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Two Ways to Measure Education by Murder

Reader comment on item: Education by Murder in Boston

Submitted by Alex (United States), Apr 29, 2013 at 15:11

I feel that during a period of denial like this one has no option but to take solace in Dr. Pipes' cautious optimism about Westerners waking up to the threat of violent Islamists within their own countries.

I honestly do find it surprising that such an awakening did not occur after the 9/11 attacks--it may have taken Dr. Pipes a bit of time to gain the same sense of a domestic threat from Islamists that Westerners are now slowly having generally, but, then again, hijacked planes being flown into buildings is a bit more demonstrative of an example than phonecall from Steve Emerson or a coffeeshop meeting with Bat Ye'or. I think the difference is in the number of victims actually, and in the number of perpetrators. In Boston, the low number of victims (and the young age of one of them in particular) served to personalize the narrative about this terrorist incident. The somewhat amateurish nature of the Tsarnaev brothers' plot, and the fact that they probably largely acted alone, speaks to their own independent motiovation, and gives Westerners a sense of a less predictabl;e type of danger in their midst than that coming from sophisticated operatives like the 9/11 hojackers, who carried out an attack of of such strategic significance that no one worries it could just happen again any time an Islamist residing in this country feels like acting out on his/her aggression. What surprises me is that, just as the Western realization of a domestic Islamist threat has taken so long to dawn on Americans since 9/11, there have not been more cases of rather indepdent jihadists like the Tsarnaev brothers (or the cases of "Sudden Jihad Syndrome" that Dr Pipes documents) in response to the example set by the 9/11 hijackers.

I think there might be two ways to to measure "Education by Murder":

1) the lower (and younger) the body count, the faster Westerners will absorb the lessons of an act of jihadist terrorism

and;

2) the fewer (and more poorly trained), the more who will be likely to follow in their footsteps

Thus, I expect we will receive more lessons in the near future, hopefully with fewer victims each time.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (54) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Public Opinion Might be Negative; But WIll It Change Things? Ask Dr Andrew Hussey. [463 words]GWKSep 11, 2014 14:26217780
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1ISIS is True Islam. Islamism is True Islam on Steroids. [381 words]John NobleSep 11, 2014 01:17217737
3Islam can do no wrong. [225 words]DisillusionedNov 24, 2013 17:58211752
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2The thing will heat [61 words]EduardoMay 7, 2013 20:42205871
2Mumbai? [59 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AnonMay 6, 2013 02:44205850
3Response to Professor Pipes [76 words]AnonMay 14, 2013 01:27205850
6When will we ever learn? [208 words]Jules PostenApr 30, 2013 13:17205757
2Ha'aretz has a point [72 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Kepha HorApr 30, 2013 05:39205748
6Nothing is more sickening to me [62 words]saraApr 29, 2013 20:51205733
Two Ways to Measure Education by Murder [367 words]AlexApr 29, 2013 15:11205730
Education by Murder~ [212 words]BonnieMay 9, 2013 02:50205730
5Boston attacks alert West to Islamist danger [429 words]Bart BenschopApr 29, 2013 10:10205726
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism [111 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DAODAOApr 28, 2013 13:02205705
4Ouch [87 words]Peter HerzApr 27, 2013 21:23205693
3German paper "Die Zeit" commentator disillusioned: "The big void in the heart of terror" [303 words]mythApr 27, 2013 04:17205674
12islamists themselves tell us that islam is dangerous to the West ! [60 words]Phil GreendApr 26, 2013 19:37205648
2Prelude to the future [55 words]David W. LincolnApr 25, 2013 19:10205610
8ISLAM THRIVES ON WESTERN COMPLACENCY & INDULGENCE [92 words]Nur el Masih ben HaqApr 25, 2013 22:24205610
2Getting to the nitty gritty [21 words]David W. LincolnApr 30, 2013 11:47205610
9Islamism is a threat to our way of life? [132 words]Steve KleinApr 25, 2013 13:30205600
35Islam is the most Unislamic [244 words]Michael Hanni MorcosApr 26, 2013 00:21205600
6The strange mother and Lord and Taylor! [74 words]dhimmi no moreApr 25, 2013 08:11205591
4Education by theft, too! [113 words]Kepha HorApr 26, 2013 05:57205591
4Immigration! What about it? [262 words]dhimmi no moreApr 27, 2013 12:19205591
2Immigration from Muslim countries [128 words]JeffApr 27, 2013 14:02205591
1the stange mother of lord and taylor [36 words]BonnieMay 9, 2013 03:15205591
immigration - integration [180 words]mythApr 25, 2013 04:31205583
4Boston and the President [40 words]Steven LApr 24, 2013 23:58205573
18Understanding the significance of a severed foot in Islam [251 words]YusufApr 24, 2013 20:03205565
6Education by Murder in Boston [309 words]one will hopeApr 24, 2013 19:32205564
3You've missed something there [171 words]ConstanceApr 25, 2013 07:05205564
2agreement [51 words]Kepha HorApr 29, 2013 06:06205564
9"cautious optimism!" [288 words]jeromeApr 24, 2013 18:19205563
7Thinking about that word "Infidel" [290 words]Ron ThompsonApr 25, 2013 18:41205563
2rose tinted spectacles [231 words]jeromeApr 25, 2013 22:57205563
Haredi Beis Din [12 words]Eben SpinozaApr 27, 2013 23:51205563
2Offensive? [26 words]saraApr 29, 2013 21:17205563
Too close for comfort [27 words]Eben SpinozaMay 13, 2013 17:49205563
7The Death of Western Civilization [92 words]JustinApr 24, 2013 17:22205561
7Yes, we learn, painfully and in spite of our governing class [211 words]JeffApr 24, 2013 13:23205556
3Absolutely Right [48 words]Kepha HorApr 27, 2013 21:19205556
17Nothing Remotely Like a Concept of 'Just War' in Islam [504 words]Ron ThompsonApr 24, 2013 12:42205554
18Maybe it is too late.... [87 words]Sonia BloomfieldApr 24, 2013 12:25205553
2The West should stop importing diffusiveness from the Rest [489 words]Amit SrivastavaApr 24, 2013 12:00205551
2Sic et Non [139 words]Kepha HorApr 27, 2013 21:15205551
14To Mr. Pipes [71 words]Bonnie LorangerApr 24, 2013 11:54205550
6Kids were Set Back a Grade if They did not Learn the Lessons the First Time. [196 words]M. ToveyApr 24, 2013 11:04205549
5Have we really learned anything new? [210 words]Rebecca Ellen MouldsApr 24, 2013 11:01205548
4Boston - München [34 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
mythApr 24, 2013 10:14205547
31Reverance by Murder [74 words]Michael Hanni MorcosApr 24, 2013 10:08205545
1A real dilemma [295 words]john w mcginleyApr 24, 2013 09:56205544
3What positive teaching of its founder? [59 words]Michael Hanni MorcosNov 25, 2013 10:46205544

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