Slashdot Mirror
WHO Says Afghan School "Poison Attacks" Probably Mass Hysteria
New submitter smugfunt writes "A number of incidents at schools in Afghanistan, especially girls' schools, have been attributed to poisoning by the Taliban. The World Health Organization has investigated 32 of them but found no poison. "Mass Psychological Illness is the most probable cause," they conclude, the Telegraph reports. The Taliban has consistently denied poisoning schools and have even consented to allow the education of girls in a deal with the government which allows significant Taliban control over the curriculum."
Who? Oh, those guys. I don't know what happened but I'm not taking the WHO's word for anything at all. Maybe it didn't happen but if they said it didn't then I think it probably did. Mass pyschological illness. They imagined it.
and someone believed them? Shame shame shame.
Lack of proof is not proof of lack
Did you get that from some TV shows? Like the one where they are always hunting the "Squatch"?
The Christian Taliban is every bit as violent, corrupt, evil, and influential in our government as that other Taliban is in Afganistan. You hear Christian politicians, daily, who want to impose Sharia Law on all citizens of the US (10 Commandments). The US is in a new dark ages, and falling ever deeper by the day.
. . . and the Taliban are quite successful at spreading it. If you had a bunch of "Islam Gone Wild" retro medieval fanatics romping around your neighborhood killing innocent folks for fun and excitement . . . you might tend to be a bit on the edgy side yourself. A car engine backfire will incite you to grab your assault rifle and empty the clip in all directions, to defend yourself. In essence, anyone in Afghanistan will believe that the Taliban are capable of committing horrific atrocities. That makes people fear the Taliban, and it gives the Taliban strength.
Now, take a look in your own airports, and see if the population of your country is so scared, that they tolerate crotch groping and all other types of submissive humility . . . all because the fear of terror has devoured their souls.
Yep, terror can inflict colossal mass hysteria damage.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Believe the Taliban or the locals. Sounds like a case of picking your poison.
*puts on sunglasses*
YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
*the WHO starts playing*
I'm a neurologist and I deal everyday with people that are obviously suffering a conversive disease. This does not mean that they are feigning or malingering, It's just that somehow their brains malfunction and generate bizarre symptoms. In most cases the disease has no anatomical and physiological integrity (i.e. it crosses boundaries that it should not, or a certain part that should also be affected works fine). ... or worse: a harmless congenital defect can be found, which will produce more anxiety.
It's frustrating because the patient and everyone around her (mostly happens to females) is pretty convinced of an impending illnes and they request test after test, sometimes even threatening to sue. Of course nothing is found
This sounds like the work of Scarecrow. A Dark Knight Rises ad campaign?
As best I can tell there have been no reported deaths. That doesn't completely rule out poisoning, but along with there being no actual threats or anyone claiming responsibility, it does lend credence to the idea of it just being hysteria.
When information is power, privacy is freedom.
As far as mass hysteria is concerned this isn't particularly unusual. Here's a bigger one that has even received official sanction by a mainstream religion.
19,171 terrorist attacks since 9/11 really does make it mass terror. It's a religion of peace, and if you repeat it often enough, maybe they won't cut your throat on the way out and through while they're trying to do something nasty to everyone else. That though, doesn't mean I live in fear of it. More so, I point out exactly what it is. For those not keeping track, that would be the greatest death cult since the fall of the USSR. And their "unofficial pogom service."
By the by, hear the lastest news from the UK? A dozen or so muslims arrested in the last 3 odd days for planning terrorist attacks against the Olympics? Religion of Peace, strikes again. Well you guys had that guy down in Fort Hood, despite what the media tells you, he was a full blown Jihadi. Then there was the case in Dearborn last weekend of "sudden Jihad syndrome" where a muslim tried to rundown 9 Christians protesting a muslim fair thing. He's been charged with attempted murder. It's not a case of "the population is scared" that they'll tolerate it. That's the government and security theater, rather if terrorists tried it on a plane again. There wouldn't be anything left of them by the time the plane landed, except orange goo. I'll lay $100 on it.
But people in Afghanistan have a good reason to be scared. The Taliban are well known for being brutal, executing people in soccer stadiums, beating women for being without minders, cutting off the hands of women for talking to a man. Executing children for talking to the opposite sex, executing men for not having a beard of the proper length. On, and on, and on.
Om, nomnomnom...
I give up! Who?
Who Says Afghan School "Poison Attacks" Probably Mass Hysteria?
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
The American reaction to 9/11, that's mass hysteria. Just wait until WHO finds out that Bin Laden didn't do it.
from those with a vested interested in keeping war profits flowing.
Isn't it interesting how the narrative changes with the global policy? Not long ago, the Talibans were the epitome of evil, but now that western countries support the islamists to overthrow Assad, the Talibans are suddenly innocent and the good guys? This change of narrative is rather puzzling, if we take news making with more than just a grain of salt.
cpghost at Cordula's Web.
If there is no biological cause, then it is most likely radio. The NSA is developing a system and is using the tests to build a driver/interface between an A.I. and a human. Conflict zones are mainly used due to the breakdown of social systems that can mask the program.
Nasty stuff if your on the receiving end.
I dunno about living in Afghanistan, but here the population is not scared and didn't decide to be groped at airports. Population is forced to submit to screening at gates.
If a rational debate about security from terrorist attacks on flights had ever been made, it would have concluded that a determined attacker with a bit of equipment can take down whatever civilian flight and escape, without needing to pass through gates. Ergo, both Al Qaeda and the TSA's objectives are likely different from what they proclaim to us retarded masses.
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
I thought we (USA and UK) just fought a war in Afghanistan and lost many Troops in the process, to make it a democracy where the Taliban had no political control in the country. And now i read the Taliban has consented to allow the education of girls in a deal with the government which allows significant Taliban control over the curriculum.
Nice!
"Afghanistan has been designated as America's latest "major non-Nato ally", Hillary Clinton announces in Kabul, allowing it to buy advanced US weaponry." source Today's BBC World news.
Also Nice!
"19,171 terrorist attacks since 9/11"
[[Citation Needed]]
Also, Christianity, which seems to have a history of torturing or forcefully converting people (ie: the inquisitions) is frequently referred to as the religion of love. If you're going to mock the fact that Islam is called the religion of peace, at least be unbiased enough to mock Christianity on the same basis.
Remember, Christianity is the religion that says it's better to contract AIDS and die an excruciating death than to use a condom. The religion of love strikes again.
I don't defend people claiming that this is Islam telling them to kill "heretics", but you have no right to tell me that Islam is inherently evil.
Although, I do wonder how many Muslims are convicted of murder each year, compared to the number of Christians who are....
you might tend to be a bit on the edgy side yourself. A car engine backfire will incite you to grab your assault rifle and empty the clip in all directions, to defend yourself.
Hmm, that's doubtful. Wouldn't that just lead to waves of scared people taking up arms against the stray bullets of their neighbours?
. . . all because the fear of terror has devoured their souls.
FDR said it best, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
So, we're afraid of the fear, as we should be?
I'd say it's impossible for fear to have "devoured their souls", those spirits have been gone a long time. That's why they couldn't tell the difference between People and Corporations.
It's almost like they didn't really mean it when they repeated the quote with zeal, "Give me Liberty or give me death!" -- I mean, they've hardly any damn liberty left, WTF do they expect?
"Land of the Brave" my ass!
Also, Christianity, which seems to have a history of torturing or forcefully converting people (ie: the inquisitions) is frequently referred to as the religion of love. If you're going to mock the fact that Islam is called the religion of peace, at least be unbiased enough to mock Christianity on the same basis.
The inquisitions were a period when Christianity was being used as an excuse by greedy bastards to kill people and take their property. The inquitions were antithetical to Christian doctrine. I do believe that Islam requires putting infidels to the sword, though. Don't look at the actions of people who *say* they're followers, look at the doctrines of the religion itself.
Remember, Christianity is the religion that says it's better to contract AIDS and die an excruciating death than to use a condom.
And it's best to sleep only with your spouse (and not get a convenience divorce) which would end the spread of AIDS completely if everyone did it. Leaving rules out and claiming "flaw!" is a children's game.
Then there was the case in Dearborn last weekend of "sudden Jihad syndrome" where a muslim tried to rundown 9 Christians protesting a muslim fair thing. He's been charged with attempted murder.
That incident had nothing to do with jihadism and everything to do with Christian fundies playing party poopers. I'm not saying his course of action was legitimate, but provocating and insulting rarely results in constructive outcomes.
There's nothing like $HOME
I do believe that Islam requires putting infidels to the sword, though. Don't look at the actions of people who *say* they're followers, look at the doctrines of the religion itself.
Ok, let's see what the Good Book says...
15:13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
Oh, yeah, much better than Islam. Islam has more crazies now, but given the chance any religion will stab you in the back with no second thoughts, you dirty unbeliever.
And also, the crusades were a defensive action against several hundred years of aggressive attacks by the muslim armies on [what were understood in the thinking of the time to be] christian lands. Christians who wanted to visit the holy land were being attacked, and the muslim armies kept invading the Christian countries on the borders of the muslim countries. There were raids by muslims on Christian communities living near the borders of muslim lands - where they would capture people and take them off to be slaves. In that context, the various feudal kings within Christendom decided to mount a series of retaliatory counter-attacks. Of course, this has nothing much to do with the Christianity of the Bible, but it wasn't Christianity being especially bloodthirsty - it was generally groups of feudal kings and their knights[who thought of themselves as Christians but had almost no understanding of what Jesus said and commanded] mounting counter-attacks in response to muslim aggression on the lands of which they were a part.
Wow, I have found myself groping crotches recently! Now I know that it's because of terrorism, and my subconscious is just checking for explosives. Hopefully the media will publicize this phenomenon so that young ladies are no longer surprised by my behavior.
Just because the WHO says the girls haven't been poisoned doesn't mean they are not being attacked. Girls have had acid thrown in their faces repeatedly. And when you're face is scared for life, there's no dispute that it happened:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world/asia/14kandahar.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/world/asia/14iht-kandahar.1.17822365.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-224_162-4631708.html
Allegedly it's the Taliban who are misogynist, but then /. goes using the incredibly misogynist word "hysteria" to describe the alleged psychological illness...
Until just 3 centuries ago, the British (not some primitive tribe) used to occasionally disembowel people alive only because they happened to profess the wrong variant of Christianity, let alone a different religion.
That's why they couldn't tell the difference between People and Corporations.
A moderately insightful comment turns to shit with this sentence. Nobody, including the court systems of the world, actually makes that mistake. I see this ranting against corporate personhood as another form of theater. Doesn't make us any more free than groping crotches does in airports.
It's almost like they didn't really mean it when they repeated the quote with zeal, "Give me Liberty or give me death!" -- I mean, they've hardly any damn liberty left, WTF do they expect?
What do you think is the appropriate response to tyranny? Roll over and let them scratch your belly? Bark at shadows? At some point, you have to actually resist the actual tyranny.
Exactly, young Afghanistan girl have been brainwashed by a stupid egocentric country to lie about crime they weren't the victim and put it on talibans fault.
Stupid americans.
....which allows significant Taliban control over the curriculum
Allowing the Taliban control over education/curriculum is definitely not a good idea. There was a documentary on PBS that claims that, years ago Saudi Arabia basically gave the fundamentalists control of the ministry of education because they didn't want to have them involved in other parts of the government. I'll let others comment on what happened years later.
I imagine the propaganda from our side does fuck-all to alleviate that fear....
15:13 That whosoever
Which book are you quoting exactly?
"Mass hysteria" (an unfortunate term for a real phenomenon, IMO) was my guess from the outset, based on
1. The symptoms reported are typical of mass hysteria.
2. Nobody claimed responsibility (somewhat unusual for a terrorist attack).
3. Symptoms resolved fairly rapidly, with no deaths (so pretty incompetent poisoning, if that was what it was, but typical of mass hysteria)
yeah, the Taliban and their fellow cronies have given up on airplanes long ago. We have no reason not to give them first class tickets just as show we don't fear them taking down a plane for the sheer pleasure of it.
Christianity is (obviously) based on the teachings in the Old Testament, but it doesn't end there. Otherwise, Christians would just be Jews.
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11“No one, sir,” she said.
Ah, the old "Christians were just defending themselves in the Crusades!". Explain the Albigensian Crusade then, 1 million killed because the Pope ordered the complete extermination of a competing Christian sect. "These heretics are worse than the Saracens!" exclaimed Pope Innocent III, and on March 10, 1208, he proclaimed a crusade against a sect in southern France that became one of the bloodiest blots in European history.
When someone is your enemy, but lying, getting him to tip his hand is a 'constructive outcome'.
There is now one less violent jehadi pretending to be civilized in the USA.
I suspect the real purpose of Iraq was to provide stupid Jehadis a convenient place to go and get killed. Keep them out of Afghanistan (which in turn is there to keep them out of Europe and N. America.)
One thing I'm sure of, we aren't creating 'new enemies', we're getting old enemies to reveal their true intentions. Provoking and insulting Muslims is exactly the right thing to do today. They aren't known for thoughtful self restraint.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Ok you have used a precise number attempting to add weight to your claim but a quick Google search for 19171 terrorist attacks comes up with your post as the top search return, so I am gonna claim utter bullshit on your entire comment as you started with a flat out fabrication.
Post like this makes me glad I live in a country in which the Christian fundies involved in this incident would have been arrested for breach of peace before their provocations triggered nasty reactions.
There's nothing like $HOME
So its the PROTESTORS fault? Way to blame the victim for a crazy person not being able to contain themselves. WE live and die for freedom of speech, you might want to watch your fucking socialist mouth.
Good-bye
I'm glad you live there too.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
He's probably counting all the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan that the west makes into little bullet point blurbs every day. The same day as the bombing/Attack in Norway there were dozens killed in Iraq, guess which one we're still talking about.
Citation done:
19,171. Done, it's not hard to figure it out. They're all nicely sourced for you too. Including by day, week, month, and year. Including, death tallies, injuries, and all the rest.
Well let's see, between Christianity and Islam. Which of the two had a reformation? And no that's all of Christianity, rather that's one branch of that says using condoms is *bad*. If you're going to try something, try harder. Remember the two major branches of Islam(Sunni and Shiite) believe the same thing and when they don't they just murder each other. Wahabbists happily are still expanding on their extremism though. Druze are the most peaceful of all the branches.
But hey, tell me something. When was the last time you saw a islamic government that didn't crush everyone, and make or try to make women chattel? I'll wait, because you won't find one.
Om, nomnomnom...
That incident had nothing to do with jihadism and everything to do with Christian fundies playing party poopers. I'm not saying his course of action was legitimate, but provocating and insulting rarely results in constructive outcomes.
So, if you're standing on the corner of your street and you're pissing on a flag. I should just get in my car and run you over? No free speech for you I guess. There's no difference. And there's no difference in this case either.
Just so you know, since it was actually reported in the newspapers, you can go blog hunting for it though. When they pulled him out of his car he was screaming the good old gone-by-gone "god is great". Yeah he was a sudden jihad syndrome.
Om, nomnomnom...
“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Removed in edit by council of Nicaea.
A rock whizzed by Jesus's head and hit the harlot square in the temple, she dropped. Jesus slowly turned and with great annoyance said 'Mother...'
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
It's like a British redcoat soldier complaining about the American minutemen militias being evil because they don't engage with traditional warfare to defend their turf.
Agree or disagree with them, the Taliban has not and is not interested in foreign attacks, they are only there to protect their countries and ward off invaders. Any foreign attacks, and you have the Mujahideen (or as we like to call them, Al Qaeda, which means "the (data)base").
When you are the invader, you have no room to complain.
That incident had nothing to do with jihadism and everything to do with Christian fundies playing party poopers. I'm not saying his course of action was legitimate, but provocating and insulting rarely results in constructive outcomes.
Especially when you're confronting savages. You'd never see the same event happen at a christian fair if aethiests or muslims were waving signs about something.
I also live in a country in which I can shout "I AM AN ATHEIST" on a public place without being ostracised - the worst I would get.is a "so what" look or a "why should I give a fuck" look. Or more likely a "Dude, just quit shouting already, it's annoying."
I live in a country in which the religious believes of candidates is considered a marginal matter when it comes down to elections.
I live in a country in which catholicism is the mainstream religion, and in which even conservative political figures, if they are practicing catholics, abstain from following the rites as a church follower when they are there in any official respect. Like, funerals of fallen soldiers. Devout christians tend to be even more infuriated with this than atheists.
In which country are you more free?
There's nothing like $HOME
"I see this ranting against corporate personhood as another form of theater."
I hadn't thought of that, but I think you've got a good point there... when times are bad, or going wrong, everyone wants a bogeyman to blame. For the gov't, it's OMG-terrorists. For the geek crowd, it's corporations.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
The one with the lowest tax rate. Duh.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Hahahaha oh man, that's great.
I guess you never hear about the other benefits of immaculate conception.
3 centuries ago? I guess you've never been to an Old Firm game.
Of course, now you'll never have to.
Ahahahahahaha!