Newsflash: Terrorism suspect arrested.

[omnot.livejournal.com]

So I am in Australia, and regular broadcasting on my national public news channel was interrupted so that we could watch Bloomberg announce that a suspected terrorist has been arrested.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/20/us/new-york-bloomberg-announcement/

I gather that this lone nutter decided to engage in Jihad, got some pipe-bomb making instructions online and actually made and intended to test them. He was being watched. He was arrested before he did any harm, and now his arrest is a platform for Bloomberg to gloss over the "lone crazy person" part and say completely contradictory things like "international terrorist threat" and "home-grown terrorists".

As Bloomberg gave the speech, I wondered whether it isn't being blown out of proportion. I believe that there are parallel cases in the USA of lone nutters reading websites which exhort them to violence and provide instructions on how to make explosives and use them against US targets. I know that it happens, but I don't remember ever seeing such a "breaking news story" with speeches and explosive demonstrations in cases where the lone nutter is white[1], and their target is an abortion clinic[2].

My question is this: is this being over-hyped? If so, is it being used as distraction or an excuse to take "anti-terrorist measures" which just happen to interfere heavily with OWS protests[3]? What say you?

[1]Have to reference the "scary brown person" trope.
[2]Have to bring abortion into it somehow.
[3]It's unfashionable to post here lately without mentioning OWS.

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Why the fuck would Australia give a shit?

[kardashev.livejournal.com]

From eating vegemite on their toast.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Slow news day?

[omnot.livejournal.com]

You would be amazed how closely the Australian media focuses on some of the actions of and events in the US.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Well, since all they have to talk about on the domestic front is rugby and Kiley Minogue...

Bulgarians...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... know all about wolves. Don't you guys have Gray Wolves next door in Turkey?

Re: Bulgarians...

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmet_Ali_A%C4%9Fca#Assassination_attempt_on_the_Pope

Ali Agca, the guy who almost killed Pope John Paul II, was from the Gray Wolves. He threw the blame on KGB and the Bulgarian secret services. Later the Pope said he never believed that.

So yeah, we've heard of them.

Re: Bulgarians...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

One of the Gray Wolves said that if you call them fascist, he'll torture and kill you. "We have concentration camps ready for people who think we are fascists."

Re: Bulgarians...

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Bahahaha.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Of course it's over-hyped.

DHS spends billions and has to justify it's existence somehow. Molesting airline passengers and tapping phones only gets you so far.

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

from the periodico: al Qaeda supporters in the West should take matters.....

i don't understand why Al Qaeda supporters are in the West to begin with. i mean, if they are anti-West, then why be in the West? *confusion*

[eracerhead.livejournal.com]

The conservative movement of the latter 20th century is in trouble as indicated by the fact that they need to grasp at the tiniest straw.

[omnot.livejournal.com]

I like this. This is an optimistic slant.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

this is our clearest sign of victory yet.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

my national public news channel was interrupted so that we could watch Bloomberg announce...

All carefully calculated by the media machine to make sure people know that "this is important!" even when it's not.