Stephen Paddock: Is he a terrorist? Why or why not?

[usmbguest5318]

No, I mean "but for" to mean "except for."

That's what I just asked. Might want to watch wording in future.

WTF are you talking about? I wrote "but for."

But for PBS and NPR and their affiliates,

But for the non-profit news organizations

I'm talking about ambiguity. Write clearly so that a phrase doesn't look like its own opposite.

Learn to read!

Actually I am an editor/proofreader, and ambiguities like this jump off the page. So I go for clarity.

It isn't your quote anyway so learn to mind your own business.

Then you are not totally up to snuff as one because there is only one meaning for the term "but for" and insofar as their is only one meaning for that term, it is not ambiguously defined and thus is not usable ambiguously.

 

[FA_Q2]

Seems to me that the term "terrorism" is as much about motive as it is method.

We don't know his motive yet. If it was meant to intimidate or influence in some direction, yes. If he was just a fucking nut, then no.

It seems to me that if a killer -- mass or individual -- has no means to repeat their actions or no organization that will reinforce them, then that killer is not a terrorist.

For example in the D.C. area we had the "D.C. Sniper" attacks. While the two shooters were at large, they pretty well had people all over the D.C. metro area terrified.

​

Those guys were shooting random people in all sorts of easy locations and there was no way to know whether one'd be the next random target. One of the shooter's motivations weren't political. The other one may have been, but the man penned delusional rantings that included Bin Laden, Saddam, and The Matrix. More likely, he was just crazy.

Repetition and organization are irrelevant. Terrorism is not a vague term even if its application to real world events is not always cut and dry. Terrorism requires a political or social goal that the perpetrator wishes to further through fear. Without that goal there is simply no logical means to declare this a terrorist action.

 

[rightwinger]

I thought the USMB guy shot up a movie theater?

Louisiana Movie Shooter Thanked Dylann Roof for 'Wake Up Call'

Houser was briefly a member here yes. I didn't know about Dear and von Brunn being here.

As I remember he only made 50 or so posts
His account has since been deleted

Which one?

Rusty Houser

I knew about Houser, I remember that. What I don't know about is Dear and Von Brunn.

It is his link to this site

Not much of a poster. We have many, many who are much worse

 

[oreo]

Yes.

He was also a muslim, apparently.

No they're not saying that--this is an instance of domestic terrorism. Why? we don't know yet, how someone who appears normal to everyone, including his brother who stated he DID NOT have these weapons when he helped him move, how he got these weapons, and who today is in a state of shock, as everyone is as to why he did this.

Apparently to obtain automatic weapons which is what this was--he would had to have obtained a permit from the ATF itself. We'll see.

 

[Pogo]

That's what I just asked. Might want to watch wording in future.

WTF are you talking about? I wrote "but for."

But for PBS and NPR and their affiliates,

But for the non-profit news organizations

I'm talking about ambiguity. Write clearly so that a phrase doesn't look like its own opposite.

Learn to read!

Actually I am an editor/proofreader, and ambiguities like this jump off the page. So I go for clarity.

It isn't your quote anyway so learn to mind your own business.

Then you are not totally up to snuff as one because there is only one meaning for the term "but for" and insofar as their is only one meaning for that term, it is not ambiguously defined and thus is not usable ambiguously.

HOLY SHIT. Really???

but
bət/
conjunction
conjunction: but

1. 1.
   used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned.
   synonyms: yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same; More
   though, although
   "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • nevertheless; however.
     "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • on the contrary; in contrast.
     "I am clean but you are dirty"
     synonyms: whereas, conversely, but then, then again, on the other hand, by/in contrast, on the contrary
     "this one's expensive, but this one isn't"
2. 2.
   used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated.
   "one cannot but sympathize"
3. 3.
   used to introduce a response expressing a feeling such as surprise or anger.
   "but that's an incredible saving!"
4. 4.
   used after an expression of apology for what one is about to say.
   "I'm sorry, but I can't pay you"
5. 5.
   archaic
   without its being the case that.
   "it never rains but it pours"

preposition
preposition: but

1. 1.
   except; apart from; other than.
   "in Texas, we were never anything but poor"
   synonyms: except (for), apart from, other than, besides, aside from, with the exception of, bar, excepting, excluding, leaving out, save (for), saving
   "everyone but him"
   • used with repetition of certain words to give emphasis.
     "nobody, but nobody, was going to stop her"

adverb
adverb: but

1. 1.
   no more than; only.
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"
   synonyms: only, just, simply, merely, no more than, nothing but;
   a mere
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"

noun
noun: but; plural noun: buts

1. 1.
   an argument against something; an objection.
   "no buts —just get out of here"

Origin
​

What's the first entry there??

Just say "except" if you mean "except", and eschew the ambiguity. Ain't frickin' rocket surgery.

You've also carefully edited out the crucial context in which it appeared. Roll tape.

News organizations have their own agendas/narratives.

But for PBS and NPR and their affiliates, news organizations these days have one primary agenda: profit.

What it looks like:
"Yes (agreeing news orgs have their own agendas), however, for PBS and NPR and their affiliates, that agenda is profit".

What you meant to say:
"Outside of PBS, NPR and their affiliates, the agenda of those news orgs is profit".

Two different and opposite things. The eye has to convert to Shakespearean-era English to infer the second.

"But" is ambiguous meaning. "Outside of" or "with the exception of" would not have been. That's all I'm saying -- write with clarity.

 

[FA_Q2]

It's not about the amount of bodies (although the Vegas carnage is staggering), it's about the intent and motivation. Bill Ayers was a terrorist and he is only responsible for the deaths of four or five people (as far as we know). Let's hope there is enough of Paddock's brain left to determine if he was suffering from mental illness although it seems unlikely since the mass shooting was so well planned. It will be interesting to find out where the automatic weapon came from.

Actually it will be pointless. Given that such automatic weapons EXIST, those who seek them will find a way to get them.

What would on the other hand actually be interesting is to find out where his motivation came from. As if we don't already know.

And as far as that goes --- for the gun fetishist it actually IS about the number of bodies. That's what they're going for.

The nature of the weapons does matter. Anyone with machining skills can easily convert semi-automatics to fully automatics.

If this was the case, the public should know about it. It shows that the laws against fully automatics are somewhat moot.

It's irrelevant. If this guy wanted to commit carnage, he was going to find a way to do it, regardless where he had to go to get it, or make it, and regardless what the laws are.

What's relevant is why he would want to commit that carnage in the first place. Without that motivation ---- none of those details matter. Because it doesn't even happen.

There's no doubt that his motives are relevant, but his method is what made it possible to easily commit this level of murders. There IS a relationship between his method - the guns he used - and the fact that this is the largest mass murder in U.S. history.

If he didn't have fully automatic rifles, whatever alternative would most likely not have killed as many people.

False.

It is easily forgotten that even with the terrible death count here it is still not the worst tragedy committed here by a lone wolf. Had he driven that same bomb to the concert you would have far more carnage.

 

[usmbguest5318]

Seems to me that the term "terrorism" is as much about motive as it is method.

We don't know his motive yet. If it was meant to intimidate or influence in some direction, yes. If he was just a fucking nut, then no.

It seems to me that if a killer -- mass or individual -- has no means to repeat their actions or no organization that will reinforce them, then that killer is not a terrorist.

For example in the D.C. area we had the "D.C. Sniper" attacks. While the two shooters were at large, they pretty well had people all over the D.C. metro area terrified.

​

Those guys were shooting random people in all sorts of easy locations and there was no way to know whether one'd be the next random target. One of the shooter's motivations weren't political. The other one may have been, but the man penned delusional rantings that included Bin Laden, Saddam, and The Matrix. More likely, he was just crazy.

Repetition and organization are irrelevant. Terrorism is not a vague term even if its application to real world events is not always cut and dry. Terrorism requires a political or social goal that the perpetrator wishes to further through fear. Without that goal there is simply no logical means to declare this a terrorist action.

Well, tell me.

• How terrorized do you feel about a gunman who is dead and there's no apparent other individual who'll take up his cause?
• Why would anyone give a wet rat's ass about considering the political message(s) of such an individual?

 

[ding]

Educated Black men that know who they are

You mean Republicans?

You missed the part about "knowing who they are". Typically Black republicans pretend they are white.

I'm pretty sure you are the one who missed it. Unless of course you like belonging to the party of slavery, racism, segregation and the kkk.

 

[Muhammed]

Pretty straightforward question....just answer it.

He doesn't appear to be a terrorist. He's made no political demands.

 

[usmbguest5318]

WTF are you talking about? I wrote "but for."

​

I'm talking about ambiguity. Write clearly so that a phrase doesn't look like its own opposite.

Learn to read!

Actually I am an editor/proofreader, and ambiguities like this jump off the page. So I go for clarity.

It isn't your quote anyway so learn to mind your own business.

Then you are not totally up to snuff as one because there is only one meaning for the term "but for" and insofar as their is only one meaning for that term, it is not ambiguously defined and thus is not usable ambiguously.

HOLY SHIT. Really???

but
bət/
conjunction
conjunction: but

1. 1.
   used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned.
   synonyms: yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same; More
   though, although
   "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • nevertheless; however.
     "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • on the contrary; in contrast.
     "I am clean but you are dirty"
     synonyms: whereas, conversely, but then, then again, on the other hand, by/in contrast, on the contrary
     "this one's expensive, but this one isn't"
2. 2.
   used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated.
   "one cannot but sympathize"
3. 3.
   used to introduce a response expressing a feeling such as surprise or anger.
   "but that's an incredible saving!"
4. 4.
   used after an expression of apology for what one is about to say.
   "I'm sorry, but I can't pay you"
5. 5.
   archaic
   without its being the case that.
   "it never rains but it pours"

preposition
preposition: but

1. 1.
   except; apart from; other than.
   "in Texas, we were never anything but poor"
   synonyms: except (for), apart from, other than, besides, aside from, with the exception of, bar, excepting, excluding, leaving out, save (for), saving
   "everyone but him"
   • used with repetition of certain words to give emphasis.
     "nobody, but nobody, was going to stop her"

adverb
adverb: but

1. 1.
   no more than; only.
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"
   synonyms: only, just, simply, merely, no more than, nothing but;
   a mere
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"

noun
noun: but; plural noun: buts

1. 1.
   an argument against something; an objection.
   "no buts —just get out of here"

Origin
​

What's the first entry there??

Just say "except" if you mean "except", and eschew the ambiguity. Ain't frickin' rocket surgery.

You contemptibly insufferable intransigent fucking dipshit!!

The phrase I used is "but for." "But" alone means one thing. "But for" means something else.

Now you can sit your sorry ass there and make like a dumbfuck and pretend that I didn't write "but for," and keep referring to the matter as though I wrote only "but;" however the fact of the matter is that I did, and everyone, including your sorry ass, can see as much.

 

[FA_Q2]

Seems to me that the term "terrorism" is as much about motive as it is method.

We don't know his motive yet. If it was meant to intimidate or influence in some direction, yes. If he was just a fucking nut, then no.

It seems to me that if a killer -- mass or individual -- has no means to repeat their actions or no organization that will reinforce them, then that killer is not a terrorist.

For example in the D.C. area we had the "D.C. Sniper" attacks. While the two shooters were at large, they pretty well had people all over the D.C. metro area terrified.

​

Those guys were shooting random people in all sorts of easy locations and there was no way to know whether one'd be the next random target. One of the shooter's motivations weren't political. The other one may have been, but the man penned delusional rantings that included Bin Laden, Saddam, and The Matrix. More likely, he was just crazy.

Repetition and organization are irrelevant. Terrorism is not a vague term even if its application to real world events is not always cut and dry. Terrorism requires a political or social goal that the perpetrator wishes to further through fear. Without that goal there is simply no logical means to declare this a terrorist action.

Well, tell me.

• How terrorized do you feel about a gunman who is dead and there's no apparent other individual who'll take up his cause?
• Why would anyone give a wet rat's ass about considering the political message(s) of such an individual?

Again, irrelevant.

ISIS is an organization that I think everyone here will agree is clearly a terrorist group. They have both the means and organization to continue to repeat their acts of terrorism.

You know how 'terrorized' I feel about ISIS? None at all. I fear a bad lightning storm more than ISIS and one has never changed my plans once in my life. That does not change the fat that they are terrorists and clearly fit the requirements.

 

[Meathead]

I'm talking about ambiguity. Write clearly so that a phrase doesn't look like its own opposite.

Learn to read!

Actually I am an editor/proofreader, and ambiguities like this jump off the page. So I go for clarity.

It isn't your quote anyway so learn to mind your own business.

Then you are not totally up to snuff as one because there is only one meaning for the term "but for" and insofar as their is only one meaning for that term, it is not ambiguously defined and thus is not usable ambiguously.

HOLY SHIT. Really???

but
bət/
conjunction
conjunction: but

1. 1.
   used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned.
   synonyms: yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same; More
   though, although
   "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • nevertheless; however.
     "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • on the contrary; in contrast.
     "I am clean but you are dirty"
     synonyms: whereas, conversely, but then, then again, on the other hand, by/in contrast, on the contrary
     "this one's expensive, but this one isn't"
2. 2.
   used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated.
   "one cannot but sympathize"
3. 3.
   used to introduce a response expressing a feeling such as surprise or anger.
   "but that's an incredible saving!"
4. 4.
   used after an expression of apology for what one is about to say.
   "I'm sorry, but I can't pay you"
5. 5.
   archaic
   without its being the case that.
   "it never rains but it pours"

preposition
preposition: but

1. 1.
   except; apart from; other than.
   "in Texas, we were never anything but poor"
   synonyms: except (for), apart from, other than, besides, aside from, with the exception of, bar, excepting, excluding, leaving out, save (for), saving
   "everyone but him"
   • used with repetition of certain words to give emphasis.
     "nobody, but nobody, was going to stop her"

adverb
adverb: but

1. 1.
   no more than; only.
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"
   synonyms: only, just, simply, merely, no more than, nothing but;
   a mere
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"

noun
noun: but; plural noun: buts

1. 1.
   an argument against something; an objection.
   "no buts —just get out of here"

Origin
​

What's the first entry there??

Just say "except" if you mean "except", and eschew the ambiguity. Ain't frickin' rocket surgery.

You contemptibly insufferable intransigent fucking dipshit!!

The phrase I used is "but for." "But" alone means one thing. "But for" means something else.

Now you can sit your sorry ass there and make like dumbfuck and pretend that I didn't write "but for," and keep referring to the matter as though I wrote only "but;" however the fact of the matter is that I did, and everyone, including your sorry as can see as much.

Ah, a battle of midgets.

 

[Asclepias]

Educated Black men that know who they are

You mean Republicans?

You missed the part about "knowing who they are". Typically Black republicans pretend they are white.

I'm pretty sure you are the one who missed it. Unless of course you like belonging to the party of slavery, racism, segregation and the kkk.

I'm the one that mentioned it so I cant be the one that missed you moron.

Like most uneducated whites you are assuming I belong to the Dems of old or the Repubs of new since the Southern strategy. I belong to neither part.

 

[JimBowie1958]

First you have to define "terrorist". Was James Hodgkinson a terrorist? Imagine the damage he could have done with a fully automatic weapon.

He was using a fully automatic weapon.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Yes.

He was also a muslim, apparently.

I seriously doubt that.

He converted to Islam months ago and was in communication with ISIS according to them.

 

[Asclepias]

Learn to read!

Actually I am an editor/proofreader, and ambiguities like this jump off the page. So I go for clarity.

It isn't your quote anyway so learn to mind your own business.

Then you are not totally up to snuff as one because there is only one meaning for the term "but for" and insofar as their is only one meaning for that term, it is not ambiguously defined and thus is not usable ambiguously.

HOLY SHIT. Really???

but
bət/
conjunction
conjunction: but

1. 1.
   used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned.
   synonyms: yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same; More
   though, although
   "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • nevertheless; however.
     "he stumbled but didn't fall"
   • on the contrary; in contrast.
     "I am clean but you are dirty"
     synonyms: whereas, conversely, but then, then again, on the other hand, by/in contrast, on the contrary
     "this one's expensive, but this one isn't"
2. 2.
   used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated.
   "one cannot but sympathize"
3. 3.
   used to introduce a response expressing a feeling such as surprise or anger.
   "but that's an incredible saving!"
4. 4.
   used after an expression of apology for what one is about to say.
   "I'm sorry, but I can't pay you"
5. 5.
   archaic
   without its being the case that.
   "it never rains but it pours"

preposition
preposition: but

1. 1.
   except; apart from; other than.
   "in Texas, we were never anything but poor"
   synonyms: except (for), apart from, other than, besides, aside from, with the exception of, bar, excepting, excluding, leaving out, save (for), saving
   "everyone but him"
   • used with repetition of certain words to give emphasis.
     "nobody, but nobody, was going to stop her"

adverb
adverb: but

1. 1.
   no more than; only.
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"
   synonyms: only, just, simply, merely, no more than, nothing but;
   a mere
   "he is but a shadow of his former self"

noun
noun: but; plural noun: buts

1. 1.
   an argument against something; an objection.
   "no buts —just get out of here"

Origin
​

What's the first entry there??

Just say "except" if you mean "except", and eschew the ambiguity. Ain't frickin' rocket surgery.

You contemptibly insufferable intransigent fucking dipshit!!

The phrase I used is "but for." "But" alone means one thing. "But for" means something else.

Now you can sit your sorry ass there and make like dumbfuck and pretend that I didn't write "but for," and keep referring to the matter as though I wrote only "but;" however the fact of the matter is that I did, and everyone, including your sorry as can see as much.

Ah, a battle of midgets.

Playing with your testicles again huh? Who is winning the right or the left?

 

[Asclepias]

Yes.

He was also a muslim, apparently.

I seriously doubt that.

He converted to Islam months ago and was in communication with ISIS according to them.

Where are you getting your opinion?

 

[JimBowie1958]

Was this an act of terror?

If it created terror and was intended to create terror among civilians for some political/ideological purpose then it is an act of terrorism IMO.

The shooting in Las Vegas seems to meet this criteria, IMO.

 

[FA_Q2]

Yes.

He was also a muslim, apparently.

I seriously doubt that.

He converted to Islam months ago and was in communication with ISIS according to them.

According to ISIS - a terrorist group with zero credibility on the matter.

Thus far there is zero evidence backing this up. Of course ISIS wants this accredited to them - it will dominate the news for months and is going to be repeated over and over again as the worst shooting ever.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Pretty straightforward question....just answer it.

Can't 'just answer it'. Depends on which definition of terrorism you want to use.