Bombs in Boston

[@SkitchP]

Im actually 100% with Maher on this one, especially seeing how people co-opted "Boston Strong" as some sort of movement and in some cases for significant profit.

[Fuck You Jobu]

Im actually 100% with Maher on this one, especially seeing how people co-opted "Boston Strong" as some sort of movement and in some cases for significant profit.

Profiting off of disaster ... what's more American than that?

[broken iris]

There's a big difference between a car accident and a terrorist attack--even one in which only three people were killed--so even though I think certain responses to the bombing leave themselves open to criticism, this analogy doesn't really fly. I was more put off as the playoffs were still going on and people were discussing how the team was playing for the bombing victims...because what if they had lost? "Sorry, guy with no legs: we just couldn't play hard enough for you!" Also, obviously, I'm uncomfortable with the way grief and mourning have been branded and standardized since 5 minutes after the bombing occurred.

This was my kinda my initial thought as well. A car accident is, normally, not an intentionally violent act done to hurt and frighten as many innocent people as possible and comparing a pre-planned terrorist strike on an organized sporting event to what amounts to a chance occurrence is ignorant, even if the death count ends up the same.

If Maher had questioned what you said, the commercial branding of grief, and even taken it one step further to how politicians exploit grief for their constituents goals (ie the war on terror), I wouldn't have posted the quote. I actually defended Maher in many conversations back when his ABC show (vastly superior to his HBO one) was cancelled after he said that (I'm paraphrasing here) flying planes into buildings was brave while lobbing missiles was not. This is not quite the same thing and the cynic in me thinks that he has drank too much of his own kool-aid and was so put off by the sight of the powerful and privileged chanting "USA" in a victory celebration that he couldn't make an emotional connection to what the fans and citizens of Boston might be feeling at that moment.

[Norah]

Im actually 100% with Maher on this one, especially seeing how people co-opted "Boston Strong" as some sort of movement and in some cases for significant profit.

I'm like 85% with Maher on this one. He's got a very legit point. As far as stuff like this goes there weren't many casualties. This wasn't "Boston's 9/11" or anything absurd like that (people were definitely implying it right after it happened).

But, this isn't like people dying in car crashes either. This was the intentional bombing of a very soft target. If Maher wanted to make this point, he should have dropped the car crash analogy and compared it to bombings of soft targets that take place in other countries on a near daily basis.

I also didn't mind the Boston Strong thing in the immediate aftermath. It was a good rallying cry, and the attention it got raised a lot of money for the one fund, which was just fantastic. But after a while it turned into something co-opted for profit, which is absurd, and people just wouldn't shut up about it and tried to use it to perpetuate Boston's douchebag tough guy reputation. Fuck that noise.

[@SkitchP]

Im actually 100% with Maher on this one, especially seeing how people co-opted "Boston Strong" as some sort of movement and in some cases for significant profit.

I'm like 85% with Maher on this one. He's got a very legit point. As far as stuff like this goes there weren't many casualties. This wasn't "Boston's 9/11" or anything absurd like that (people were definitely implying it right after it happened).

But, this isn't like people dying in car crashes either. This was the intentional bombing of a very soft target. If Maher wanted to make this point, he should have dropped the car crash analogy and compared it to bombings of soft targets that take place in other countries on a near daily basis.

I also didn't mind the Boston Strong thing in the immediate aftermath. It was a good rallying cry, and the attention it got raised a lot of money for the one fund, which was just fantastic. But after a while it turned into something co-opted for profit, which is absurd, and people just wouldn't shut up about it and tried to use it to perpetuate Boston's douchebag tough guy reputation. Fuck that noise.

yeah, this.

[Electromatic]

Im actually 100% with Maher on this one, especially seeing how people co-opted "Boston Strong" as some sort of movement and in some cases for significant profit.

I'm like 85% with Maher on this one. He's got a very legit point. As far as stuff like this goes there weren't many casualties. This wasn't "Boston's 9/11" or anything absurd like that (people were definitely implying it right after it happened).

But, this isn't like people dying in car crashes either. This was the intentional bombing of a very soft target. If Maher wanted to make this point, he should have dropped the car crash analogy and compared it to bombings of soft targets that take place in other countries on a near daily basis.

I also didn't mind the Boston Strong thing in the immediate aftermath. It was a good rallying cry, and the attention it got raised a lot of money for the one fund, which was just fantastic. But after a while it turned into something co-opted for profit, which is absurd, and people just wouldn't shut up about it and tried to use it to perpetuate Boston's douchebag tough guy reputation. Fuck that noise.

and 9-11 didn't? How many flags stickers tshirts guns sporting events TV specials blah blah have changed since then? Air Travel is completely and totally assfucked forever because of the idiots in the TSA who have jobs because of...... 9-11.....

Boston is primarily happy becuase they won a world series, the Boston Strong thing is just marketing. All tough guy bullshit is bullshit.

If it were New York instead of Boston the whole fake tough guy New York is the best happiest, strongest place on earth bullshit would be perpetuated just as strongly.

Hell in the last week NY got confirmation that the "Freedom" tower is the tallest building in this hemisphere or something like that, you think they didn't care about that? Building a big FU spire? Calling it the fucking "freedom tower"?

Everything in this world is shit. It's just that worthless assholes like Maher live to tell everyone about it.

[Norah]

Hey man, I'm not arguing with you.

[Electromatic]

Hey man, I'm not arguing with you.

Sorry, didn't mean to come off like I was either.

[Simple Torture]

I've already made three marathon jokes since my fiancee got home; I bet I can crack double digits by 2:00PM tomorrow.

[Norah]

Let's hear 'em.

[Simple Torture]

They weren't good. She complained about how I was making dinner, and I made a pouty face and said,"...on the anniversary of the bombings?" It was funny the first time, but she was mad when I made the exact same joke later. Something else happened and she said, "You're the worst...name someone who's worse." And I said: "Tamerlan Tsarnaev."

[Jorge]

Those aren't jokes, they're just references. See what Family Guy is doing to America's humor?

[Norah]

They're really downplaying the fact the the MBTA cop was hit by friendly fire.

[Norah]

Those aren't jokes, they're just references. See what Family Guy is doing to America's humor?

seriously

[Simple Torture]

To be fair, I said they weren't any good.

[Norah]

But you did say they were jokes.

[Simple Torture]

And yeah, I haven't heard anyone talk about the T cop in like a year. I mean, he got hurt doing his job and trying to protect people, which is of course commendable, but it makes you wonder how often things like this actually happen.

Also, no one's really answered why they were shooting on him when he was in the boat lying completely prone and bleeding out. I understand that tensions were running extremely high and all, but shouldn't you hold fire if he isn't threatening anyone?

[Simple Torture]

I tried to make some witty remarks and they fell flat...better? Or I tried to make some humorous references that didn't hit the mark. Are you happy, chud? Anymore out of you and I spoil some GoT junk...

[Jorge]

You gonna take that shit, Chud?

[Norah]

Hey man it's cool