The people who make money from your fear, your irrational fears, would prefer you not see this.
I would prefer that you do see this. And that's still possible....I just don't want to be called a "fear-Munger."
I would prefer that you do see this. And that's still possible....I just don't want to be called a "fear-Munger."
8 comments:
presumably the NRA would prefer that we not extrapolate the logic to guns ...
Bathtubs don't kill people, people kill people.
Given how many times I've heard Munger almost got his ass kicked by a deer, that stat sounds low.
Tommy the "Happy I have a Stand up Shower" Brit
I agree with you completely, but would not the counter argument be that on the margin the resources that we use to stop people from dying are best used to stop terrorist deaths (or death by terrorists?) In other words, if we did not try so hard in the war on terror, the number would be much higher? Sure more people die in their bathtubs, but on the margin whatever we do or do not do would make no difference?
Sure, it makes a good point but what happens when the terrorist start attacking us with trained deer armed with toasters while we're taking baths.
The deer ain't gonna get much better at killing us. Left unchecked, the chance of being killed in a deer-related accident will stay pretty flat. They, and the tubs and toasters, don't present any broad risk to our way of life.
The terrorists, on the other hand, unchecked, would wipe this country out. Would, or will.
Assuming the stats are right, the conclusion is that we should live our lives free from fear of terrorism, and somewhat alert to the other dangers, which are much more directly preventable. Don't avoid flights, don't worry about being blown up by an "unattended bag" etc. Live your life, don't "shelter in place" to avoid terrorists.
But we need to continue to keep the bad guys in check.
Anyone who knows how the government and the military work knows that huge amounts of money will be wasted, stupid policies will be put in place, power will be grabbed under the guise of protecting Americans. Communications will be targeted at the least common denominator, with color-coded alerts that are designed with the masses in mind, not information sharing.
But there are motivated, funded, dangerous bad guys out there who would end America as we know it if we let them. We can't kid ourselves that there aren't.
The President is with you, Professor!:
“The odds of people dying in a terrorist attack obviously are still a lot lower than in a car accident, unfortunately,” President Obama told NBC’s Jay Leno last night.
Robert,
presumably the NRA would prefer that we not extrapolate the logic to guns
So you support a campaign to demonize people who have bathtubs in their homes as wanton killers or at best homicidally negligent? You support legislation regulating bathtubs written by people who don't understand the difference between a spout and drain?
Bathtubs don't kill people, people kill people.
This is exactly right. The phrase "the gun just wen off" is just as appropriate and reality based as saying "the bathtub just filled itself with water, then flung someone into it face down".
What kind of Mungering!?!?
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