h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It seems like there are quite a few people who are happy about what has happened in the USA - people celebrating in New York - who were later arrested. I live in Manchester England and i even heard of people celebrating in the town centre - i'm really outraged at this - these people should be taken somewhere and shot.

It maybe that the western world has carried out atrocities in the past and maycarry out in the future - but i don't recall civilised people celebrating over the death of one person never mind the thousands who have died in these disasters.

On the television i have seen pictures of Palestinians celebrating with there children in the middle of the street. This to me just shows the way these people are brought up - so don't tell me that this is not inherent in a select few - this is widespread hatred from the root.

The way you educate your people from an early age to disrespect human life is totally unacceptable.

We are all humans - please please please is it possible for us to advance from this day forward - help each other - let's go forward - love your fellow man - IGNORE RELIGION - let the one new none religion be HUMANITARIAN.

Humanitarian? You just suggested that a bunch of people who's opinions differ from yours should be taken somewhere and shot. What next? Invade Poland?

I wasn't aware that my comments were left wing, thought they probably were, and like the others before this, have been removed. I am absolutely certain that they adhered to the rules of this group and the laws of all the countries of the UK where I live, in terms of defamation and libel, so I can only assume, like the other researcher, that they have been censored. So much for Tim Berners-Lee's vision. And Douglas Adam's. Shame on the BBC. But since that was what I was effectively saying, perhaps it's no surprise it was removed.

Firstly, I find what has happened stomach churning. So many people lost their lives in so short a time. What I also find stomach churning is the American response, and the response of western journalists everywhere. The west can certainly not believe itself to be blameless for the horrendous extremism of the now much blamed islamic people. Violence and oppression lead inevitably to extremism. It is therefore with a sense of impotent horror that I watch the events yesterday bring out such extremism amoung american people. What yesterday taught us is that extremism is BAD - please please America do not become extremist yourself.

I am interested by the tone of the original submission. As a non American, I am always amused by the moral tone of a nation that celebrates stupidity to the extent that it alternates the people it elects as President between a moron and a criminal. I am also disappointed by the coverage that has been given to the terrible events in the United States, My minority view, but it is by no means isolated, is that, though I am completely horrified by what happened to the individuals in the WTC and Pentagon, also the victims on the flights, it has been a long time coming that the US of A gets it's come-uppance for it's worldwide lack of regard for local and International law, where the all-important factor in it's administration of "Justice" has been the fact that American citizens have been in difficulty overseas, in what the USA regards as "primitive" countries. I was amused by Tony Blair saying today that the perpetrators of these acts had no regard for Justice - I believe he may find that these people had an all too heightened sense of Justice, in parallel with some of the more "traditional" American states, where Justice,through lethal injection or whatever , is equivalent to vengeance.

My sympathies and condolences for the tragedy in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. It is undoubtedly a shameful act, no matter where in the world such a thing happens.

It is time for the people of the world to get together and think what leads people to such frustration that they vent their anger in irresponsible ways, killing innocent people for no apparent rhyme or reason.

Nobody hates America. Why should anyone hate the American people? They are people like everyone else.

Then what is it about America that everyone hates? Probably, it is the "chosen" few who have misled the world for thousands of years and have been hated wherever they have been.

First of all, terrorism is a barbaric and reprehensible way to make a point. Some people call terrorists freedom fighters, I don't. Planting a bomb is the ultimate sign of cowardice, the person planting it can walk away. Suicide bombers? How must their mothers feel knowing that their children will not only kill themselves but thousands of others?
On the other subject? Love People, Hate Religion.
We all worship the same God, why can't people realise that?

I don't think you'll find that there have been Americans for "thousands of years". You're not American, are you?

We do not all worship the same God. Some of us retain our sanity and don't worship any!

What happened in America - of course that is terrible. So many innocent people lost their lives!!!
What really make me anxious is - how can we suppose that religion was involved in that act?
Why do not ask ourselves question - who would take an advantage at this moment in the world from this terrible situation?
Any ideas?

Hello all. Let me first offer my deepest felt condelences to all who lost their lives without wanting to in this tragedy. Second, I would urge everyone NOT to blame a car because the driver is a bad one. Religion is not the problem at all here. It is the human being who misinteprates religion to achieve some selfish ends. Lay the blame squarely where it belongs.

I am not going to respond to the anti-American sentiments here. It is not my place to do so. As an American, I am aware that we have made mistakes in the past. I am also aware of the great good that we have done for other countries. This is - at the time - not the point.

The point, at least as I see it, is that thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people have lost their lives. For what purpose? This doesn't make right any wrongs from the past. This won't change policies that the terrorists were against. All this does is hurt the world. That's an important point. This kind of action hurts the entire world, whether you agree with it or not.

The fact that people were celebrating - my God (any and all of them!) CELEBRATING! - the deaths of all those people is just hurtful. I have never celebrated when people have been killed - for whatever reason. Not even Tim McVeigh. (I'm originally from a town just north of Oklahoma City and had been to the Murrow building on many occasions.) Death is a horrible thing. It is something to be mourned. Especially in these cases. Anything else simply dehumanizes the victims.

And when we do that, we dehumanize ourselves.

G7

A summary of (some) disasters in the history of humanity:
1- Occupation of various countries around the world, whether it be military, financial or cultural.
2- The love of 'power'; who is the greatest, who is the most powerful!
3- Multi-media channels; especially when subjectivity and mindless conclusions are made.
4-
1944- Second world war ... nuclear bomb onto Japan
1960- The coloured 'blacks' rebel against the cruelty of ...
.... The nazis and the ...
1891- The occupation of Palestine (who cares!)
...... The Gulf war (who cares!)
..........
2001 Twin Tower (Every body cares!)

By the way ALEAF has a point there. Someone is benefiting right now. Certainly not Islam. And as we speak, word has it that the Israelis have killed 15 Palestinians since this occurred. BBC and other media groups are in NY so no one reports. We may wake up from mourning to find Ariel has annexed Gaza!

I'm amused that people think that religion has anything to do with this at all. I am not religious and do not have regard for people that are, but I don't think there would be disagreement between me and anyone who was religious if we said that terrorism of this kind need not be placed into a religious context to be taken for what it is - purely political in the old fashioned sense. Religion invented modern politics in almost all countries but can't be held accountable for the actions of political people.

As we all seem to agree there is no excuse for such acts of terrorism.
We all agree too that this evil needs to be totally eradicated from the world.
But does this mean that after the dust settles in the coming months (years), the US will cease to offer support to Israel for 'legalised terrorism' on the palestine people.
Also, a little closer to home, will they still actively support the IRA- the epitome of terrorism in our immediate part of the world.
It is a little unpalateable when we see and hear outright condemnation by the US president of terrorism against civilised innocents, when recent history shows they have been undeniable contributors to terrorist activities themselves, albeit through financial support. Is it the fact that these are far more minor by comparison that this seems to go relatively unnoticed, or are we a little scared to voice these concerns to our all powerful ally?
Don't get me wrong, the perpetrators of yesterdays heinous crime against humanity need to be eradicated from this world so they can never again perform such awful atrocities.
But we must ensure that the assistance of wealthy superpowers in the form of weapons and funding to certain organisations/countries is universally accepted as a right and proper action, not for use in terrorist activity.
BH (UK)

Burrak states "Nobody hates America. Why should anyone hate the American people?"
If she/he has a few hours, I'm sure that a few thousand contributors could put her/him straight.

This is the crux of the matter I think. Since we still dont know who killed all those people, it seems that grief is at its best when (if??) an American dies. I am from Kenya and when the US Embassy was bombed in Nairobi (our caoital city), the arrogant and insensitive response of Americans was appaling. I am a doctor too and that day I was on duty at the main hospital in the city. What we saw..... well, I dont wish it to anyone. BUT, the US responded in a callous manner though we carried their burden, literally! The reports on CNN concentrated on how many Americans had dies, ignoring the fact that close to 250 Kenyans perished in that attack. When Albright visited the hospital a few days later, the Marines cordones off the whole damn hospital and I as a doctor in MY country's leading hospital could NOT be allowed access to patients because Albright was around!

Love islam, hate america!
This is not true.
hatred is not just an aim, it must be caused by something.
what the US has done to the arabs and palestine has caused a dis-respect, which can be interpreted as being hatred when people die by tens and hunderds and even thousands in iraq and palestine, and simply, no body cares.
yes, amigos, it is hatred.

I do not want to speculate if it is Israel or KGB or whoever.
I do not have neither power nor enough knowledgeto judge. I simply cannot believe it was done by someone who only hate America or American politic. However if it was - God, Budda or Allah, please forgive this person because he doesn't know what he is doing.
And by the way - why we do not have highlighted news that Palestinians are again under attack?