If we stop playing sport have the terrorists won?

Zeta says:

02:03pm | 30/12/09

I don’t think we should do buisness with these countries at all. No atheletic endeavour is worth being killed by a road side bomb for. If India, Pakistan and the Middle East want to participate in elite sport, it should be a prerequisite that they clean up their own backyards first.

It’s like when you’re a little kid, you’re not allowed to go outside and kick the footy around until you’ve cleaned up your room. It’s time we started treating these ‘developing nations’ and their terrorists the same way. You don’t get to kick a footy around until you’ve made genuine attempts at stopping terrorism. The sub-continent has failed on all accounts, and Sri Lanka’s attempt at stopping terrorism was basically to kill everyone who vaguely looked like a terrorist or came from the same ethnic background, thus creating new generations of terrorist. These aren’t nice people.

I can’t beleive Cricket Australia trots out this bollocks about the ‘postive affect of international cricket’; seriously. The ethnic and religious tensions in that region will not be resolved by a one dayer. In the mean time, they risk Australian lives, and for what? So they can play the world’s second most boring sport in a different time zone.

BULMKT says:

02:36pm | 30/12/09

In many respects the “terrorist” have won. I say they have “won” from the perspective that their sinister actions have resulted in significant changes to our way of life. You only have to travel overseas to see the disruptions caused at the security check ins thanks to the 9/11 attacks and the recent attempted bombing on the Delta airlines flight from Europe. While thankfully the Terrorist in this instance failed, it has again shown that the West can’t drop its guard and must remain vigilant at all times.

The fact that sport now also looks like being a victim is also sad. Indeed if England were to pull out of the Commonwealth Games in India in OCT10 other Commonwealth countries (like us) could also pull out and that would be seen as a victory to the radicals and extremists.
I’d like to think it won’t come to this. We shouldn’t have to live in fear.

I think this quote best sums up how I feel about terrorists.

A CNN reporter, while interviewing a Marine Sniper, asked, “What do you feel when you shoot a terrorist?”

The Marine shrugged and replied, “Recoil.”

Eric says:

02:43pm | 30/12/09

With Islamic terrorism, everyone is a target. This is a war against civilisation and there are no rules.

The Mumbai Massacre and the attack on the Pakistani cricket team show that Muslim terrorists are willing to strike anyone, anywhere in the subcontinent.

T.Chong says:

02:48pm | 30/12/09

According to ABC news ( I know, obviosly untrustworthy pro terrorist ,socialists) there is no move to forgo attendance.
The UK Tele is a bit like Faux news, and doesnt mind a speculative beat up , specially if those ungodly freedom - haters are involved.
Lucky the in house library found that photo to remind us of the menace.
Pix of dead collaterals from coalition juggernaut are just too upsetting. Best keep with the bogeyman we all know and fear.
Perhaps an equally valid question of journalism is “Is the world really as unsafe as some tabloids want us to believe?”

T.Chong says:

03:00pm | 30/12/09

BULMKT: what a laugh!!! imagine being so cool, that after killing someone you judge guilty, you can than think of something funny!! What a guy!!
Of course any enemy who said the same thing would be rightly considered a murderous psychopath, but hey,this guy is on our side.
Did he go on to tell the other favorite murderers joke about killing women and children? you know, when aiming givem less lead!!!! Funny!!!!!!
Sounds like the reporter and marine didnt know JarHead was a damnation of war.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

03:08pm | 30/12/09

Terrorists try to ban music, sport, education for women and now for men judging by the recent spate of boys schools blown up in Pakistan.  They haven’t stopped young girls playing sport behind closed doors in Afghanistan or young men and women listening to music and having same on their television.  Killjoys yes, but they will not succeed.  The will of men of goodwill is too great.  Good will triumph eventually.  The question is how long do we wait?  I predict until 2025AD.

Jef Kok says:

03:09pm | 30/12/09

Islamic terrorism has certainly won !Look at the way our daily lives have been affected , like all the inconveniences it has caused most notably when we go on a plane flight each time.No thanks to the weak and lame Western (Australia included) do-gooder ideologies in trying to “counter” terrorism in many cases importing their own terrorists into their own backyards in the name of ‘compassion’. Well done !!

formersnag says:

03:16pm | 30/12/09

YES!

John A Neve says:

03:43pm | 30/12/09

Tory,
Firstly we are not talking about sport, we are talking about professional entertainers. Most, if not all get better than the basic wage.

Regarding, “have the terrorist won?”, I say no, both sides have lost. Sadly this war will go on for years and there will never be a winner.

Still it keeps people employed and that’s got to be a good thing in our world,
hasn’t it?

BULMKT says:

03:48pm | 30/12/09

RE T.Chong @ 4pm

The best type of terrorist is a dead terrorist. End of story.

Marines live by a code, Terrorist’s don’t. You should show more respect for the people in uniform who are protecting your freedom.
By the way, you can substitute that “Marine” for our own SAS who are killing terrorists every day in Afghanistan.

“We make war that we may live in peace.”
- Aristotle

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”
- John Adams

“It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.”
- John F Kennedy
War sucks, it really does. But having our way of life threatened by radical Islamic extremists isn’t fun either. Thomas Paine couldn’t have said it better himself.
“If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”

Zeta says:

04:16pm | 30/12/09

@ Jacqui Butterfield - I like your misguided optimism, it’s refreshing, but probably best used at children’s sporting events, Labor National Conferrences, or while watching the Rabbitohs.

We have no willpower. Terrorists do. Right now, the only thing keeping the terrorists from acheiving their goals is the numeric superiority of the decadent West that would rather watch Idol and get fat and stupid rather than fight and die for what they believe in.

If your freedoms were threatened, or your God, would you walk onto a bus full of school children and hit the detonator on a crudely made explosive vest? Would you hide in the dilapidated, abandoned buildings of your city and take pot shots at American soliders, aiming to wound so as to better identify their medical personell for you to kill later on? Would you kidnap journalists and aid workers, force them to recant their allegience to democracy and then behead them?

No, you probably wouldn’t. But our enemies would. Nor would the men and women we send overseas to fight these terrorists, they couldn’t do that either. And that is why we will lose, eventually. Because we might have the will to sit through another insipid sit com, the will to wake up and go to meaningless jobs every day for the rest of our bloated lives, and the will to reproduce another generation of fat, happy children… But they have the will to commit atrocities in the name of God and in the name of the countries we keep unsuccessfully invading.

How far does goodwill really get you against people who’ll fly planes into buildings?

Alert, not alarmed says:

04:24pm | 30/12/09

The fact that media reports on ‘terrorism’ means they have already won. If the media were banned from reporting on terror related activities, there would be fewer ways the aims of these terror organisations could be achieved. Of course, in this day & age (unless we all lived in China), there is no way that could happen. So here the media are, stoking the terrorism fire by spreading terror.

Eric says:

05:06pm | 30/12/09

Zeta, the difference is that the enemy are serious and we are not. We even have idiots pretending there is no war.

If the Islamic terrorists manage to succeed with enough mass casualty attacks, this will change.

Dan says:

05:14pm | 30/12/09

T.Chong is right. The sniper who made the comment is an idiot. BULMKT, you can provide as many (irrelevent) quotes as you like, but the fact is this; if someone doesn’t feel any emotion about killing someone, they are a psychopath, and as for differences between marines and terrorists, if marines live by a code, then saying that ‘recoil’ is the only thing that they feel after killing a terrorist shows that it’s a crap code. You say that the ‘only terrorist is a dead terrorist’, I suspect that you’ve never been to war, if you had then you would know that killing someone in real life is a little harder than in a video game. As for ‘You should show more respect for the people in uniform who are protecting your freedom.’, who want YOUR respect?! Psychopath.

Eric, this is not a war against civilisation. I would suggest that you do your research, but you obviously never research any subject!

Jamers Hunter says:

05:35pm | 30/12/09

terrorists are cowards so they will not ever meet us on the sports field where they can loose easily. they want an uneven contest, like all cowards and bullies. never fight on even ground or equal terms ,always sneak in and plant a bomb in midst of civilians. Or when finally forced into defending territory, go place there guns,rockets and bombs in hospitals and schools. What cowards, hide behind the skirts of women and the books of children. they are such low life though as to have no conscience to appeal to.full of religious bigotry and quasi religious “teachings”.

Respect for those who fight for us says:

05:38pm | 30/12/09

@ Dan. People in the military are trained for killing - that is ultimately what they may need to do. I have no doubt that any ‘hardened’ marine or SAS member would feel uncomfortable talking about their feelings about killing someone with a family and they probably make flippant remarks about it to continue to appear uneffected by it all and not be reduced to a sobbing mess. But you should respect the fact that many of these men and women are doing what they think is right by killing people who threaten their families. Whether it is something you respect or not is kind of an aside, but don’t taint them all with the same brush as being ‘heartless’, when really most of them are more than likely doing the ‘hard right’ and have trouble sleeping at night so you can live the life you do. Moreover, ‘terrorism’ IS a war against civilisation as the western world knows it. Perhaps you ought to consider your comments more before you post!

Dan says:

05:54pm | 30/12/09

Respect for those who fight for us says, LOL, terrorism is NOT a war against civilisation, so perhaps YOU ought to consider your comments more before you post! No matter what you may think of it, it is not a war against civilisation, so maybe, do some research?!

John A Neve says:

06:07pm | 30/12/09

RFTWFFUS @1838hrs,

You are so wrong,. How do you know what our military think?  These people are not conscripts or volunteers fighting an invading army. They are professional soldiers (mercenaries). No one is threatening their families.
They are invaders in a foreign land, don’t you like to admit the truth?

As to a “war against civilisation”, the middle-east had civilisation when we were still living in caves.

Don’t believe all you read in the papers.

BMJ says:

07:22pm | 30/12/09

The Brits won’t go through with it.

This is just a nudge for India to get their security in order.

Jacquie Butterfield says:

08:14pm | 30/12/09

@ Zeta, I’m no pacifist because to be a real pacifist implies that we are happy to refuse to fight and be invaded and taken over by brutes.  My comment was that ultimately goodwill breaks through, notwithstanding the horrors that have gone on before that. 

@Alert But Not Alarmed I say that it gets to me every time the Media blows the trumpet for the terrorists.  We elevate them across the world.  We say how sophisticated and smart they are.  And every time this happens they crack open a bottle and party or fire off an AK47.  I can’t bear it.

Wombat says:

08:44pm | 30/12/09

“If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn the other also.”
Jesus Christ.
Obviously pro-terrorist.

Shane From Melbourne says:

11:04pm | 30/12/09

@ BULMKT and Respect for those etc….. Body Counts are so out of date in military doctine these days, even within the US military. Civic Action and Nation Building is in. The only people that are hard core about body counts are the Isrealis and that doesn’t seem to help them much…..

Another Dan says:

01:05am | 31/12/09

@Dan: You seem to know what the scum are killing for.

I’m to lazy to do my own research please tell me

stephen says:

04:54am | 31/12/09

Well if it ain’t a war for civilization, it certainly is one for decency.

John A Neve says:

08:00am | 31/12/09

Stephen @ 0554Hrs,

Who’s decency, yours or mine?
Probably yours, to post a comment like that, you’d have to be perfect!

Respect for those who flight for us says:

09:02am | 31/12/09

@ Dan, Dan the uninformed man… I honestly do not understand how you can suggest that ‘terrorists’ do NOT threated our way of life. When I attend any big event, travel abroad to popular tourist destinations, or fly, I usually consider the fact that it is possible that I/we will be targetted by someone I don’t know with the intent to kill/injure me because of who I am and where I live. That is the reality of our world now. How is that NOT threatening?? Perhaps you yourself live in a cave.

Eric says:

09:03am | 31/12/09

Of course it’s a war for civilisation. Look at the places where radical Islam held control. Afghanistan was not a civilised place under the Taliban - all culture except for the Koran was systematically destroyed. There was no education beyond classes in Islam.

That’s what the enemy wants the whole world to look like.

BULMKT says:

09:15am | 31/12/09

RE DAN @ 614pm 30/12/09

I knew someone would get suckered in with that CNN Marine quote – DAN & L.CHONG.
And I still stand by my statement that “The best type of terrorist is a dead terrorist. End of story.”

Happy New Year 2010 to everyone. May it be a Prosperous Year for you all.

Cuppa says:

12:48pm | 31/12/09

BULMKT, i couldnt agree more.I saw another inteview where the inteviewer asked a us army sniper what would be one thing he would say to a terrorist when he has him in sight.He replied ‘dont run.you will just die tired.‘I agree 100%.These people deserve no sympathy & have no redeeming features.

Dan says:

04:32pm | 31/12/09

Another Dan, I do what the ‘scum’ are fighting for. Foreign policy, such as the support of middle eastern dictatorships and the colonisation of Muslim lands.

Respect for those who flight for us says; LOL, I’m the uninformed one? Give me a break.  Firstly, I never said they don’t threaten our way of life, but now that you mention it, terrorists can kill a few hundred (or thousand), but only we can destroy our way of life. You are such a fool, and you the misguided one!

BULMKT, I still stand by my comment that you are a psychopath. End of story.

Eric, how much of an ignorant fool can you be? Firstly, the Taliban isn’t exactly responsible for international terrorism, but more importantly, Afghanistan WAS an example of a civilisation. Here’s a hint, Eric. Not all civilisations are western and Christian. And to say that ‘Afghanistan was not a civilised place under the Taliban - all culture except for the Koran was systematically destroyed’ is not only ridiculous, especially since YOU do not determine what constitutes civilised, but is simply wrong. 

You’re a fool Eric. Stick to thing you know something about.

Wombat says:

04:43pm | 31/12/09

I don’t get it. I just re-read all the comments and I can’t see where anyone is advocating sympathy for terrorists or admiring any of their features.
I don’t like terrorists (thought I’d better make that point). I don’t like them whether they are poor, brainwashed Muslims or coke-addled, draft-dodging presidents of the US.
There is one other thing that I know about terrorists: when we are trying to work out what to do about them, the last people we should be listening to are the same warmongering fools who spent late 2002 and early 2003 screaming for an invasion of Iraq.

Grumbles says:

04:44pm | 31/12/09

I do think we would be better off educating these terrorists as to why terrorism is a crap way to raise awareness of your issues. History tells us that many groups have tried terror to get their voice heard and to date not one has been successful. Terrorism started a long time ago and there were plenty of western terrorists befor ethe east chose it as their military strategy. As bad as it is, i think i would tell the terrorist that the way to defeat America is to surrender with a demand for aid (which they will give) and assimilate into their society and out procreate them. Sure it might take 200 years but at the end of that, given current trends they would out number anglos 2 -1 in the US population and would pretty much control America with their vote.

Jugger says:

05:02pm | 31/12/09

Australians killed on Australian soil in the last decade by terrorists: 0
Australians killed on Australian soil in the last decade in motor vehicle accidents: >15,000

The truth is that terrorists do represent no threat whatsoever to our lives in this country, contrary to what the scaremongering media would have us believe.

In India more than 115,000 people die each each in motor vehicle accidents.  Any athlete going the the Commonwealth Games next year will have much more chance of being killed in a road accident than being murdered by terrorists.

Terrorism is vile, but by giving in to terrorism you are validating the terrorists position.  For any country to boycott the Commonwealth Games would be an insult to the billions of Indians who are not terrorists.

Eric says:

06:28am | 01/01/10

Dan, you should do some research and read some history.

All Islamic terrorists are bound by the overarching ideology of radical Islam. They share a common agenda, and that is to make everyone submit to the rule of Islamic fundamentslism.

Afghanistan under the Taliban is what Islamic fundamentalism looks like. It is antithetical to civilisation.

Islamic terrorists won’t stop until they have attained their goals. There is no choice but top fight them, or surrender.

Dan says:

06:12pm | 01/01/10

Eric, LOL, it is YOU who shouldm do some research and read some history. International terrrorists actually have different goals, but 9/11 was committed because of America’s support of foreign dictatorships. To say that ‘They share a common agenda, and that is to make everyone submit to the rule of Islamic fundamentslism’ shows what a fool you are. As for the Taliban being ‘antithetical to civilisation’, you do realise that that is factually incorrect? They have their own civilisation. Just because you don’t like it, well who cares what you like?

As for fighting them and not surrendering, does that include going to Iraq?

Eric, you’re an ignorant fool and in way over your head. The fact that you think you can lecture me is laughable. You really are a fool. Stick to your conspiracy theories.

Eric says:

01:02pm | 02/01/10

I don’t think I can lecture you, Dan, for you are clearly incapable of learning.

However, the rest of society is not blinkered as you are, and the continuing manifestation of Islamic terrorism and its goals is irrefutable. You’re trying to hold back a rising tide of awareness with your ignorance, but in the information age, people will look at the evidence and come to their own conclusions.

Steeve says:

01:48pm | 02/01/10

While I read all this leftie bleeding heart pro terrorist stuff juxtaposed against the right wing neocon chest beating dogwhistle clash of civs rhetoric I am not seeing much about the real issue here. DO we or don’t we? I loathe the terrorists and whatever mutilated benighted creature their “society” represents that treats women to be lower in value than a camel or the dog, and sees education and empowerment of people as an enemy of islam. Does that equate with a modern nation on the verge of superpower status as India, the much needed counterbalance to the Sinofacist People’s Republic?.No. Sure India has problems, but not insurmountable ones.  Are we having the games in Pakistan? No. Then that’s a relief, if it were so I think even someone who is as brain dead as Dan and Eric the other, very clearly well ,.. informed,.. posters on here need to probably go back an look at the inital question. As any good teacher would say “stick to the question asked of you not answer the question with what you want to write about”
Anyone with half a brain would know the real enemy is China. War on Terror - More like an exercise in ploughing the sea. Will look like a real storm in a teacup when the chicoms start flexing their muscles for real

Cuppa says:

03:44pm | 02/01/10

Eric i wouldnt be to concerned what someone like Dan thinks.I am certain that if a terrorist act was ever commited on Australian soil he would be one of the first ones screaming ‘help, help! why didnt somebody DO something…” The mere fact that he seems to be defending terrorists says a lot about his character(& lack of spine)

David from WA says:

09:55pm | 02/01/10

Of course they are winning. If you recall your studies in terrorism 101, the first objective is to cause disruption to the daily lives of the target. They start to worry and jump at shadows and that in turn creates disenchantment with their rulers and that creates instability of the current regime, Kill a couple more here and there, preferably unpredictably, meaning the steps they took to stop what you did last time are irrelevant, and the panic grows. The rest follows inexorably. So far I would give the terrorists 8 out of 10 and the West 2 out of 10 - for doing EXACTLY as the terrorism texts say they should. Regime change is inevitable.

Wombat says:

11:18am | 03/01/10

Steeve says: ‘While I read all this leftie bleeding heart pro terrorist stuff…’
Where did you read that? I assume you are talking about Dan, who you mention later. Dan defends many things in his posts, but using the absurd ‘pro terrorist’ line about him or anyone else here shows a distinct lack of ability to understand what you are reading.
That kind of argument just puts you in the same camp as Cuppa, who claims Dan ‘seems to be defending terrorists.’ He wasn’t. Read more carefully.
And Dan, why do you bother? Do you really want to convince any of these strutting chooks, armchair generals and self-appointed heroes that you are right? Then you would be on the same side of the argument as them. Would you really ever want that?

William Colvin says:

02:56pm | 03/01/10

If we stop playing sport society has won.

pix says:

03:51pm | 03/01/10

@ Jugger, :06:02pm | 31/12/09
what on earth is your point?

Dan says:

02:57am | 04/01/10

Eric-
“I don’t think I can lecture you, Dan, for you are clearly incapable of learning.” Not at all. You’re simply not someone who is capable of teaching me anything.

“However, the rest of society is not blinkered as you are, and the continuing manifestation of Islamic terrorism and its goals is irrefutable.” I wouldn’t talk about the rest of society if I were you, most people do accept that climate change is not a conspiracy, and as for being blinkered, no, I simply choose not to take my information from fools like you. The ‘continuing manifestation of Islamic terrorism and its goals’ are not irrefutable, unless you agree that foriegn policy is the primary motivating factor. Your ‘belief’ that it’s about religion is nonsence; it’s completely false, and if anybody is blinkered and ignorant, it’s you.

“You’re trying to hold back a rising tide of awareness with your ignorance, but in the information age, people will look at the evidence and come to their own conclusions.” LOL No, Eric I am not ignorant. You are, but I am certainly not. BTW, when you talk about people looking at the evidence and coming to their own conclusions, do you still believe that climate change is a global comspiracy engineered by those nasty scientists?

Eric, I know much more on this subject than you’ll ever know. But, that’s fine, think whatever you like. Even though you know nothing about the subject, continue to think of yourself as some kind of expert. LOL

Dan says:

04:56am | 04/01/10

Thanks Wombat, I really appreciate it. I probably should ignore these people. Its just with Eric, he’s so much like an aggrevating child. The less said about Steeve and his bizarre anti-Chinese nonsence the better.

Nonetheless, you are absolutely right, Wombat, that I probably shouldn’t bother. Thanks for your support!

Garry says:

12:40pm | 04/01/10

We can take any flight, visit any land, ride any train, sit & watch any sport, sit and enjoy a coffee in a cafe somewhere and it is a fact of life someone somewhere will want to kill you for that choice.  (as happens somewhere in the world everyday)

Terrorism wins everytime we have pause from our routine, terrorism wins when we allow it too.  The time we don’t do something is a time the terrorists win.

Having heard bombs go off, having seen the aftermath I feel nothing for terrorists causes just disgust that they use such options. So stop? No, we carry on and show we will not be diverted.

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