Americans Are as Likely to Be Killed by Their Own Furniture as by Terrorism

[morningfog]

Terrorist attacks killed 17 U.S. civilians last year and 15 the year before.

Today, the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) released its 2011 Report on Terrorism. The report offers the U.S. government's best statistical analysis of terrorism trends through its Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS), which compiles and vets open-source information about terrorism--defined by U.S. law as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents."

Although I invite you to read the entire thirty-one page report, there are a few points worth highlighting that notably contrast with the conventional narrative of the terrorist threat:

"The total number of worldwide attacks in 2011, however, dropped by almost 12 percent from 2010 and nearly 29 percent from 2007." (9)

"Attacks by AQ and its affiliates increased by 8 percent from 2010 to 2011. A significant increase in attacks by al-Shabaab, from 401 in 2010 to 544 in 2011, offset a sharp decline in attacks by al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) and a smaller decline in attacks by al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)." (11)

"In cases where the religious affiliation of terrorism casualties could be determined, Muslims suffered between 82 and 97 percent of terrorism-related fatalities over the past five years." (14)

Of 978 terrorism-related kidnapping last year, only three hostages were private U.S. citizens, or .003 percent. A private citizen is defined as 'any U.S. citizen not acting in an official capacity on behalf of the U.S. government.' (13, 17)

Of the 13,288 people killed by terrorist attacks last year, seventeen were private U.S. citizens, or .001 percent. (17)

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/americans-are-as-likely-to-be-killed-by-their-own-furniture-as-by-terrorism/258156/

[LiberalLoner]

1. I suspect my bedroom dresser is out to get me

It's already been "disappearing" socks. I might be next!

[Make7]

2. In related news: House Republicans pass bill declaring "War on Furniture". ( n/t )

[B2G]

3. Then why is Obama blowing them to smithereens? n/t

[Huey P. Long]

4. Whatever the MIC wants, the MIC gets, no matter who is pretending to be in office.

[libinnyandia]

6. The MIC claims that it is responsible for the low numbers of Americans killed. Without their

spending 100's of billions of dollars on overpriced ships and planes, terrorists would be overrunning this country.

[Wilms]

5. Snoopy warned us about this a long time ago.

And not a thing has been done about it.

[dkf]

7. Thanks to the efforts of President Obama.

Say what you will. He has Al Qaeda watching out for their backs instead of plotting.

[Huey P. Long]

10. A largely imaginary threat built up on lies and propaganda to feed the MIC.

They thank you for playing along.

[morningfog]

27. Enemy's on the run...fight 'em over there....

wash and repeat ad infinitum.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. So what is the statistical threshold before attempting to stop violent mass-murderers?

[EOTE]

12. No one's saying that we shouldn't attempt to stop them.

Just that maybe throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at the problem every year is fucking ridiculous.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. Mass murderers like the Pentagon and CIA?

[morningfog]

17. Let's treat it like any other crime.

Prevent attacks through good intell and police work. Not through endless wars.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

19. Our police can't go to Yemen and Pakistan so why even pretend?

[Posteritatis]

25. The wars are the result of not doing the police work on US soil

The 9/11 hijackers weren't exactly direct flights from Pakistan, you know.

[morningfog]

26. You just made my point.

Let's protect ourselves here if and when they try to attack in the US.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

29. Yeah the TSA is soooo awesome

[morningfog]

30. I'm not at all afraid. Are you?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

31. What does that even mean?

I don't live in fear of having my house burn down but I like having fire departments. Unlike fires terrorists take years to materialize and if they can be stopped I'm all for it. If they can be stopped before they reach their targets, good. If they can be arrested in their safehouses, better. If the people living overseas formulating plots, funding them, recruiting them and training them get zotted -- well...

[morningfog]

33. We don't need decades of war to prevent

what is a minor threat. Not only are funders zotted, but innocent civilians too. Nations rights are violated. Regions are further radicalized, a new generation has reason to hate the US. it is counterproductive and expensive. They hate us because we kill them with impunity.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

34. They hate us because

we kill them for trying to kill our people? I suppose serial killers are fond of cops either.

[morningfog]

39. For many of the dead you have the causation backwards. For many of the dead,

you are flat out wrong. We, the US, have killed far more innocent civilians than US civilians have died from the acts of terrorism.

[Johonny]

35. Some day BIG Furniture and their lobby will get what's coming to them

[johnd83]

9. We spend trillions on stopping terrorists which have killed maybe 4000 US citizens,

yet we cut cancer and other disease research to the bone, which kill millions. We're smart...

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. Brilliant, even!

[Johonny]

13. Furniture hates us for our freedom

[clang1]

14. Yep n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Furniture is cheaper than fighting bogeymen in lost wars.

Probably, every house in the country could be handsomely furnished with the money we waste on wars and "defense".

[DLnyc]

18. Oops

1% of 978 is 9.78 and 1% of 13,288 is 132.88.

So 3 is about .3% of 978, not .003%. And 17 is about .1% of 13,288, not .001%

Probably it is the cuts to education that will end up killing us all.

[longship]

20. So many killed by falling pianos it's ridiculous

The mayhem! The slaughter of innocents! The fine chords as the strings break!

Terrible!
When is Congress going to finally act on this tragedy?

[Gregorian]

21. I said it before and I'll say it again- the terrorism threat meme is bullshit.

It never fooled me one minute. I am too busy looking at what is coming out of tailpipes. Now that is something that should panic even the most brave.

[marmar]

22. +1000

[Spirochete]

23. I'm keeping a close eye on my coffee table

it's been acting in a somewhat menacing manner lately...

[Comrade Grumpy]

24. Some rights must be sacrificed in the struggle against Al Sofa.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

28. Then clearly the terrorists have won.

Our own furniture has turned on us.

[4th law of robotics]

32. Sweden must turn over the heads of Ikea or else face preemptive invasion

we will not distinguish between furniture makers or those who harbor them!

[pinboy3niner]

36. They will need the proper tools...

...to disconnect the heads.

[whatchamacallit]

37. "... seventeen were private U.S. citizens, or .001 percent"

And how many of those were killed by us? This really puts into perspective what colossal assholes we are.

[CrawlingChaos]

38. And the moderate furniture has refused to "refudiate" the radicalized furniture

Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war. It's all perfectly sane, isn't it?