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Originally Posted by roachboy
it's strange that the vast "anti-terrorism" surveillance apparatus did nothing to stop breivik, isn't it? perhaps the problem now is the same as it's always been---no system can stop what it isn't looking for. except maybe by chance. but chance isn't a system element. chance is on the order of a counter-factual--say breivik had blown himself up.
i think there's a real problem brewing with the neo-fascist right both in europe and the united states. i have no idea how it will play out, but it seems to me clear. somehow fascism has been normalized--or at least made a viable alternative--in places where it is named as such. in the united states, where it isn't, it's been integrated into mainstream conservatism. again. this is **not** to say that all conservatives are neo-fascist. but some on the far right are. american style. the old rugged cross and waving flags, mainstreet u.s.a. fascism.
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I'm surprised they didn't stop the bomb or evacuate as well. There are detectors around the Capitol and White House here...
The big problem is the soft targets. Israel might be the best at protecting them, but it isn't as easy problem.
If you look at the past 20 years starting with Tim McVeigh blowing up the Oklahoma City government building, leading to increasing anti-gov/anti-illegal immigrant militia numbers, leading to them blaming others for economic problems in their lives (or giving away their tax dollars), leading to increased ratings for talk radio and a TV news network catering to their version of the story, leading to support from companies and industries that are against regulation, and then the growth of a political party by the media because they are more interesting than the boring 3rd parties. You get to where we are today. A large powerful group would be willing to round up any illegal immigrant and send them back home. How much of a stretch is it to save money to make them work, don't feed them much, and gas a few that try and escape or cause trouble? How many Americans would be against this?