I often hear that authorities in London is constantly trying to enhance security which unfortunately causes limiting freedom and privacy. If in spite of those measures the security risk is increasing, then ... their tactics are actually backfiring at them? I often hear that authorities in London is constantly trying to enhance security which unfortunately causes limiting freedom and privacy. If in spite of those measures the security risk is increasing, then … their tactics are actually backfiring at them?

]]>