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[Owlbread]

That's rich that John McCain would be pushing for Dzhokhar to be considered an enemy combatant considering he's been lobbying for a long time to support the Chechen rebels. The man barely knew where Chechnya was - I even heard he tried to place it in the Balkans in a TV interview today or yesterday.

The sad thing is though that the time to support the rebels was 20 years ago. That time came and went - now the Islamists have become so powerful Islam and Chechen Nationalism have become inseperable, save for the few secular proponents like Zakayev. I really hope he doesn't get deported after the inevitable application of international pressure. The worst thing that could happen is that Putin's policies in Chechnya are vindicated in the eyes of the British and US governments. Hell, Aslan Maskhadov and Dzhokhar Dudayev must already be rolling in their graves.

Chechnya has a fascinating effect on me. I think it's because it's so close to Scotland in the way that I'll admire the christ out of it and its history and the rampant romanticism, but then tear my hair out over all the mistakes and failures. Nowadays Tolstoy's tough little thistle has been so crushed it's unrecognisable.

[Beardless]

I too was disturbed by the reaction. I went out to get away from the coverage before the capture, but of course there was a TV in the restaurant. I glanced up as the cheering broke out and thought, "Where the f--- did all those flags come from?" Sure looked like nationalism to me, and I thought it was highly inappropriate.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It's not inappropriate to celebrate the capture of a bomber.

[Owlbread]

It's not inappropriate to celebrate the capture of a bomber.

But is it appropriate to celebrate the capture of a bomber by having mass displays of American patriotism when the motives of the bomber may have been based around anti-Western sentiments?

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It's not inappropriate to celebrate the capture of a bomber.

But is it appropriate to celebrate the capture of a bomber by having mass displays of American patriotism when the motives of the bomber may have been based around anti-Western sentiments?

Sounds consistent to me. If he's anti-West and murdered people because of it, and America is part of the West, then celebrating his capture is fine by me.

[Owlbread]

It seems like pouring petrol on a bonfire.

[XXSockXX]

It appears to me that the locals where just relieved that there wasn't a potentially dangerous individual on the run in their neighbourhood anymore.

As a german (even a fairly conservative one) any kind of flagwaving gives me a strange gut-level uncomfortable feeling, but this patriotism appears to be a genuine expression and not just something staged or only heard from gouvernment officials. It's one of the things where you can see the huge difference in mentalities between the US and most of Europe.
I doubt you would hear something like that in most of Europe, even on a local level with the emphasis on "this is a great community".
I guess it partially is this kind of mentality that (despite the general suspicion towards muslims as uttered by many now) makes the US so much better in integrating immigrants than we are. They have a very different idea of what a "nation" is, more based on ideals than ethnicity/culture/language and you can claim that "nation" as yours without it being tied to a right-wing ideology.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It seems like pouring petrol on a bonfire.

I can't find myself particularly caring about how those who want to murder my countrymen feel. Let them be angry.

[SalmonGod]

It seems like the stereotyped image of a crowd gathered to cheer at a public execution in the dark ages to me.  But I have zero nationalist sentiment in me.  Even as a little kid, I didn't understand it.  My country is little more to me than the place I happened to be born.

[Owlbread]

I can't find myself particularly caring about how those who want to murder my countrymen feel. Let them be angry.

When they are angry they are more likely to blow people up. Why poke a bear with a stick?

[Dutchling]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[misko27]

Chechnya has a fascinating effect on me. I think it's because it's so close to Scotland in the way that I'll admire the christ out of it and its history and the rampant romanticism, but then tear my hair out over all the mistakes and failures. Nowadays Tolstoy's tough little thistle has been so crushed it's unrecognisable.

Hehe, I find this funny in light of the fact my mother, upon hearing Chechnya was the origin of the terrorists, told me the story of them auctioning off 4 Briton's heads.

Anyway, I am going to chalk this up to fundamental differences between US and European culture, AND LEAVE IT THERE. It's the Euros Saying the US is acting odd, and the American's saying it's perfectly acceptable. Them's are cultural differences. Not political ones. Get over it.

On a ACTUALLY RELEVANT NOTE, I think the bomber at died was more of a crazy nutjob who thinks god is speaking to him, who happened to be Muslim, then a actual Jihadist. (also, Chrome corrects Jihadist as Sadistic). The reason is Chechnya has ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to dislike the US, and may pray at night hoping for the US to go all Kosovo for them (Which they won't, cause Serbia is small, and the Russia is big, but whatever).

[Leafsnail]

All the celebrating surrounding an extrajudicial execution was pretty morbid, but in this case the guy was taken alive.  The fact that this whole incident came to a much less bloody conclusion than it could have seems worth celebrating to me.

[Owlbread]

Hehe, I find this funny in light of the fact my mother, upon hearing Chechnya was the origin of the terrorists, told me the story of them auctioning off 4 Briton's heads.

On a ACTUALLY RELEVANT NOTE, I think the bomber at died was more of a crazy nutjob who thinks god is speaking to him, who happened to be Muslim, then a actual Jihadist. (also, Chrome corrects Jihadist as Sadistic). The reason is Chechnya has ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to dislike the US, and may pray at night hoping for the US to go all Kosovo for them (Which they won't, cause Serbia is small, and the Russia is big, but whatever).

Yes, beheadings and kidnappings were common in an independent Chechnya due to its lawless nature (think of Abkhazia or Transdniestria except completely batshit crazy where the President styles his moustache in the shape of an airplane and everyone has guns), although it's still so common under Kadyrov that I am advised by my government not to go there in case I get kidnapped for ransom, and the legal government would do the same or worse if I spoke out against it or - god forbid - went out there as a journalist with a critical bias.

It's hard running a country when only Georgia recognises you, you're surrounded by Russia and you honestly haven't a clue what you're doing. That's where we should have stepped in. But yes, I await the word of Mr. Tsarnaev in the morning.

[Loud Whispers]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Fabulous freedom.

I can't find myself particularly caring about how those who want to murder my countrymen feel. Let them be angry.

When they are angry they are more likely to blow people up. Why poke a bear with a stick?

If all this U-S-A chanting is the norm, why restrict yourself because of the violence of others? That's oppression. While indeed rather tasteless to be celebrating these sort of things by chanting your country's name, ceasing it because it might make people who want you dead angry is rather... Silly.