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Comment by hahainternet | Hacker News Reader

If you think that equating journalism with terrorism is only slight hyperbole then you have no place in reasonable discussion.

It is excessive hyperbole that helps nobody and serves only to polarise discussions. In reality the statements so far indicate that they stopped Miranda in order to determine if he was carrying information likely to be of use to terrorists. This seems to be an illegitimate use of the powers, which we'll find out soon.

That is a reasonable take on the matters, not 'JOURNALISM NOW IS TERRORISM!!!!!'

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I can't tell if you're arguing against me, or the UK government - you know, the ones who detained the partner of a journalist using anti-terrorism law. That is where this connection was made.

Of course I think their actions are outrageous and unreasonable. In the light of them, however, hypothesising that supporting The Guardian financially may be construed by those in power as financing terrorism is mere extrapolation.

> In the light of them, however, hypothesising that supporting The Guardian financially may be construed by those in power as financing terrorism is mere extrapolation.

No, it's hyperbole. It's unsupported nonsense.

> No, it's hyperbole. It's unsupported nonsense.

Do you think repeating yourself makes you right? It does not. You've not earned any kind of right to dismiss the matter with statements like that.

I actually looked at the age of your account before replying because I thought you were a troll. Unfortunately it looks like those suspicions were well-founded. 822 days - wow, you bided your time.

> Do you think repeating yourself makes you right? It does not. You've not earned any kind of right to dismiss the matter with that kind of language.

You are not the arbiter of discussion.

> I actually looked at the age of your account before replying because I suspected you to be a troll. Unfortunately it looks like those suspicious were well-founded. 822 days old - wow, you bided your time.

Ironically I was just discussing how irrational conspiracy theorists use contradictory information to confirm their existing beliefs. Thank you for providing me with a perfect example.

I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. What conspiracy theories? We are talking about the frigging news.

Do you know what a troll is? It's someone who asserts deliberately stupid/annoying arguments to get a rise out of everyone else, who are trying to have a sincere discussion.

In other words, someone who sounds exactly like you. I won't be wasting any more time here.

> Do you know what a troll is? It's someone who asserts deliberately stupid/annoying arguments to get a rise out of everyone else, who are trying to have a sincere discussion. > In other words, someone who sounds exactly like you

I am calling for rational discussion and no hyperbole. You must be practically incapable of reading to confuse yourself in such a manner.

David was detained using a law explicitly written for use against terrorists, to detain them in airports for up to nine hours without counsel. Also to not answer questions would land him in prison.

So... it's not hyperbolic at all to say that journalism is equated with terrorism, because the state us using laws designed for use against terrorists against journalists.

Wake up.

> David was detained using a law explicitly written for use against terrorists

Incorrect, it is applicable to all travellers entering the United Kingdom

> to detain them in airports for up to nine hours without counsel

Incorrect, he refused counsel.

> Also to not answer questions would land him in prison.

There's no real evidence of this, there is a 'must not interfere' clause but it has never been tested.

> So... it's not hyperbolic at all to say that journalism is equated with terrorism, because the state us using laws designed for use against terrorists against journalists.

> Wake up.

Could you use more of a cliché? It's hyperbole, you have just proven as much by your complete ignorance on the subject.

> Incorrect, he refused counsel.

If you aren't permitted counsel of your choice (and he wasn't) but only counsel selected by the police (which he was offered), then you are effectively denied counsel.

What total nonsense. You may as well claim duty solicitors are in the palm of the Police.

> You may as well claim duty solicitors are in the palm of the Police.

While there is still a potential agency problem, duty solicitors (or, in American parlance, public defenders) aren't an alternative to counsel of choice, they exist to provide the choice to have some counsel to people who otherwise would have none, without denying them the choice of securing any of their own to the extent they can.

Providing the option of a duty solicitor is not, then, at all the same as denying someone access to willing counsel of their choice.

> David was detained using a law explicitly written for use against terrorists

It was written for use against terrorism, not against terrorists. It is notable because it doesn't require any suspicion that the target actually is a terrorist. So targeting a journalist under it isn't equating journalism with terrorism, because it is not, and never has been, a requirement of the law that the police have any basis to think you are a terrorist to target you under the law.

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