One reason why I hate this country...

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

That doesn't explain sending in a remote control robot. The police should know better.

Well, you seem to be assuming that because the police found one to not be a bomb that they would reason that all of them were not bombs (rather than some being decoys and some being real).  I think the response was a bit over the top, but the people on the street that called these in weren't really the people overreacting if you examine what happened, it was the mayor who went apeshit over everything.  I think it's good that people are conscientious enough to call in things that look suspect, but it then becomes a professional's job to determine if there's anything to it.  It's like a lot of people are saying, the initial response was great because it proved that real crises could be averted, but then the mayor and the attorney general had to get involved and start a pissing match.  I suspect all charges against Turner and the people they hired will collapse under the weight of mayor menino's own stupidity.


Helm, leave it to the Freemasons!

http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/DeMoulin_Bros_Exploding_Chair.htm

[Radiant]

Boston is a particularly sensitive city since 9/11. The govt. couldn't have won either way in this, if they hadn't 'overreacted', people would have said 'WELL THEY COULD HAVE BEEN BOMBS OMG DO THEY CARE NOTHING ABOUT US!' and so on. Do something, and you get flak for overreacting. No-win situation.

Nobody was suggesting that they not act at all. But this reaction has moral panic written all over it.

[LimpingFish]

Paranoia vs Stupidity (on both sides) vs Fear vs Politics.

It was a marketing stunt, a viral campaign that's backfired. It was meant to get people talking about a show. I've never seen the show, therefore I wouldn't recognize the character depicted in LEDs. But the first thing that popped into my head wouldn't be "Hmm. That's a suspicious looking device."

Face it. An unattended object with a wire and flashing lights, secreted in public places, is going to result in someone thinking its a bomb. The hysteria in the US over this kind of thing, perpetuated by a government who uses the threat of terrorism and the nebulas concept of insidious "outside" forces at work to maim/kill/convert the american public, as a political  platform, has reached breaking point.

And frankly, those two look like a pair of gobshites. A brand of idiot that Adult Swim seems happy to employ.

[Miez]

Don't be ridiculous GG, everyone knows bombs only explode when they have wires sticking out of them.

Unless - of course - Jack Bauer happens to be in the area...

[DGMacphee]

It was a marketing stunt, a viral campaign that's backfired. It was meant to get people talking about a show.

My butthole it's backfired! If anything the news has given it huge publicity and people ARE talking about the show. It doesn't matter if the news surrounding the incident is bad, more people are going to be aware of ATHF's pressence when the film is released due to all this coverage.

If anything, the fake bombing reports are the best thing that's happened to ATHF's publicity.

[rharpe]

America is still a young country and we must be learning from all of Europe's mistakes. (They're not free first.) 

[esper]

...which in turn reminds me entirely too much of the movie "V For Vendetta..."

[Miez]

America is still a young country and we must be learning from all of Europe's mistakes.

What? and you learn by making the same mistakes again? sounds a little thick to me...

[DGMacphee]

America is still a young country and we must be learning from all of Europe's mistakes. (They're not free first.) 

You're right! America is still a young country! And you'd think after 500 or so years it'd graduate from diapers to big boy pants, but they just haven't potty trained it enough yet.

By the way, I love your knack for adding something patriotic to a conversation, even though 90 per cent of the time it has no relevance to what anyone is talking about and/or is complete gibberish.

[Akatosh]

Sure, America is young. That gives "America" every right to do mistakes. This may sound ridiculious to you, but...

America is not making decisions!

It's politicians are making decisions, not America! And these politicians are just the same as in Europe (corrupt, incompetent, ignoring the public will).

[Miez]

Sure, America is young. That gives "America" every right to do mistakes. This may sound ridiculious to you, but...

America is not making decisions!

It's politicians are making decisions, not America! And these politicians are just the same as in Europe (corrupt, incompetent, ignoring the public will).

Whoa yeah ... you ARE right. My excuses; I didn't mean that Americans are thick (well - SOME are) but the American government makes up for this by being uber-thick. imho.

[EagerMind]

It's politicians are making decisions, not America!

No doubt. I mean, seriously, what's the point of all those elections?

[esper]

Absolutely nothing. You try running for some high position. Unless you are A) Rich or famous, and B) a member of some clandestine organization like the Masons or the Skull and Bones, you will never get elected, even if you match all the qualifications and have a hundred and sixty years of significant collegiate experience under your belt. Furthermore, the United States Constitution, (speaking of presidential elections) says that you aren't voting for president... you're voting for an elector to elect the president.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College

Read the section about faithless electors. Furthermore, who's responsible for the nominations? Surely not you or I. Also note that there are only two parties. This country is one party away from being a dictatorship...

Every government has an agenda that has nothing to do with the people of said government. It's not conspiracy theory, it's simply the way things work. There are three types of people in the US: people who believe this and hate the government, people who believe this but just think it's the way things are and that it doesn't really effect them terribly and therefore are apathetic about it, and people who are uber-patriotic and won't hear a word against their "elected officials." The truth of the matter is, unless you can profit the people in power somehow, you don't matter.

[EagerMind]

It's not conspiracy theory ...

Unless you are A) Rich or famous, and B) a member of some clandestine organization like the Masons or the Skull and Bones, you will never get elected, even if you match all the qualifications and have a hundred and sixty years of significant collegiate experience under your belt.

OK.

Actually, I think our government's "hidden agenda" is to hide the fact that we're still secretly governed by the British Crown. That whole Revolutionary War thing was just a big sham to keep us from really try to rebel. As always, we're just slaves to The Man.

Come on, everyone join in with me!

"God save our gracious Queen
Long live our noble Queen ..."

[esper]

No, the real hidden agenda is making you feel completely secure in that your government is serving you so you can feel secure in posting things like that.

EDIT: BTW, it's not a conspiracy theory when you can go and check through history and be sure of it. This country was founded by Masons, which is why all the good Christians run around saying "Oh, we're a Christian nation, and this country was founded on Christian principles." And check out how many of the people in power have been members of the Skull and Bones since it's inception in the early 1800's. I'm not saying it's some kind of occult conspiracy, and that they prance around in black robes sacrificing babies and brainwashing interns into having sex with them. The Skull and Bones is simply the Greek society at Yale where all the rich big wigs and their children go...

[Akatosh]

Come and join the corruption question and answer game!

Q: What do you need to get votes?
A: Public attention.

Q: How do you gather public attention?
A: Promote yourself.

Q: What do you need to promote yourself?
A: Media ads, a team, ...

Q: What do they cost?
A: Money.

Q: Who has money and would be willing to trade it for one or two hundred favors?
A: Rich people, who also have the ability to rip you apart in the media at any time.

So now guess who the politicans really need to please?
A) The people
B) The poor orphan childs who badly need money (and food)
C) The richest people of the country

And with only two political parties, it's no problem for rich people to bribe both of them. Whoever wins, you lose (I don't because I don't live in America. I lose because our politicans try to behave like the american corruptics).

I'm not saying there's no honest politican, but sadly, these don't let themselves get bribed, lack money and therefor public attention. And thus, the votes.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

While it's true that the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights were created largely by Freemasons (Washington, Franklin, the list goes on) they typically fell into the category of Deists or Christians.  Several of them (Franklin is the most notable) went to Freemasonry because at that time the church was strongly opposed to certain forms of science and particularly medical science.  In their masonic groups certain individuals felt they could continue pushing back the frontiers without fear of repercussions from the church.  Skull and Bones is another interesting topic, but everything I have read has shown them to be about making wealthy connections.

[Scummbuddy]

It's like a lot of people are saying, the initial response was great because it proved that real crises could be averted, but then the mayor and the attorney general had to get involved and start a pissing match.Ã, 

Initial response? Didn't it take about 2-3 weeks for people to start calling in and reporting them?

Not that I really oppose anything you said... just trying to make slight point.

[rharpe]

You're right! America is still a young country! And you'd think after 500 or so years it'd graduate from diapers to big boy pants, but they just haven't potty trained it enough yet.

Not 500 years. Try (2007 - 1776 = 231 years.)

By the way, I love your knack for adding something patriotic to a conversation, even though 90 per cent of the time it has no relevance to what anyone is talking about and/or is complete gibberish.

Yes, even though my country appears to look evil to the rest of the world, it actually is made up of a lot of good citizens. I am not ashamed. I am very proud to be an American!

Btw, where do you get your numbers? I sense you had difficulties with mathematics and history when you where in school? Are you still in school?! Oops, my mistake.

[Timosity]

Not 500 years. Try (2007 - 1776 = 231 years.)

I'm not American but that's just independence day, Columbus arrived in 1492 and settlement began in the years after that, So I'd say DG's numbers were more accurate