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A comment on FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes. Parent comment

Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes by tweetle_beetle on Thursday August 27, 2020 @01:34PM (#24296199)
Agreed, and I think VRAs sum up the futility of trying to prepare for terrorism. Yes we now have a few concrete blocks around a few specific areas in a few city centres to make everyone feel better, but that article lists 28 notable VRA attacks in the last 10 years in the _whole world_. The attack surface is impossibly large, and no amount of "law enforcement communication, SWAT training, and bomb detection" is going to reduce it.
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Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes by actuator on Thursday August 27, 2020 @01:46PM (#24296355)
Not justifying mass surveillance but this is where the argument for mass surveillance comes in. Though I would argue about its effectiveness. I remember the recent British incidents claiming the suspect was under watch, but they failed to prevent those. Maybe they are not talking about the ones they prevented, but there are certainly examples where they failed even with info about it.
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Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes by selectodude on Thursday August 27, 2020 @03:24PM (#24297590)
You can be under surveillance but unless the government is able to jail you on a thoughtcrime or take away your ability to use a vehicle (if you're ok ramming into a crowd you'll probably be ok carjacking somebody to get the required equipment), there's very little that can be done to prevent it.
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Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes by read_if_gay_ on Thursday August 27, 2020 @02:44PM (#24297114)
Definitely not effective, unless you go full 1986. Softer forms of surveillance may prevent some attacks, but still carry huge potential for abuse which is not even close to worth it IMO. We have to remember terrorism barely kills anyone in relative terms.
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Re:FEMA Spends More Preparing for Terrorism Than Hurricanes by actuator on Thursday August 27, 2020 @03:19PM (#24297531)
> in relative terms.

In US certainly, some parts of the world definitely have it worse.

But I think the fear and divide it generates between ethnicities/religions/countries is definitely higher.

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