Why do people want to watch videos of other people being beheaded?

FloatingVoter · 20-08-2014 02:04PM

youtube! wrote: »

I should hope Billy Connolly never forgets him either. I was instantly turned off him after that and I never could understand how anyone could come to his shows after his sick comment.

Yeah, I was and still am a BC fan. He apologised later but there was no excuse for saying "would they not just get over with it" on Parkinson. Parkinson should have read him the riot act and thrown him off the set. Not his finest hour. Either of them.

youtube! · 20-08-2014 02:11PM

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Yeah, I was and still am a BC fan. He apologised later but there was no excuse for saying "would they not just get over with it" on Parkinson. Parkinson should have read him the riot act and thrown him off the set. Not his finest hour. Either of them.

I hadn't realised he made the comment on Parkinson.... and I don't believe in Karma but oh the Irony!

Leslie91 · 20-08-2014 02:13PM

Have not watched it, nor any of the other ones. I choose not to.

RIP Mr Foley.

FloatingVoter · 20-08-2014 02:13PM

youtube! wrote: »

I hadn't realised he made the comment on Parkinson.... and I don't believe in Karma but oh the Irony!

Yes, he's got that disease now. Somebody up there has a very black sense of humour.

sbsquarepants · 20-08-2014 02:14PM

userod wrote: »

There are two options here from what I can see, back down, let the Islamic State prevail and continue to surpress a nation of people for the purposes of enforcing a set of primitive disgusting religious 'laws'.

Or annihilate the Islamic state and continue to surpress a nation of people for the purposes of western oil supply

That's closer to the truth.

No one in power in the west gives a flying fúck about any arabs being oppressed or beheaded or barbequed with a nice side salad for that matter. How the fúck do people just keep falling for the same lies over and over and over again. There is one concern and one concern only in the middle east. Oil, if that dried up tomorrow isis, assad, iran, irag saudi, kuwait every story that has dominated the news for decades, would maybe be 3 or 4 lines on page 25 of the indo. Behead who you like, stone whoever, no rights for women, mandatory veils, honour killings, 100 lashes for the crime of being raped while the rapists walks free, who gives a toss, you're on your own now boys. Take care

c-note · 20-08-2014 02:16PM

A fella showed me a beheading vid about 10 years ago, somewhere in Russia or there abouts.
I Don't EVER want or intend to see another one, hard sleeping for a few weeks after!

There could be many motivations for ppl to watch them, curiosity initially I guess.

I do somewhat agree with people who say they watch them to be informed.
Anyone who hasn't seen this type of video, and says they can be just as informed by reading a news report about it is simply wrong.
You cannot say you know what it feels like to be punched full force in the face, because you read a description of it.
If you think I'm wrong about this, go ahead and watch a video, and tell me that's just how you imagined it.

Death is too good for Isis

Lapin · 20-08-2014 02:19PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Basically the same reasons given by every tyrant and despot for every genocide ever committed. Either they were all right, or you must be wrong.

We have to kill these people because they live for mayhem and violence whereas we are simple peace loving folk is about as blatantly obvious as an oxymoron can be. It couldn't be more obviously bullshít if it came with it's own flashing light and a screaming bullshít alarm and was still dangling from a bulls arse.

Not once have I held up western society as a perfect example of brotherly love here so I don't know why you're bringing it up now.

You seem to be letting your imagination run away with you by reading things into my posts that aren't there at all.

As for your cheap and misguided 'tyrant and despot' jibe, have you seen the actions of this particular Caliphate so far? Are you watching the news and following whats going on over there at all or just mouthing off here pretending to know about irony 'and stuff' ?

Simple question - Who's sociological ideals would you rather live under. Those of the west? Or those of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ?

Muise... · 20-08-2014 02:28PM

c-note wrote: »

A fella showed me a beheading vid about 10 years ago, somewhere in Russia or there abouts.
I Don't EVER want or intend to see another one, hard sleeping for a few weeks after!

There could be many motivations for ppl to watch them, curiosity initially I guess.

I do somewhat agree with people who say they watch them to be informed.
Anyone who hasn't seen this type of video, and says they can be just as informed by reading a news report about it is simply wrong.
You cannot say you know what it feels like to be punched full force in the face, because you read a description of it.
If you think I'm wrong about this, go ahead and watch a video, and tell me that's just how you imagined it.

Death is too good for Isis

Whether I got punched full force in the face or read about it, I still know it's wrong to be punching people full force in the face.

If you think we need to see obscene videos of people being killed in order to be informed, then it is empathy and imagination you lack, not information.

Lapin · 20-08-2014 02:28PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

That's closer to the truth.

No one in power in the west gives a flying fúck about any arabs being oppressed or beheaded or barbequed with a nice side salad for that matter. How the fúck do people just keep falling for the same lies over and over and over again. There is one concern and one concern only in the middle east. Oil, if that dried up tomorrow isis, assad, iran, irag saudi, kuwait every story that has dominated the news for decades, would maybe be 3 or 4 lines on page 25 of the indo. Behead who you like, stone whoever, no rights for women, mandatory veils, honour killings, 100 lashes for the crime of being raped while the rapists walks free, who gives a toss, you're on your own now boys. Take care

And this crap only confirms to me that you really haven't a clue what you're on about here.

It annoys me to see such ignorance prevail in such a serious topic.

userod · 20-08-2014 02:34PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

That's closer to the truth.

No one in power in the west gives a flying fúck about any arabs being oppressed or beheaded or barbequed with a nice side salad for that matter. How the fúck do people just keep falling for the same lies over and over and over again. There is one concern and one concern only in the middle east. Oil, if that dried up tomorrow isis, assad, iran, irag saudi, kuwait every story that has dominated the news for decades, would maybe be 3 or 4 lines on page 25 of the indo. Behead who you like, stone whoever, no rights for women, mandatory veils, honour killings, 100 lashes for the crime of being raped while the rapists walks free, who gives a toss, you're on your own now boys. Take care

In all fairness I am not sure I beleive that oil conspiracy theory stuff.

Are you saying the US occupation in those parts has absolutely no moral or ethical motives?

Ave Sodalis · 20-08-2014 02:38PM

Muise... wrote: »

Whether I got punched full force in the face or read about it, I still know it's wrong to be punching people full force in the face.

If you think we need to see obscene videos of people being killed in order to be informed, then it is empathy and imagination you lack, not information.

The difference is, people get punched in the face a lot and most people know what a punch in the face is. It's very difficult for the majority of people to know what something like a city being blown up, or someone being beheaded, actually is like. Most newspapers just report it in simple terms "they bombed a school", "they were beheaded" and so on... it doesn't report on what that actually entails. It's not something many people experience either.

Lapin · 20-08-2014 02:38PM

The 'oil' interest is overplayed.

But having said that I know who I'd rather have in control over the stuff.

Warper · 20-08-2014 02:39PM

Because its cool

Realt Dearg Sec · 20-08-2014 02:42PM

Lapin wrote: »

And this crap only confirms to me that you really haven't a clue what you're on about here.

It annoys me to see such ignorance prevail in such a serious topic.

Dude you seem like a nice guy but you can't go telling people they're ignorant when you have clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that you don't actually know what ethnic cleansing is. If you did, you wouldn't be advocating it, I know that.

sbsquarepants · 20-08-2014 02:59PM

userod wrote: »

In all fairness I am not sure I beleive that oil conspiracy theory stuff.

Are you saying the US occupation in those parts has absolutely no moral or ethical motives?

Absolutely. If it wasn't for oil or some other self interest be it strategic military bases or whatever the US wouldn't give a toss about anyone there. They don't care about human rights in Saudi, or Kuwait, they didn't care about any abuses by the Shah of Iran, but they do by the President of Iran? strange that! The us is morally bankrupt.

Lapin wrote: »

The 'oil' interest is overplayed.

But having said that I know who I'd rather have in control over the stuff.

Well, you make a very good point there. I'd feel a bit more secure with the yanks driving things than the Islamic state. At least the yanks are driven to keep the oil flowing and the dollars coming in, the other shower are liable to do anything at all!

Lapin · 20-08-2014 03:02PM

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Dude you seem like a nice guy but you can't go telling people they're ignorant when you have clearly and repeatedly demonstrated that you don't actually know what ethnic cleansing is. If you did, you wouldn't be advocating it, I know that.

As I explained, I used it as an emotive phrase to highlight this partiular group. I would have no problem whatsoever in seeing them and their followers wiped out.

They have absolutey no positive contribution to make to humanity and their presence can only be regarded as a negative and threatining force.

The longer they are allowed to fester the more they will grow and continue to enlist easily led followers from home and abroad.

Sbsquarepants completely misses the point when he suggests that no one in the west gives a toss what they do to each other in Iraq. The fact is, this Caliphate is gaining support from people living in Britain at present and quite possibly Ireland too. Their dangerous vile influence isn't confined to the Middle East.

They adhere in no way to the positive, artistic, academic, and peaceful virtues of the Islamic faith.

They are attempting to engender a single ethnisity of their own through their die or follow methods, and I for one have no qualms in seeing the world cleansed of such an incidious threat.

sbsquarepants · 20-08-2014 03:02PM

Lapin wrote: »

And this crap only confirms to me that you really haven't a clue what you're on about here.

It annoys me to see such ignorance prevail in such a serious topic.

Do you honestly think Barack Obama lies awake at night worrying about some goat herder up a god forsaken desert mountain having his human rights suppressed? Cop on would you ffs

miss no stars · 20-08-2014 03:02PM

I was thinking, when those involved in particularly horrific trials have to view certain images of, for example, extreme violence, isn't it done in a controlled manner with counselling available afterwards? Same for police who have to investigate things like child abuse?

Aside from anything else (and I do believe that ISIS want as many people as possible to watch these videos, so watching them plays into that), watching them simply isn't good for anyone. It's not healthy, it's not needed, it won't benefit anyone OTHER than ISIS if you - sitting with your laptop in a wet and miserable rock in the North Atlantic - watch the brutal final moments of some poor person's life. Several people have said they've had trouble sleeping after watching these videos, have never been the same since, some wish they hadn't watched. Anyone who's reading this thread considering watching such a video should take note of that.

You don't need to know what it sounds like to hear a person gurgling, drowning on their own blood while being beheaded to know that what's being done to that person is inhuman.
You don't need to see child porn to know that posing children for pornography is inhuman.
You don't need to watch either.
You aren't helping anyone by watching either.
You aren't making a stand, or encouraging anger and outrage by watching either.

If you do watch either, you're doing it because you want to.

Lapin · 20-08-2014 03:11PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Do you honestly think Barack Obama lies awake at night worrying about some goat herder up a god forsaken desert mountain having his human rights suppressed? Cop on would you ffs

Do you honestly believe this is confined to goat herders in some Godforsaken deserts?

David Cameron cut short his holiday today because a British voice is behind one of the videos released.

This is far bigger than a few nutters in Iraq.

I'm well copped on to that.

ziggy · 20-08-2014 04:07PM

This post has been deleted.

comongethappy · 20-08-2014 04:10PM

ziggy wrote: »

I watched the Ken Bigley one back in the day, mainly due to curiosity, and i immediately regretted it and still do.

I would advise against anyone considering looking at these videos. There are some things you can't unsee

Seen the Daniel Pearl one a few years back..... Terrible as it was a slow process.

I don't regret seeing it though.

Nerdlingr · 20-08-2014 04:33PM

I've seen pictures of beheadings, mostly out of morbid curiousity I suppose.
For the first time ever I tried looking at a video, of James Foley , just there but couldnt. Got as far as the ISIS lad started talking and that was it. Had to switch it off.
I think I looked at it more to hear his voice, or both of their voices, to get a sense that this was a real life person and not just some image or snapshot on a screen. It's hard to listen to him address his brother. His final words. I'm pretty sure he would have liked to have told his family that he loved them etc etc.
The over riding feeling I get from it is just of sad emptiness really.
Knowing that in the next few moments his life would end on that desert wilderness. That all his life, everything he did, from growing up... playing as kid... to graduating, getting a job as an adult etc etc would lead him to that point.

:(

I'm actually thankful now I didnt watch it

NewYork1979 · 20-08-2014 05:24PM

I won't watch it, I don't want my 1 view added to their total.

I was so upset reading the news reports this morning, words can be enough to get the situation across.

The light of heaven to you Mr. Foley.

Never in my life have I been so despondent and despairing of the barbarity of human beings, religion, US foreign policy, Ukraine, Putin, Syria, Lybia, Israel, ISIS, Saudia Arabia etc. I think we should all be aware of what is going on in our world but sometimes I think I'd be better off just thinking of roses and butterflies, what good is it doing me? I can't see the "good" countries sorting the Middle East anytime soon e.g. Hilary Clinton backing Israel. When are our leaders going to lead based on what is bloody right and what is wrong!!!

userod · 20-08-2014 05:59PM

Obama just made a speech on this.

Goodbye Steven Sotloff.

beks101 · 20-08-2014 06:26PM

Playboy wrote: »

I feel like a have a duty to watch it. You cant pretend everything in the world is ok if you watch something like that. We need to be confronted with the horror of what goes on because then it may force us to do something. I dont enjoy watching it, it's going to give me sleepless nights but that poor man deserves more than our disinterest.

Pretty much this.

I work for a TV news network and one of my colleagues was kidnapped and detained by rebel forces in Syria several years ago. Three of them were - the reporter, the producer and the camera guy.

They were held with guns to their heads, handcuffed, blind-folded, thrown in the back of a van and driven through several gun fights at various check points along the way. Thrown into a dirty cell, beaten, starved, stripped and psychologically tortured for five days - bullets flying above their heads - "which one of you wants to die first?"

They got lucky when the militants were attacked by another rebel group, shot dead and all three hostages released. The same guy is currently in Gaza dipping and diving through weeks of shelling to try to set up live TV shots so the world is in no doubt as to how fcuked up and devastatingly pointless and destructive this war is.

And how cushy the rest of us have it to be able to walk the streets freely, wear what we want, say what we want, cherry pick our beliefs, our dreams, our food for the day. How handy it is to have the choice to visit such war and terror and animalistic destruction of human life as merely a faraway tourist who reads something ghastly in a newspaper or on the interwebz - or to simply bury our heads in the sand because it's all a bit "distasteful", a bit too much for the senses.

How we can rely on the relatively few brave/mental souls to give up all these freedoms and put themselves directly in harm's way, voluntarily, so the rest of the world won't forget about theses atrocities that are being visited upon hundreds of thousands across various continents on a daily basis.

I will never do it. I will absolutely fcuking never risk my life to report on these terrifying, murderous, vile and wholly wrong wrong WRONG acts. Nope. Not for a second mate. But the least I can do - the least we all can do - is to not shut our eyes to them. How else is anything in the world ever going to change?

Kermit.de.frog · 20-08-2014 06:29PM

Anybody who actively goes out of their way to find and view that video online has serious mental issues. I don't care what the reason they give is.

miss no stars · 20-08-2014 07:10PM

beks101 wrote: »

Pretty much this.

I work for a TV news network and one of my colleagues was kidnapped and detained by rebel forces in Syria several years ago. Three of them were - the reporter, the producer and the camera guy.

They were held with guns to their heads, handcuffed, blind-folded, thrown in the back of a van and driven through several gun fights at various check points along the way. Thrown into a dirty cell, beaten, starved, stripped and psychologically tortured for five days - bullets flying above their heads - "which one of you wants to die first?"

They got lucky when the militants were attacked by another rebel group, shot dead and all three hostages released. The same guy is currently in Gaza dipping and diving through weeks of shelling to try to set up live TV shots so the world is in no doubt as to how fcuked up and devastatingly pointless and destructive this war is.

And how cushy the rest of us have it to be able to walk the streets freely, wear what we want, say what we want, cherry pick our beliefs, our dreams, our food for the day. How handy it is to have the choice to visit such war and terror and animalistic destruction of human life as merely a faraway tourist who reads something ghastly in a newspaper or on the interwebz - or to simply bury our heads in the sand because it's all a bit "distasteful", a bit too much for the senses.

How we can rely on the relatively few brave/mental souls to give up all these freedoms and put themselves directly in harm's way, voluntarily, so the rest of the world won't forget about theses atrocities that are being visited upon hundreds of thousands across various continents on a daily basis.

I will never do it. I will absolutely fcuking never risk my life to report on these terrifying, murderous, vile and wholly wrong wrong WRONG acts. Nope. Not for a second mate. But the least I can do - the least we all can do - is to not shut our eyes to them. How else is anything in the world ever going to change?

Your colleague sounds like an admirable person for whom his job is his passion, his vocation, his calling. The world needs people like him to tell us and show us what is going on around the world.

But, watching someone be beheaded is voyeurism. You don't need to watch the act to know it happened.

Lapin · 20-08-2014 07:18PM

userod wrote: »

Obama just made a speech on this.

Goodbye Steven Sotloff.

I think Sotloff's fate was sealed long before Obama's speech.

Muise... · 20-08-2014 07:27PM

beks101 wrote: »

Pretty much this.

I work for a TV news network and one of my colleagues was kidnapped and detained by rebel forces in Syria several years ago. Three of them were - the reporter, the producer and the camera guy.

They were held with guns to their heads, handcuffed, blind-folded, thrown in the back of a van and driven through several gun fights at various check points along the way. Thrown into a dirty cell, beaten, starved, stripped and psychologically tortured for five days - bullets flying above their heads - "which one of you wants to die first?"

They got lucky when the militants were attacked by another rebel group, shot dead and all three hostages released. The same guy is currently in Gaza dipping and diving through weeks of shelling to try to set up live TV shots so the world is in no doubt as to how fcuked up and devastatingly pointless and destructive this war is.

And how cushy the rest of us have it to be able to walk the streets freely, wear what we want, say what we want, cherry pick our beliefs, our dreams, our food for the day. How handy it is to have the choice to visit such war and terror and animalistic destruction of human life as merely a faraway tourist who reads something ghastly in a newspaper or on the interwebz - or to simply bury our heads in the sand because it's all a bit "distasteful", a bit too much for the senses.

How we can rely on the relatively few brave/mental souls to give up all these freedoms and put themselves directly in harm's way, voluntarily, so the rest of the world won't forget about theses atrocities that are being visited upon hundreds of thousands across various continents on a daily basis.

I will never do it. I will absolutely fcuking never risk my life to report on these terrifying, murderous, vile and wholly wrong wrong WRONG acts. Nope. Not for a second mate. But the least I can do - the least we all can do - is to not shut our eyes to them. How else is anything in the world ever going to change?

Not clicking play on a video of a person being murdered =/= shutting our eyes to the act.

I'm glad I have a cushy free life with choices and peace. I see no reason to apologise for that by watching the murder of a man who spent his working life letting the world know about injustice.

Galwayguy35 · 20-08-2014 07:33PM

There was on posted on FB by someone I'm friends with where these 2 guys had there heads cut off with chainsaws by Mexican drug dealers, nobody looks at it for entertainment but if it's posted by someone curiousity will get the better of most people and they will look at it.

Why do people want to watch videos of other people being beheaded?

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