Possibly 'Politically motivated' hostage situation in downtown Sydney

[Metaphor]

Who's calling for all Muslims to be incarcerated and/or deported?

Evidently you have been wise enough to stay away from facebook today.

What kinds of friends do you have on your news feed?

 

[gmbteach]

Evidently you have been wise enough to stay away from facebook today.

What kinds of friends do you have on your news feed?

Just the usual nut jobs, family etc.. Oh wait - the nut jobs are family.

 

[Tigers!]

By the way, more people have died in New South Wales from road traffic incidents in the last two days than as a result of sieges in cafes. I am certain that the risk from random gunmen is not so high as to warrant any new or increased impost on the public by the authorities.

That's because the drivers in New South Wales are so appalling, though Victorians shouldn't get too smug.

 

[bilby]

By the way, more people have died in New South Wales from road traffic incidents in the last two days than as a result of sieges in cafes. I am certain that the risk from random gunmen is not so high as to warrant any new or increased impost on the public by the authorities.

That's because the drivers in New South Wales are so appalling, though Victorians shouldn't get too smug.

The only reason Queenslanders don't have a higher road toll is that there are so few of us. About 60% of QLDers are completely baffled by roundabouts, and apparently just close their eyes, put their foot down, and pray.

 

[Tigers!]

The only reason Queenslanders don't have a higher road toll is that there are so few of us.

When I think of how many banana benders there are I still weep. Come back Joh, all is forgiven.

About 60% of QLDers are completely baffled by roundabouts, and apparently just close their eyes, put their foot down, and pray.

Last time I drove in Qld (2013) I'd thought it was closer to 99.5%. There was that one driver - must have been GMteach.

 

[gmbteach]

When I think of how many banana benders there are I still weep. Come back Joh, all is forgiven.

About 60% of QLDers are completely baffled by roundabouts, and apparently just close their eyes, put their foot down, and pray.

Last time I drove in Qld (2013) I'd thought it was closer to 99.5%. There was that one driver - must have been GMteach.

That was YOU!!!

 

[Axulus]

Death threats to innocent people - don't know about Australia, but in the States, that's a crime - and 40 counts of sexual assault to boot...and then he ends up pulling a gun on a crowd in a cafe.

Hmmm....

Nobody gets punished for a crime until they are found guilty by a court.

If someone is a threat to public safety, they might be remanded in custody, with far more rights and comforts than a convict; but as a matter of principle, people are not imprisoned on remand unless they are a high flight risk or clear danger to society.

The harder the line taken, the more risk there is that innocent people will be imprisoned. Events such as yesterday's siege are so rare that to prevent them by imprisoning more people on remand, you would have to imprison massively more innocent people than is currently the case.

As an innocent person myself, I do not support the widespread capricious imprisonment of large numbers of people that this would entail.

I prefer a fractionaly more dangerous freedom to a fractionally safer police state.

By the way, more people have died in New South Wales from road traffic incidents in the last two days than as a result of sieges in cafes. I am certain that the risk from random gunmen is not so high as to warrant any new or increased impost on the public by the authorities.

Do you also oppose arresting people unless they are a threat to society? Also, why shouldn't the nature of the crime(s) and the quality of the evidence at that point, and also past convictions (if any) also be used in determining the terms of bail?

 

[Axulus]

I saw the story this morning, and perhaps I'm a jaded American, but my first thought was,

"Still? Our cops would have stormed the place and already shot that sorry piece of trash."

Yeah, that's one reason why I am glad I don't live over there. Patience is a virtue.

As it turned out, he did start shooting, so they had to storm the place anyway; but at least they tried to resolve things without violence.

Three dead, including the perpetrator, who is a known nutcase and wannabe Muslim (although the Islamic community didn't want him, and he spent a long time running his own cult). He has form for accessory to his ex-wife's murder, and was apparently pissed off because the courts had not been sympathetic to his practice of sending rude letters to the families of deceased Australian servicemen.

This was no more an 'Islamic terrorist' attack then the Port Arthur massacre was a 'Christian terrorist' or 'Blonde terrorist' attack; but the racists have lost their shit over it anyway, spurred on by inflammatory and purely speculative (ie making shit up) 'news' reporting, as we might have predicted.

I just hope that when the dust settles, and various police and government departments are asking 'What must we do to prevent this from happening again?', they reach the rational conclusion that the only correct answer is 'Nothing, you can't defend society against random nutters', instead of their usual knee-jerk response of clamping down on the liberty of ordinary citizens.

And I assume you have evidence you can share with us that Australia has a better success rate in responding to hostage situations compared to the US, seeing as you are using it as one of your reasons why you are glad you don't live here?