Do you feel angry at your government for snooping into your private lives?
Or do you feel justified for fighting terrorism??
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beckyromero · 36-40, FVIP
@Oconnor
The chances of you dying in an automobile accident is relatively low on any given day. So why don't you ditch your seat belt? Even the chance of you being ticketed for not wearing one is low, right?
Home invasion robbery? What's the chance of you being a victim? So good ahead: leave your doors unlocked at night.
Next time you walk across the street with a green walk sign, don't you bother to look to see if traffic has cleared the intersection. After all, the chance that someone runs a red light and doesn't see you and also hits you and also kills you is small, too, right?
What about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunami?
Those causes of death would be very low on the list as well.
But we prepare because a hurricane like Katrina killed about 2000 people. Because a 160 were killed in Joplin by a tornado. Because some 3000 people were killed in the San Francisco earthquake and fires.
Furthermore, by focusing solely on deaths, you present a distorted picture of the true risk of terrorism.
Almost 3000 people were killed on 9/11, But an additional 6000 were injured. The lives of next of kin were changed forever. Not to mention the future health of the people in the area and first-responders.
According to some estimates the financial toll to the American economy was probably $2 trillion. And that's not even including the cost of the eventual war to go after Al-Qaeda.
Finally, any proper analysis of risk would focus on the potential death, injuries and damage to property and the economy from an event.
Run some numbers yourself and tell us what YOU estimate the death, destruction and costs would be of a dirty bomb or small nuke going off in an American city.
Look, you only have to die once. Living in fear is dying over and over every day.
The chances of you dying in an automobile accident is relatively low on any given day. So why don't you ditch your seat belt? Even the chance of you being ticketed for not wearing one is low, right?
Home invasion robbery? What's the chance of you being a victim? So good ahead: leave your doors unlocked at night.
Next time you walk across the street with a green walk sign, don't you bother to look to see if traffic has cleared the intersection. After all, the chance that someone runs a red light and doesn't see you and also hits you and also kills you is small, too, right?
Leading causes of death in the US:
•Heart disease: 614,348
• Cancer: 591,699
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 147,101
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 136,053
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 133,103
• Alzheimer's disease: 93,541
• Diabetes: 76,488
• Influenza and pneumonia: 55,227
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 48,146
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 42,773
Terrorism? Not even close.
•Heart disease: 614,348
• Cancer: 591,699
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 147,101
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 136,053
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 133,103
• Alzheimer's disease: 93,541
• Diabetes: 76,488
• Influenza and pneumonia: 55,227
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 48,146
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 42,773
Terrorism? Not even close.
What about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunami?
Those causes of death would be very low on the list as well.
But we prepare because a hurricane like Katrina killed about 2000 people. Because a 160 were killed in Joplin by a tornado. Because some 3000 people were killed in the San Francisco earthquake and fires.
Furthermore, by focusing solely on deaths, you present a distorted picture of the true risk of terrorism.
Almost 3000 people were killed on 9/11, But an additional 6000 were injured. The lives of next of kin were changed forever. Not to mention the future health of the people in the area and first-responders.
According to some estimates the financial toll to the American economy was probably $2 trillion. And that's not even including the cost of the eventual war to go after Al-Qaeda.
Finally, any proper analysis of risk would focus on the potential death, injuries and damage to property and the economy from an event.
Run some numbers yourself and tell us what YOU estimate the death, destruction and costs would be of a dirty bomb or small nuke going off in an American city.