bombs in Boston ... and now in Texas???

Damn good thing no one suggested such a thing than isn't it. BUT... is is also quite true that maiming children is often just collateral damage and the US does just that. Well, I certainly did not think I was being cryptic but my reputation is also totally irrelevant and of no consideration.Edited by jar, : respond to nonsense about reputation.

As a matter of fact, it well might. I can envision at least some scenarios which don't make sense for an American that might make sense for a native of For example, someone in Yemen might feel that his country should be in a state of war with the US because of drone strikes. I wouldn't expect a cowboy from Wyoming to be able to make that same call.And in any event, the fact that the Yemen or whoever thinks his position is rational does not mean I have to agree with him or that the attacker is not disturbe. I'm not bound to adopt the same view as the attacker.

Actually, I can most certainly imagine a Wyoming Rancher thinking he should be in a state of war against the US because of drone surveillance and the potential of strikes.If we are smart, maybe possibly even wise though, we should look at and understand what motivated them and see if we shouldn't change our behavior.Edited by jar, : appalin spallin

Absoultley not. The terrorist is hoping for just that.

You suggested that having a target of 'Gay Marriage' might make some difference. It is perfectly correct for those of us who aren't the attacker to not accept that targetting a concept, or an institution, or a person unlikely to even be present, or an entire City or State is justification. I think that covers most of the example 'targets' you proposed. You'll let me know if I missed something. I was pretty sure you didn't think of your posts as cryptic; I would have expressed myself more directly had I thought so. But I did make an unwarranted assumption that you were actually trying to communicate something and that you cared about others understanding you.ABE:Here is a difference between a drone strike and bombing the Boston Marathon to get at Obama. A drone strike involes targetting some person who is at least believed to be present. Obama was not at the Boston Marathon, and there was no reason to expect him to be there.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

So a single person can be at war? I'm pretty sure I can find an example of you suggesting the opposite.

And being logical and rational, he momentarily confused his actual target with the Boston Marathon?I would suggest that a logical and rational person could tell the difference between (for example) Obama and the Boston Marathon. For starters, Obama has fewer legs. Well yes, loonies always do. It is precisely in this that their error consists.

So we should not learn and allow our behavior to evolve?

But the bombing did make Obama (and most of the government) look ineffective.

This sentiment makes no sense to me. We ought to do what's right regardless of whether a terrorist agrees or disagrees.Let's not spend money on detecting guns on planes because that's what the terrorists want us to do? Does that make sense to you?

No, a single person cannot legally be in a State of War anymore than your example of someone in Lebanon thinking that they should be in a state of war over drone strikes.But the Wyoming Rancher can have the same fears as the person in Lebanon, after all the US is rapidly expanding the military drone bases in the Us (over 50), the use of drones and even continental based Predator and Reaper bases.

Is this the best response to the issues raised in my post? Seriously, this is the best you can do?

But he couldn't think he or his country was at war with the US, now could he? We can eliminate at least one possible rationalization from the list, can we not?But I've made my point, I think. Since we aren't required to adopt the rationalizations of the target, we are still free to believe that there is no state of war with the citizen in Wyoming and that even a war rationalization for targetting marathoners and marathon attendees is completely bogus.Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

I saw no issues raised in your post.Edited by jar, : appalin spallin

He could think that the US Government should be overthrown. He could think (and many do) that he should be at war with the US.