Bicycling in the Age of Terrorism

[OBXBIKR]

Exactly.

There is no safety. Terrorism is by definition random acts of violence perpetrated by the oppressed against the oppressor. Either the government catches terrorists or it doesn't. Either Western civilisation responds to the root causes of terrorism or it doesn't.

When all you do all day is think about terrorism and ways to avoid being a victim, the terrorists have accomplished a large part of their mission.

Hear, Hear

[Bekologist]

The terrorists HAVE won. They've salted the bike lanes with pine cones, this thread has been flagged by the NSA, and fears of 'bad gas' are striking terror among Midwest clam farmers.

[misteralz]

This article provides a good insight:

http://mike_sinkovich.typepad.com/my_rage/2005/11/index.html

[The Selector]

The terrorists HAVE won. They've salted the bike lanes with pine cones, this thread has been flagged by the NSA, and fears of 'bad gas' are striking terror among Midwest clam farmers.

wtf? hahaha

[closetbiker]

Terrorism is by definition random acts of violence perpetrated by the oppressed against the oppressor.

...and it just depends on who calls who what and what their interests are to make the accusation.

In Nicaragua, Reagan called the Contras freedom fighters, someone else would call them terrorists. Depends on point of view. (lets not even talk about in spite of a weapons embargo, Reagan authorized illegal arms sales to the nation of Iran, a country he had himself declared to be a "terrorist state." )

[TRaffic Jammer]

I seem to remember a certain shadowy group, financing and training a young man to be a freedom fighter against the perceived, Red Menace (Russia) in Afghanistan. Oh yea they were the CIA and he is the infamous Ossama. There were also a couple of high powered countries that had wanted so desperately to stop IRAN that they resorted to selling WMD to a certain despot. It was ....oh tip O the tongue here the US and Britain. So history is, or at least was, written by the winners. There usually aren't enough of the losers let to write their version of history. So before wagging fingers at who is and who isn't a terrorist, and who is meddling in affairs not theirs, ask what has my country today that I as a human being would not be ashamed of.

[closetbiker]

...or maybe consider why some are calling others what, and what the motovations really are. Spying on our own citizens, tapping phones, jailing without charges. All to protect "freedom"? Irony.

[TRaffic Jammer]

You are a canadian, shush lest you ....*poof* ....can't you hear the black helicopters?
The CIA uses our airspace to transport prisoners, you could be there in 30 minutes or it's free.

[closetbiker]

...just as long as they return me with no memory of the "trip" (MIB?)

[TRaffic Jammer]

lol....return? You must be joking......

[I-Like-To-Bike]

lol....return? You must be joking......
Here is the biggest joke. This thread is so dang OT that I almost wish for HH to post another of his tirades. It might be stupid but at least it would be related to bicycling, instead of dorm room chatter rehashing first year poli sci.

[Brad M]

You seem to love Serge so much that you can't stop talking about him.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

You seem to love Serge so much that you can't stop talking about him.
So much OT hot air blowing down from up North on this thread. Any ice left up there?

[closetbiker]

Naw, it's been pretty warm (can't you tell from all that hot air?).

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Naw, it's been pretty warm (can't you tell from all that hot air?).
I wasn't sure so sure. So much hot air from up North that I thought the Canadian contingent must be suffering from cabin fever. Or judging by the content of several posters that the bird brain flu has struck.

[Bekologist]

Terrorism in america has come a long way since Harper's Ferry and Calumet, Michigan, sites of two of the first acts of 'terrorism' on US soil.


'Terrorism' in the 21st century is being used as an excuse for american warmongering and the erosion of civil liberties in this country.

Saddam was NOT a terrorist, he was a insignificant dictator (sitting on some of the world's richest oil reserves) with a penchant for expensive congac, concubines, and gold statues of himself. The Saudi's, holding telethons for the 9/11 bombers, may be overtly more culpable. The US had a premtive policy to invade Iraq, probably cooked up by the VP and the Sec of Def during the ford administration.

The US acting to destabilize the middle east for the last thirty years may have done something to encourage anti american sentiment in the region. How many billions did the US spend militarizing the mideast BEFORE both gulf wars? US foreign policy as it relates to petroleum may be more relevant as an indicator of state sponsored terror.

How do the terrorists get the pine needles in the bike lanes again?

[flipped4bikes]

Dubya was right! I knew there was a reason why pine cones, sand, debris and traffic is conspiring to kill me. It's all because of.....terrorists! Gasp! Good thing we're giving billions to Halliburton. When do you think they'll roll out the street cleaners and make America safe for bike commuting again? :D

[TRaffic Jammer]

I don't know HOW they do it but it sure is the work of a twisted maniac.

[closetbiker]

I wasn't sure so sure. So much hot air from up North that I thought the Canadian contingent must be suffering from cabin fever. Or judging by the content of several posters that the bird brain flu has struck.

Yeah, maybe some of us might have the bird brain flu, but at least the majority of us didn't elect a candidate like Bush. Judging from that, I'd think you guys (or at least half of you guys) have the bird brain flu.


"You see, not only did the attacks help accelerate a recession, the attacks reminded us that we are at war." —George W. Bush, on the Sept. 11 attacks, Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005

"It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005

"Wow! Brazil is big." —George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005

[PaulH]

I think those midwest clam farmers are behind all of this.

Paul

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Yeah, maybe some of us might have the bird brain flu, but at least the majority of us didn't elect a candidate like Bush. Judging from that, I'd think you guys (or at least half of you guys) have the bird brain flu....Blahb, blab blab
Is that what passes for bicycling advocacy in the Great North? Maybe you've got your helmet straps too tight.

[closetbiker]

...you're not making an argument against helmet use, are you?

[I-Like-To-Bike]

...you're not making an argument against helmet use, are you?
I'm saying you and your Canadian pals, as well as a few American dorm room ding-a-lings are confusing your political/social opinions for bicycling advocacy. The validity of those opinions are not the issue. The issue is antagonizing the public over non –cycling issues is not productive unless raising heck is the intention. Take your helmet opinions to the appropriate sticky, and loosen your own straps, you're wound up too tight.

[closetbiker]

Hey man, take a qualuude or something. You're bringing us all down.

[jimmuter]

What is it about this A&S forum that launches these goofball tangents? Also, who knew we had so many qualified national security experts plugged into all of the conspiracies of the day? Amazingly, most of these experts live in Canada! It takes a deep thinker with an incredible open mind to parrot talking points found on Democraticunderground.com.

[slagjumper]

I am a proud, blue-state liberal. I have to applaud the Bush machine for propelling the country’s oil dependence to the top of the agenda. Bush is no dummy. First the vice president met with the big energy producers and formulated a plan. Next he ignored intelligence and allowed 911 to happen. Then he flew his Arab backers to safety out of the country. Next he set out on a fear campaign and convinced congress to go to war looking for WMD. Then he killed Bin Laden, but did not share his success because that might interfere with his plans. Then, as he planned the war reduced the oil coming out of Iraq. Econ 101 told us that that would drive up the price of gas. Forget about the profits, they’ve earned them. Now any hiccup in oil production caused prices to sky-rocket and people to wake up to our addictions. Heck he is even going to help the farmers by “pushing” bio fuels. Unfortunately it will take more oil to produce the bio fuels. If this is the “age of terrorism”, may it hasten the human races’ progress to acceptable energy alternatives.

It is almost as if Bush’s plan all along is to encourage more cycling.

Rock on POTUS! May your holy war bring your friends all the earthly power forever and ever. I wish I could say that I voted for you.

[TRaffic Jammer]

Hey man, take a qualuude or something. You're bringing us all down.

Jumper....nice one
I-like-to-bite..oops bike take two even, sheesh, down boy.

[JohnBrooking]

Hey, OP. Aren't you glad you posted your blog article for feedback here?
Yeah. Nothing like starting a provocative thread and then being too busy to check back on it for a few days! :)
I do have a sense of humor, and don't take myself so seriously as to mind all this OT stuff. Some of it is kind of funny, and that's fine! Humor is good. :D
My use of the phrase "The Age of Terrorism" is slightly sarcastic. I agree that terrorism did not start on 9/11/01, for most of the world anyway. Nor even for the US, obviously. However, by using that phrase, I guess I was trying to position my thoughts towards those who might be inclined to agree with the Bush administration that, as they keep pointing out, "everything changed on 9/11". (Which I personally think is bull*.) They might view this as an "age of terrorism".
My main point was to address the tension between the environmental concern of getting people out of single-occupancy motor vehicle transportation, and the security concern posed by building a public transportation infrastructure that gathers large numbers of people together in one place. I can easily imagine terrorism as an excuse to not improve mass transit, by those who are not inclined to improve it anyway. So I was kind of trying out an answer to that. I am not under the impression that bicycling will be a panacea, or problem free in the event of another attack.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Hey man, take a qualuude or something. You're bringing us all down.
What are you(and whomever else you think belong to "us") high on? Goofballs or just smarmy self righteousness?

[TRaffic Jammer]

In that they are calling it an age of anything give me pause. Yes it all changed but unfortunately I don't think it was anything we expected. I can see the petroleum industry giving us a viable solution once they have figured out how to get 2-3 bucks a gallon for hydrogen. Bikes are not a good solution for our security minded masters in that you can't control the movements of an individual on a bike like you can one in a vehicle or some form of mass transportation.

I can't see the technically possible solution of super solar/wind collecting houses, that would not only charge your car in the driveway and have excess power being sold to the electrical grid for credits of some sort.

This would equate to a reduction in consumption and that is something that they are terrified about. More so than running out of oil to refine and sell as product. It's all about keeping the consumer spending and continuing their profits. There is nothing altruistic about their motivations. IMHO

Though it might be smarmy self righteousness :p :p :p

[closetbiker]

What are you(and whomever else you think belong to "us") high on? Goofballs or just smarmy self righteousness?

at least we're not being a Mr. Crabby pants.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

Yeah. Nothing like starting a provocative thread and then being too busy to check back on it for a few days! :) [list=1]
I do have a sense of humor, and don't take myself so seriously as to mind all this OT stuff.
But seriously enough to post the allegedly "provocative" OP in the first place. Heck being on topic on this thread is the same as being OT as far as relevance to bicycling is concerned.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

at least we're not being a Mr. Crabby pants.
Yeah I know, I should be chanting Hare Krishna, and eating some Tim Horton Brand Tofu QuicheNuts to get in the right frame of mind before joining the gentle/simple people of bicycling ("Us") support group forum.

[TRaffic Jammer]

Kinda reminds me of Ed Anger...a columnist with The Weekly World News. A Right Wing extremist who would viciously insult any and all correspondence. It was kinda funny to read, comedic relief, hilarious rag.

[Brad M]

ILTB is the new HH

[TRaffic Jammer]

ILTB is the new HH

What?..
:D

[KrisPistofferson]

I-Like-To-Troll rules! :beer: Yeah, it's bad when he disagrees with you, and shame on you guys for turning a political thread, uh, political, but it's pretty funny to watch him blast someone who deserves it, like on the idiotic "Dunkin Donuts attacks bike commuters" (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120745&highlight=dunkin) -thread. (He's actually a pretty nice dude from what I can tell, just enjoys arguing on the internet and trolling a bit, but I do too.)

[I-Like-To-Bike]

ILTB is the new HH
And whom might you and the Canadian Defenders of the "Oppressed" be? Bicycle advocates? Wouldn't know it from your pals' insistence on haranguing the forum with political screeds.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

I-Like-To-Troll rules! :beer: Yeah, it's bad when he disagrees with you, and shame on you guys for turning a political thread, uh, political, but it's pretty funny to watch him blast someone who deserves it, like on the idiotic "Dunkin Donuts attacks bike commuters" (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=120745&highlight=dunkin) -thread. (He's actually a pretty nice dude from what I can tell, just enjoys arguing on the internet and trolling a bit, but I do too.)
When I blast someone they DO deserve it! ;) It's only "bad" if I disagree with "you", because you fail to recognize when you too deserve to be knocked down a peg or two.

And you can bet that the Jack Donkeys who make excuses for the "Oppressed" like Timothy McVay, Bin Laden, church bombers etc. most definitly deserve to be lambasted for posting their BS anywhere, but especially on a bicycling advocacy list.

Oh, the political forum can be located farther south on the index. This is not it.

[KrisPistofferson]

When I blast someone they DO deserve it! ;) It's only "bad" if I disagree with "you", because you fail to recognize when you too deserve to be knocked down a peg or two.

And you can bet that the Jack Donkeys who make excuses for the "Oppressed" like Timothy McVay, Bin Laden, church bombers etc. most definitly deserve to be lambasted for posting their BS anywhere, but especially on a bicycling advocacy list.

Oh, the political forum can be located farther south on the index. This is not it.I get what you're saying, but I do think A&S by it's very nature, invariably gets somewhat political at times, with Critical Mass-threads as well as discussions on the impact cheap oil and therefore automobiles have had on or society. "Living Car-free" and "Commuting; are two other subforums that frequently bump into the realm of politics, and they frequently do get moved into P&R, if it goes too far. ILTB, you really need to come to the Politics forum, you'd love it.

[closetbiker]

Oh, the political forum can be located farther south on the index. This is not it.

You got that right. It should have been moved long ago. Lets blame the mods.

P.S.
be careful around us Canucks for the next couple of days. We just lost 2-0 and we're not pleased.

[TRaffic Jammer]

I get it .... kinda like the cranky, yet lovable Colonel from MASH. He was a cranky old fart, but we liked him anyway. WE lost, well it serves us right.... you can't just throw a bunch of guys on a plane three or four days before the first game and expect it all to workout. I don't think they practiced once here in Canada before leaving. It's a team sport, and Gret's just filled the squad with a bunch of great players but forgot what teamwork was. They should have watched the ladies crushing run to Gold for some lessons. I won't shed a tear for Canada's Mens Hockey Team if they fail to medal. I'll personally be grateful when actual amateurs fill the ice and the basketball court once more.

[JohnBrooking]

FYI, I posted this here instead of the Politics forum because I considered the question to be whether the fact of terrorism and its affinity for targeting places where people gather, like mass transit stations, might make a stronger case for bicycle advocacy. I guess I might have made that clearer?

[closetbiker]

FYI, I posted this here instead of the Politics forum because I considered the question to be whether the fact of terrorism and its affinity for targeting places where people gather, like mass transit stations, might make a stronger case for bicycle advocacy. I guess I might have made that clearer?

I got that and I think it's a good topic. As I said, in some parts of the world bikes have been used in the aid of terrorism, and they certainly are a good choice to use in difficult situations. After the San Fransico earthquake, bikes were the vehicles to get around with.

[TRaffic Jammer]

It might scare a few people onto bikes but do you want them in traffic riding?

[Dchiefransom]

I get it .... kinda like the cranky, yet lovable Colonel from MASH. He was a cranky old fart, but we liked him anyway. WE lost, well it serves us right.... you can't just throw a bunch of guys on a plane three or four days before the first game and expect it all to workout. I don't think they practiced once here in Canada before leaving. It's a team sport, and Gret's just filled the squad with a bunch of great players but forgot what teamwork was. They should have watched the ladies crushing run to Gold for some lessons. I won't shed a tear for Canada's Mens Hockey Team if they fail to medal. I'll personally be grateful when actual amateurs fill the ice and the basketball court once more.

Hey, at least they didn't have the police raid the Canadian rooms and keep them awake the night before the game, then say that it shouldn't have any effect on performance. ;)

[TRaffic Jammer]

What team did that happen to? I saw a bit about that and thought it seemed a bit nuts.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

I get what you're saying, but I do think A&S by it's very nature, invariably gets somewhat political at times, with Critical Mass-threads as well as discussions on the impact cheap oil and therefore automobiles have had on or society. "Living Car-free" and "Commuting; are two other subforums that frequently bump into the realm of politics, and they frequently do get moved into P&R, if it goes too far. ILTB, you really need to come to the Politics forum, you'd love it.
I don't find the commuting subforum overrun by political jack donkeys and naive chumps spewing simplistic non-bicycling related screeds as does both A&S and Living Car Free. I leave the cultural dropouts in Car-Free forum to vent against the "cagers" and the evils of "cager culture" without my interference (for the most part) since they for the most part keep their crap to themselves in their own nest.

Usually A&S only has bicycling expert fanaticism, with occasional BS from the "cager" basher jack donkeys. It seems lately that cabin fever in Canada and thoughts of Spring break has the hockey lovers and stateside college boys coming out of the woodwork on A&S with crackpot political rants about the Great Satan and the blessedness of the suicide bombers. I suppose the moderators are in agreement that such stuff has the makings of bicycling advocacy/safety.

[TRaffic Jammer]

Yo ILTB.... you make it sound like everyone is peeing on your lawn....chill.
Sorry we can't all be as narrow minded and insulting as you. Instead of coming down to what I imagine you perceive as our level, why don't you come off your high moral horse and join in a community of diverse opinions. Sorry there happened to be a little politicking and GOD FORBID some Olympic talk in a few of your precious A&S threads. Your tirades are that of an old man, set in his ways and his wife has just thrown out the blow up donut he usually sits on to watch the world go by.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

You got that right. It should have been moved long ago. Lets blame the mods.

P.S.
be careful around us Canucks for the next couple of days. We just lost 2-0 and we're not pleased.
2-0? What kind of score is that? Hockey or Soccer?http://deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif

Baseball is the only sport where such a score is entertaining.:) But I'm sure you knew that already.