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Soldering iron and multimeter makes you a terrorist . . .

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LAN_403

HV Enthusiast

Sat Jun 03 2006, 11:44PM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

This photo was just released by the AP as items confiscated in the Toronta terrorist raids and indicated as the tools of a terrorist.

Hmmm . . . soldering iron and multimeter . . .

Guess, thats make most of us here terrorists . . .

Here is the image . . .

Carbon_Rod

Sun Jun 04 2006, 12:09AM

Registered Member #65 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155

No, but a hotwired phone locked into some sort of firing device does. Ironically if itâ€™s clearly labelled as a non-functional unit itâ€™s not illegal to possess.

Besides, with that kind of crappy equipment who knows what kind of damage that individual could have done as an engineer. =)

Downside is it may perpetuate more ignorance about hobbyists in general. I guess the days of young scientists with chemistry kits, rockets, and lasers are sadly drawing to a close. Having done some work for film productions in the past it places some people I know in a rather awkward profession.

Often homogenised ignorance is far more dangerous and proliferates without conscience.

Simon

Sun Jun 04 2006, 01:10AM

Registered Member #32 Joined: Sat Feb 04 2006, 08:58AM
Location: Australia
Posts: 549

EastVoltResearch wrote ...

This photo was just released by the AP as items confiscated in the Toronta terrorist raids and indicated as the tools of a terrorist.

It's perfectly correct to say that cars, mobile phones, etc are all tools of a terrorist, too.

Unfortunately, most people don't think of it that way.

ragnar

Sun Jun 04 2006, 02:45AM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
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Posts: 1425

The level of stupidity/ignorance of police etc varies widely from "average" to "profoundly retarded". I've seen less of the latter, thankfully.

Recently in Australia a man was arrested for terrorist-related charges. He had made bombs with razorblades and nails embedded in the explosives, and made bomb-threats using his mobile phone.

His lawyer claims that he's completely innocent as the contraptions were intended for a film/production. Rubbish. If he had a permit (or even owned a camera), I might have believed it.

The phone with wires coming out of it looks nasty. The way it's presented by the media, however, will influence how you see it. I don't think you need to worry about soldering irons/multimeters being branded as tools of terrorists.

So much for the soldering iron and multimeter.

"Three tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a commonly used fertilizer used to make explosives, were recovered by police, who say that's three times the amount used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people."

Here is the COMPLETE image:

Cesiumsponge

Sun Jun 04 2006, 03:37AM

Registered Member #397 Joined: Wed Apr 19 2006, 12:56AM
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 125

Media twist or media ignorance is commonly seen everywhere. I see it plenty when it comes to the topic of firearms because I am a firearms owner. I have seen reloading gear like black powder and primers (for reconditioning and reloading your own ammunition, whcih is a large sub-hobby in firearms) demonized as bomb parts. Phony demilled grenades available at any military surplus or novelty store sitting in a box at home have been demonized as "almost functional grenades". People who stock up on ammunition suddenly have "stockpiles" or those with more than two guns have an "arsenal".

Apathy and fear of the public in general, accepting things as they are spoon-fed to them, and an unwillingness to research the subject tends to lead to much unfounded fears as well. It's almost silly how many freedoms people are willing to legislate away for an artificial sense of security. 10,000 more TSA agents at an airport isn't going to stop terrorism, because he will just drive a car full of explosives or attack a cruise ship. It starts off with little esoteric items being demonized and legislated away, and eventually moves onto bigger and more popular items.

Either way, the soldering iron and multimeter weren't necessary in the photograph to drive home the point that the fellow is allegedly a "bad egg", but "devices with colored wires and batteries" scare people. Farmers would argue the same thing about bags of fertilizer. Do you think they'd accidentally slip a puppy or baby alongside the fertilizer for a photo?

"Three tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a commonly used fertilizer used to make explosivesr", could also read, "Three tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a commonly used fertilizer in agriculture".

Replace "three tonnes" with any mass/weight, and "ammonium nitrate" with almost any household item and it can apply to the above as an evil item of a terrorist or a netrual item used by normal human beings

"three pounds of nails, a commonly used item to make shrapnel in explosives" or "three pounds of nails, a commonly used item to make homes"

"five gallons of acetone, a commonly used solvent used to make drugs" or "five gallons of acetone, a commonly used solvent used for cleaning"

I frankly stopped watching news on public TV because it's nothing but a scarefest. You shouldn't eat beef because of Mad Cow's. You can't eat alternative meats like chicken because they use growth hormones. Yet you can't go vegan because they use pesticides on vegetables and you can't drink water as it's full of heavy metals and bacterium. Air is no good either because of oxides and pollutants. Natrual and organic foods, vitamins, or supplements are no good either because they don't have an almighty FDA stamp and they might have organic waste in them.

Everything kills you. Everyone is a child molesting, swindling, cheating crook of a terrorist. All consumer products are by nature deadly and likely to maim or kill you in some terrible fashion, and everything gives you cancer, a disease, a syndrome, or AIDs, according to the news, but they offer no solutions to an infinitely deep pot of "major issues". Curious.

ragnar

Sun Jun 04 2006, 04:14AM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
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Posts: 1425

This is the same reason TV pisses me off.

But please, don't tell me that evil people are nonexistant beyond the media. I frankly do NOT believe that a man who puts nails and razorblades in a clump of explosives is well-intentioned.

Similarly, if it can be objectively proven that this was a remote-detonation device (activated by e.g. ringing the phone) and was to be incorporated into a bomb, then I see no reason why those involved aren't guilty.

It's also a contextual thing:
Farmer with several tonnes of fertilizer? Meh.
Engineer with soldering iron and multimeter and phone? Meh.
Islamic person with fertilizer and remote-detonator contraption? Suss.

WHY suss? Because the 1% of muslims who commit these kinds of crimes set a bad stereotype for their fellow men, and shouldn't be surprised if people hold a predisposition.

The Imams in the mosques have the power to encourage their followers to do the right thing and make a noble and praiseworthy impression. Instead, more often than not, the same Imams are hyping people up and stirring trouble.

Alex

Sun Jun 04 2006, 04:17AM

Geometrically Frustrated
Registered Member #6 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 04:18AM
Location: Bowdoin, Maine
Posts: 373

The real major issue is: if they don't come up with more major issues, you won't watch their show.

ragnar

Sun Jun 04 2006, 04:24AM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
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Posts: 1425

Meh, if I'm watching the show, I'm too busy shouting at the TV anyway. =P

Carbon_Rod

Sun Jun 04 2006, 07:57AM

Registered Member #65 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155

Btw: In movies itâ€™s usually plumbers putty or plastersine as its cheap, non-toxic, and is supposed to look like C 4. Yet a fake is just as illegal as the real thing if its not labelled (its that wacky here.)

There is no death penalty here -- even for murder -- and as the inmates will kill rapists & such they are held in isolation. The people involved will have to see and hear all about how there families have to deal with the fallout of their behaviour too.

In these parts its difficult for newcomers to find community sometimes if there are language barriers. Some moderate religious groups can be usurped by hardliners from the old country. There are more programs in place that offer options, support, and programs for people who wish to choose a peaceful life â€“ at least they have a choice in this part of the world.

There are organisations dedicated to media syndicates, marketing strategies for hypothetical diseases, and information manipulation. They are economically and politically powerful to the point of not being touchable by regulation. There is often a fine line between nationalism, propaganda, and political agendas. Unfortunately, many news outlets have become â€œedutainmentâ€ entertainment shows with an underlying â€œstrategicâ€ truth. Just be thankful they are telling people what the inter quartile range of population wants to hear. Itâ€™s actually rather boring here â€“ so often we get to hear all about various international acts of violence â€“ somebodyâ€™s suffering somewhere.

The Internet is the last holdout for free speech â€“ and even this may be changing soon.

I have to admit the sack of flashlights and the rolls of duct tape in the BBC article may add to the ridiculous nature of the coverage.

Steve Conner

Sun Jun 04 2006, 10:28PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

I stopped watching TV altogether a couple of years ago for exactly the reasons that Eric, Alex etc. mentioned. (and because of the $200/year TV licence.)

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