Things go boom

[P3nT4gR4m]

Not any good ones.  The insurgents more see Russia as the Great Satan - which makes sense, when Russian troops are occupying the area and doing all the sort of things an occupying army normally does.  You know, shooting people in the face, torture, demolishing buildings suspected to be habouring militants, rape, looting and that fun stuff.

However, just because they're (probably) Chechen doesn't necessarily mean they're doing this for Chechen nationalist reasons.

Not when life has already given them a religion to turn extreme to in reaction to a society which they feel alienated from. Maybe this is Three Lions but set in america and much less funny.

[Suu]

What tickles me, is that they didn't even try to flee the city this week.

I find that quite odd, myself.

From the sound of it, they were planning more bombings.  They had bombs to use against the police chasing them, after all.

Understandable, but for people who apparently have been living in Boston for 10 years, you'd think they'd be well aware of things such as media coverage, high photographic coverage, and the fact that the Pru is surrounded by surveillance cameras.

Sloppy. IMO.

[Cain]

Granted the brothers are clearly not of sound mind, but I don't understand the logic of "I feel so disconnected. I don't understand anyone. So fuck it I'm going to blow up innocent people." 

Burton argued that the roots of conflict existed as unsatisfied human needs, which were often supplanted by the power requirements of the state and society. He sug-gested individuals in society would pursue their needs within the confines and norms of society. If however, these needs become frustrated they will resort to methods outside of these norms.

zar built on Burton's work and identified that the cause of conflict was often located not necessarily in the needs of individuals but in the relationship between individuals in identity groups and the state. Azar called this 'disarticulation between the state and society'. Crucially, Azar identified that individual needs and values where represented by social groups and it is the needs of these groups in society that have to be fulfilled. He suggested, 'Protracted social conflict arose due to com-munities deprived of satisfaction of basic needs on the basis of communal identity'. To tackle this he developed a framework that comprised of four areas of investigation designed to expose all the pos-sible causes of the conflict. The first area, 'communal', is an analysis of the identity groups involved in the conflict to establish racial, religious, ethnic and cultural influences and relationships. The second is based on the depravation of human needs, the most important of which Azar considers to be the 'safety needs'. These include security, identity, representation and equality. The third area scrutinises the role of the state and governance in order to examine how human needs are satisfied by the state. Finally, Azar included international linkages; an area intended to ascertain the nature of the socio-economic relationship with other states, particularly stronger ones.

This approach to understanding the causes of armed conflict by identifying the relation-ship between the needs of identity groups and (state) governance is increasingly becoming accepted into mainstream approaches to conflict. It is illustrated by the construction of a comprehensive and multi-level model for identifying the sources of contemporary conflict, recognised as 'international social conflicts' by Miall et al, which seeks to demonstrate the complexity of contemporary conflict.

It is apparent from these arguments that the structural roots of conflict are in the interaction between actors. This is typified by conflict behaviour in the form of the pursuit of incompatible goals within the incumbent social structure or system and is created by human activity. However, is it also possible to suggest that the roots of conflict also exist in the relationship between actor and perceived goal. At the apex of Galtung's conflict triangle is 'contradiction' (conflict situation), which is the actual or perceived incompatibility of actors and is
defined by Galtung as 'incompatible goal-states in a goal seeking system'.

Galtung argues that this is a structural cause of the conflict. He suggests, '[D]eep inside every conflict lies a contradiction – a problem that requires a solution'.  Bercovitch combines these ideas in 'situationalist theory' and although he recognises the importance of human involvement he stresses that it is the situation that generates incompatible goals or values among different parties.

In a similar theory, Boulding argues for a more general understanding. He suggests that conflict arises as a result of the stress and strain of social relationships. He lists structural variables that together with dynamic variables comprise the 'strain (war) functions', which in times of conflict outweigh the 'strength (peace) functions'.

[Cain]

What tickles me, is that they didn't even try to flee the city this week.

I find that quite odd, myself.

From the sound of it, they were planning more bombings.  They had bombs to use against the police chasing them, after all.

Understandable, but for people who apparently have been living in Boston for 10 years, you'd think they'd be well aware of things such as media coverage, high photographic coverage, and the fact that the Pru is surrounded by surveillance cameras.

Sloppy. IMO.

Sunken cost fallacy.  They'd commited themselves to a terrorist campaign, I'm assuming, and it is likely their future targets were in Boston and the surrounding area.  They probably knew they'd get caught and it was only a matter of time, but the aim was to cause as much destruction and death as possible in the meantime.

[Suu]

Oh, and my favorite Facebook comment of the day so far:

"But they're white! Muslims aren't white."

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

Oh, and my favorite Facebook comment of the day so far:

"But they're white! Muslims aren't white."

[Cain]

Oh, and my favorite Facebook comment of the day so far:

"But they're white! Muslims aren't white."

Everyone knows white Muslims have to go blackface once they convert.

Amusing and somewhat related anecdote: due to the Russian Special Forces blacking up before night operations, there were rumours for years in Afghanistan that Cubans had a military force in the country.  So it's not just the Chechens who get mistaken by Afghan villagers.

[Aucoq]

Granted the brothers are clearly not of sound mind, but I don't understand the logic of "I feel so disconnected. I don't understand anyone. So fuck it I'm going to blow up innocent people." 

Burton argued that the roots of conflict existed as unsatisfied human needs, which were often supplanted by the power requirements of the state and society. He sug-gested individuals in society would pursue their needs within the confines and norms of society. If however, these needs become frustrated they will resort to methods outside of these norms.

zar built on Burton's work and identified that the cause of conflict was often located not necessarily in the needs of individuals but in the relationship between individuals in identity groups and the state. Azar called this 'disarticulation between the state and society'. Crucially, Azar identified that individual needs and values where represented by social groups and it is the needs of these groups in society that have to be fulfilled. He suggested, 'Protracted social conflict arose due to com-munities deprived of satisfaction of basic needs on the basis of communal identity'. To tackle this he developed a framework that comprised of four areas of investigation designed to expose all the pos-sible causes of the conflict. The first area, 'communal', is an analysis of the identity groups involved in the conflict to establish racial, religious, ethnic and cultural influences and relationships. The second is based on the depravation of human needs, the most important of which Azar considers to be the 'safety needs'. These include security, identity, representation and equality. The third area scrutinises the role of the state and governance in order to examine how human needs are satisfied by the state. Finally, Azar included international linkages; an area intended to ascertain the nature of the socio-economic relationship with other states, particularly stronger ones.

This approach to understanding the causes of armed conflict by identifying the relation-ship between the needs of identity groups and (state) governance is increasingly becoming accepted into mainstream approaches to conflict. It is illustrated by the construction of a comprehensive and multi-level model for identifying the sources of contemporary conflict, recognised as 'international social conflicts' by Miall et al, which seeks to demonstrate the complexity of contemporary conflict.

It is apparent from these arguments that the structural roots of conflict are in the interaction between actors. This is typified by conflict behaviour in the form of the pursuit of incompatible goals within the incumbent social structure or system and is created by human activity. However, is it also possible to suggest that the roots of conflict also exist in the relationship between actor and perceived goal. At the apex of Galtung's conflict triangle is 'contradiction' (conflict situation), which is the actual or perceived incompatibility of actors and is
defined by Galtung as 'incompatible goal-states in a goal seeking system'.

Galtung argues that this is a structural cause of the conflict. He suggests, '[D]eep inside every conflict lies a contradiction – a problem that requires a solution'.  Bercovitch combines these ideas in 'situationalist theory' and although he recognises the importance of human involvement he stresses that it is the situation that generates incompatible goals or values among different parties.

In a similar theory, Boulding argues for a more general understanding. He suggests that conflict arises as a result of the stress and strain of social relationships. He lists structural variables that together with dynamic variables comprise the 'strain (war) functions', which in times of conflict outweigh the 'strength (peace) functions'.

Wow! Thank you for the amazing reply, Cain! That's an interesting and in depth read. I appreciate it!

[Suu]

Oh, and my favorite Facebook comment of the day so far:

"But they're white! Muslims aren't white."

Yeah, I think that was my exact reaction.

[Suu]

Also, if you want to listen: http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/6254/web/?rl=rr

[P3nT4gR4m]

'[D]eep inside every conflict lies a contradiction – a problem that requires a solution'.

So much this!

Killing the bastards or locking them up for life isn't addressing this problem.

It's addressing another problem, itself a consequence of the first one.

Kind of like tackling drugs by ignoring dealers and traffickers and going after only users.

[Cain]

De Facto martial law has been extened to all of Boston.

Are you in the lockdown area?

It's been extended to all of Boston.

[Cain]

Wow! Thank you for the amazing reply, Cain! That's an interesting and in depth read. I appreciate it!

Sorry that I couldn't get something that more directly addressed the psychology behind it, though that should do for an overview.  I'm a bit busy dragging up all my resources on the Chechen insurgency and related topics...

So much this!

Killing the bastards or locking them up for life isn't addressing this problem.

It's addressing another problem, itself a consequence of the first one.

Kind of like tackling drugs by ignoring dealers and traffickers and going after only users.

Well, the thesis of the person whose book I quoted that from is that the state avoids the "root causes" of terrorism for fear of causing a crisis of legitimacy which may erode the state's exclusive claim to violence.

[P3nT4gR4m]

Wow! Thank you for the amazing reply, Cain! That's an interesting and in depth read. I appreciate it!

Sorry that I couldn't get something that more directly addressed the psychology behind it, though that should do for an overview.  I'm a bit busy dragging up all my resources on the Chechen insurgency and related topics...

So much this!

Killing the bastards or locking them up for life isn't addressing this problem.

It's addressing another problem, itself a consequence of the first one.

Kind of like tackling drugs by ignoring dealers and traffickers and going after only users.

Well, the thesis of the person whose book I quoted that from is that the state avoids the "root causes" of terrorism for fear of causing a crisis of legitimacy which may erode the state's exclusive claim to violence.

Heh! Cynical but probably pretty fucking on the mark in a lot of cases.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Holy shit guys 

I hope you're all ok up there.