terrorism in pakistan

Tombo2001

There were a series of terrorist incidents in Pakistan last week which killed I believe around 115 to 120 people. This was given very little coverage in the Irish print media. Not one of the three national broadsheets ran it as a front page article, indeed not of them even ran it as the lead item in their international news sections, with the Oscar nominations and the terrorist killing of 3 Kurdish people in France being ranked ahead of it as a story.

For me, my jaw dropped when I heard the story because of the scale of it but also because I know one of the cities where most of the killings took place - Quetta. I spent a little bit of time there (about a week) and also some of my relations were born there during the days of the British raj. So I know what the place is like.

Just wanted to get people's views on the press coverage of this, or lack of.

I dont mean to get on my high horse about it and claim moral authority or whatever.

Obviously the newspapers have a reason for doing what they do.

But I just wanted to sound people out as to whether anyone here considers 3 people being killed in France being more newsworthy than the above story in Pakistan, and if so, why.

Can the press justifiably turn around and say "we are responding to demand, our readers arent that interested in what happens in Pakistan?".....

On a seperate story, the wiki page below makes for grim reading;.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrori...kistan_in_2012

Aquarius34

I always cough into my soup when I hear the word "terrorism" used in the media.

And I don't even eat soup that much!

Mr Benevolent

TBH we don't really care. We've had enough terrorist atrocities over the years from our own kin. You might as well ask us to worry about a volcano eruption on Europa.

Tombo2001

Aquarius34 wrote: »

I always cough into my soup when I hear the word "terrorism" used in the media.

And I don't even eat soup that much!

well whats the right word when someone puts a bomb in a market and kills a load of people.....didnt think I'd end up arguing about semantics.....

Aquarius34

Tombo2001 wrote: »

well whats the right word when someone puts a bomb in a market and kills a load of people.....didnt think I'd end up arguing about semantics.....

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

MadsL

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

That pesky Earth having resources. Look at Mars, no suicide bombers there....

Tombo2001

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

think you are on the wrong track there........very little oil or mineral wealth in Pakistan.

wexie

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Can the press justifiably turn around and say "we are responding to demand, our readers arent that interested in what happens in Pakistan?".....

Believe it or not the 'media' aren't actually in the business of reporting news, they're in the business of selling. Selling newspapers and advertising.

Consequently if they were filling pages with news that their local customers aren't really all that interested in sales would go down, as would profits, marketshare and what have you.

So, in a nutshell, yes they can.

(maybe I'm being overly cynical but I think the majority of people couldn't really care less about how many people died in farawayistan)

wexie

Aquarius34 wrote: »

.....because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

Like Israel? They're known for their giant gold, coal and oil reserves aren't they?

Aquarius34

Tombo2001 wrote: »

think you are on the wrong track there........very little oil or mineral wealth in Pakistan.

Wherever there is war, there is someone after something.

Aquarius34

wexie wrote: »

Like Israel? They're known for their giant gold, coal and oil reserves aren't they?

There is something in Israel yes;) But that is something you'd never know about.

Project Werewolf

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

MadsL

Aquarius34 wrote: »

Wherever there is war, there is someone after something.

Yes, something something is definitely something.

Christ, is it me or is the intelligence level of this thread nosediving out of control.

Aquarius34

Project Werewolf wrote: »

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

So why would our media air such news, and lets be honest, do we think the media care about the casualties?

wexie

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is something in Israel yes;) But that is something you'd never know about.

Because you, oh great genius, of course know exactly what I do and don't know...

:rolleyes:

sfwcork

Are they reporting the trouble up north?

Why dont you go onto the isralie boards and ask why not

Aquarius34

wexie wrote: »

Because you, oh great genius, of course know exactly what I do and don't know...

:rolleyes:

Yes, but I don't get all chuffed up about it.:rolleyes:

DrumSteve

sfwcork wrote: »

Are they reporting the trouble up north?

Why dont you go onto the isralie boards and ask why not

Someone just reverse godwinned the thread.

What has israel got to do with it?

wexie

DrumSteve wrote: »

Someone just reverse godwinned the thread.

What has israel got to do with it?

Something to do with suicide bombers wanting to liberate natural resources.

Better ask Aquarius....

Tombo2001

Project Werewolf wrote: »

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

United States is on a different continent. Culture is quite different to here.

When there as a gun attack in a school there late last year, the press were all over it for a week. No Irish people died in it. Irish radio chat shows were having big debates about gun laws in a North American country that couldnt give a flying f**k what we think.....

Whats the difference.

Project Werewolf

Aquarius34 wrote: »

So why would our media air such news, and lets be honest, do we think the media care about the casualties?

I thought the issue was that is wasn't being aired. Media don't give a fcuk about casualties, they only care about readership/viewer figures. That's why a massacre in Pakistan ranks lower than an incident in Europe. They will report it because that's what they do but the headlines are going to be what affects and concerns Irish people. By and large, Pakistan doesn't.

sfwcork

Us is a super power.there actions affect all

Aquarius34

So my point about coughing into my soup is, I don't believe what the media put out.

Project Werewolf

Tombo2001 wrote: »

United States is on a different continent. Culture is quite different to here.

When there as a gun attack in a school there late last year, the press were all over it for a week. No Irish people died in it. Irish radio chat shows were having big debates about gun laws in a North American country that couldnt give a flying f**k what we think.....

Whats the difference.

Culture is far more similar than Pakistans. When you turn on your tv are you watching US or Pakistani shows?

Do you have relatives or friends in the US? Likely. Do you have any in Pakistan? unlikely.

How many Pakistani multinationals in Ireland?

US and Ireland could be considered Christian countries. Pakistan wouldn't.

I could go on all night. No ones that interested in Pakistan here.

wadefuq

Another example of our press ignoring a story would be that of the typhoon in the phillipines in December, over 300 people dead and another 400 missing... However the "mega storm" in New York was news for a week.. our medias love in with all things American annoys me at times, anyway, thats a story for another day, apologies for being off topic

MadsL

Aquarius34 wrote: »

So my point about coughing into my soup is, I don't believe what the media put out.

Given half of your 600+ posts in a couple of weeks are in Conspiracy Theories, why does that not surprise me.

Cookie_Monster

Pakistan are the bad guys in our Western-Americanised world view so there's little interest in reporting that type of news here.

jimmycrackcorm

MadsL wrote: »

Christ, is it me or is the intelligence level of this thread nosediving out of control.

This is AH; nose diving is expected.

wendell borton

One of the Kurds who was shot dead was a founding member of the PKK, who are currently negotiating a peace treaty with Turkey. So hardly a minor incident especially with alleged Iranian involvement.

Tombo2001

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Pakistan are the bad guys in our Western-Americanised world view so there's little interest in reporting that type of news here.

having been there, incredibly friendly people.....very hospitable, often had people offer to pay for my lunch or coffee. Interesting fact, they are big into table football. Was a good way to interact with people there.

Its a country with a hundred million people. Thats bigger than France or Germany.

Tombo2001

wendell borton wrote: »

One of the Kurds who was shot dead was a founding member of the PKK, who are currently negotiating a peace treaty with Turkey. So hardly a minor incident especially with alleged Iranian involvement.

I'm not saying its a minor incident......I'm saying its not as big a story as what happened in Pakistan. And on that, if the Kurdish guy was shot in Erzurum instead of Paris would anyone had reported on it.......

Wattle

Terrorism in France is a lot rarer than terrorism in Pakistan. To be honest I think people are kind of numbed by the sheer weight of numbers dying in places like Pakistan.

Tombo2001

sfwcork wrote: »

Are they reporting the trouble up north?

Why dont you go onto the isralie boards and ask why not

When I was over in India, I found that a lot of people were very well clued in to what was happening in Northern Ireland; and were quite interested to ask questions about it to understand it better.

Aquarius34

MadsL wrote: »

Given half of your 600+ posts in a couple of weeks are in Conspiracy Theories, why does that not surprise me.

Well if you don't think the coffee smells bad at this rate you've spent most of your life with head deep under the sand!

Ghandee

My very entrepreneurial friend started his own business in Pakistan a few years ago.

He made exploding rugs for the very lucrative suicide bomber market.


business must be goods, he said 'prophets are going through the roof!'

Aquarius34

People in the west are saints, and people in the east, well... are just suicide bombers! Said so on the t.v. I was there when it happened on Teeeveeee.

MadsL

Aquarius34 wrote: »

Well if you don't think the coffee smells bad at this rate you've spent most of your life with head deep under the sand!

This from a poster who claims vaccines are "cool aid poison" :rolleyes:

Aquarius34

MadsL wrote: »

This from a poster who claims vaccines are "cool aid poison" :rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

The Aussie

MadsL wrote: »

This from a poster who claims vaccines are "cool aid poison" :rolleyes:

Am I the only one who finds it lame when posts in other forums are needed to try and claim a faux moral high ground.
If you have to start digging your loosing

Shint0

Tombo, people might become more interested if tensions between Pakistan and India continue to escalate in Kashmir and if they both ever decided to nuke each other....and the rest of us.
As for people in India being interested in Northern Ireland? I am very familiar with India as well as Indians in Ireland. It is my experience that few have any interest in Irish related topics, even those with Irish citizenship living here for years. I'm guessing those you spoke to were in a tiny minority.

Sergeant

It's not on the hot list of righteous global conflicts.

GalwayGuy2

People in the west are saints, and people in the east, well... are just suicide bombers! Said so on the t.v. I was there when it happened on Teeeveeee.

Bit racist there

Aquarius34

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Bit racist there

Ever hear of sarcasm and a hint of irony

We in the west, can be very racist and subjective and ignorant towards everything outside our own western thinking. We seem to demonize so much people in the east for all sorts of reasons mainly due to our own arrogance and ignorance in how we view reality. I'd just want to mirror the irony back to us, interesting why you didn't even get that much.

Boombastic

Ghandee wrote: »

My very entrepreneurial friend started his own business in Pakistan a few years ago.

He made exploding rugs for the very lucrative suicide bomber market.


business must be goods, he said 'prophets are going through the roof!'

Sounds like business is booming for him

Tombo2001 wrote: »

............
Its a country with a hundred million people. Thats bigger than France or Germany.

Surely they have enough competent people there then to sort out the issues?

MadsL

The Aussie wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds it lame when posts in other forums are needed to try and claim a faux moral high ground.
If you have to start digging your loosing

Oh, please, everyone knows that Conspiracy Theories is the sump boards.ie drains into.

Chuck Stone

I prefer the freedom, justice and democracy bombs us westerners shoot from the unmanned flying meat grinders made, purchased and operated by regular good ol folks from the west.

'Peace bombs' I guess you could call them.

Project Werewolf

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I prefer the freedom, justice and democracy bombs us westerners shoot from the unmanned flying meat grinders made, purchased and operated by regular good ol folks from the west.

'Peace bombs' I guess you could call them.

Well not everyone can afford to use Boeing 737s laden with passengers to spread their message of peace and love so us westerners will have to make do with those peace bombs.

Tombo2001

Shint0 wrote: »

Tombo, people might become more interested if tensions between Pakistan and India continue to escalate in Kashmir and if they both ever decided to nuke each other....and the rest of us.
As for people in India being interested in Northern Ireland? I am very familiar with India as well as Indians in Ireland. It is my experience that few have any interest in Irish related topics, even those with Irish citizenship living here for years. I'm guessing those you spoke to were in a tiny minority.

On the Northern Ireland point......

The conflict is in the North is no longer an international media story. Fifteen years ago it most definitely was.

The time I was referring to was fifteen years ago rather than today. And I can only speak for my own experience, but yes I definitely met numerous people in India who asked me about Northern Ireland.

I distinctly remember asking them why they would be interested in a relatively minor conflict (by international standards) in a small country far far away, when there so were so many larger conflicts around the world....and I distinctly remember getting the answer that "it just seems different when its white people who are fighting".

Tombo2001

Boombastic wrote: »

Surely they have enough competent people there then to sort out the issues?

You mean like when Bill Clinton stepped in and sorted out our mess?

squod

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

Tombo2001 wrote: »

think you are on the wrong track there........very little oil or mineral wealth in Pakistan.

You might have missed a bit there in fairness.

Chart

You should read up on the 'aul opium production and it's effect on the world economy. You'll see no Afghan farmers driving around in gold plated sports cars like. All that opium and the money it makes is going somewhere.

GalwayGuy2

The time I was referring to was fifteen years ago rather than today. And I can only speak for my own experience, but yes I definitely met numerous people in India who asked me about Northern Ireland.

Well, tbf, India is a commonwealth country and was colonized by England, so they would be more interested in the Northern Ireland occupation yoke.