Anders Breivik not accountable for murdering 77 people

anything I don't mind · 19 Apr 2012 at 17:50

Most evil acts are done by people who feel completely justified in their actions. Evil almost requires such justifications in order for people to perform such acts. To most people who perform evil acts do not classify it as evil or wrong. Even though justification can be found for such heinous acts, that does not make it any less insane. While his ideological ideas might not necessarily be insane, the act itself, is most definitely insane.

There are many many people with exactly the same opinions and beliefs as that guy, they have not acted upon their opinions in an insane way.

But the way the legal system works is that they give what they call insane people a different judgement. So in that sense of the word insane, then I would have to say that he is not insane, so that he judged as a sane man. From what i have seen I do not think that he was in a psychotic break, he was tremendously rational, but definitely what I would call insane. As i think there is a big difference between insanity and psychosis.

Dace · 20 Apr 2012 at 21:16

I think the only proper course of action is to find him not guilty and release him. To the relatives of the people he murdered.

I wouldnt fancy his chances, and that would be the fairest result.

Destination · 20 Apr 2012 at 21:46

Dace said:
I think the only proper course of action is to find him not guilty and release him. To the relatives of the people he murdered.

I wouldnt fancy his chances, and that would be the fairest result.

Proper course of action to find him not guilty of murder.
Yea when he has admitted murder, that would be entirely appropriate, and as you say proper.
Stupid concept.
Let him say his reasons, then let him serve his time, let us see over time if he actually changes his view, or if he persists in his thinking over a very long period of incarceration.

Destination · 20 Apr 2012 at 21:51

I found it rather interesting today when it was reported in a cafe, he described having killed several people, and requiring a reload, two people in front of him pleaded for him to stop and spare them. He reloaded, amd he executed them both.

The human fright flight or fight response is a very individual response. I would like to think I would have tackled him, but I don't know if I would. I doubt it actually. I might have ran, but more likely he would have killed me as I pleaded and begged also.
In a way, hearing this has actually planted a seed of suggestion in my mind, that hopefully, should anything like that occur in my life, I would now fight, rather than flight. Certainly hope this would be the case if my child was in the vacinity.

It isn't related to his trial, but it is my thoughts on todays reportage.

Random Guy · 20 Apr 2012 at 21:53

Interesting OP....does that mean any terrorist is classifiable as psychotic at the time of carrying out their terrorist attack?

Narj · 20 Apr 2012 at 23:43

I don't think he is insane at all. Within his sphere of logic, his actions are justified and normal. It just doesn't correlate with the rest of society, so jail it should be...

robgmun · 20 Apr 2012 at 23:47

PianoBasher said:
I don't think he is insane at all. Within his sphere of logic, his actions are justified and normal. It just doesn't correlate with the rest of society, so jail it should be...

Any crazy person is completely sane in there own little bubble, that's why they do what they do.

Outside of his 'sphere of logic' his actions are completely insane. Personally i'm a bit cruel. I'd chop his hands off so he can never pick up a gun again, throw i'm a dark room to the end of his life and he eats all his meals through a straw.

Tyron · 20 Apr 2012 at 23:49

Institution or prison it matters not, people will know who he is (especially if in an institution) and I'm sure he will get many years of justice served daily

setter · 21 Apr 2012 at 02:05

Personally, i dont think he's insane. He has his ideals. as abhorrent as they are, but he's no different from the muslim suicide bomber who will walk into a crowd of people and blow himself up. Breivik is more like the irish republican and loyalist terrorists we have over here, theyre motivated by political ideology, killing is a part of that. They see it as a mission to achieve their goal. Many terrorists over here have carried out mass murder in pursuit of their political ideas, none that i can think of were found insane.

HangTime · 21 Apr 2012 at 03:08

Based on the limit information I have I don't believe he's 'insane' either, at least in terms of my take on the word. Obviously as society we like to think that anyone who could commit such acts must "have a screw loose" but I believe he knew exactly what he was doing as he believed it was necessary.

I also believe he should be executed because anyone who can be such a cold-blooded killer is a serious menace to society. Had he 'just' done a bombing and killed 83 people maybe not, because bombings can be slightly detatched. Pretending to be a policeman, gathering up children and shooting them in the face dozens of times over is a very deliberate, repetitive act and quite frankly scares me. I don't want people like that around and I don't believe that I could ever trust that person. His plan was clearly very calculated, going to an island where the response time would be slow, dressing as a policeman etc.

As for the fight-or-flight thing it is very hard to say how I'd react, I know in the past I've been a 'rabbit in the headlights' (over less serious things) so I can quite imagine how people would just cower, plead, play dead or even just be paralyzed by fear and wait to be shot.

HangTime · 21 Apr 2012 at 03:13

Goldy said:
I respect their adherence to the rule of law though.

This is the coping mechanism human civilisation uses, we respond to shocking events by sticking to our rules and laws because it maintains our faith in civilisation. We are basically saying that in spite of these acts we will still proceed in the normal way, the principles of our society are sacrosanct and letting 'evil' undermine that would be letting 'evil' win.

Of course, some might argue that the death penalty is doing just that, stooping to their level if you like.

setter · 21 Apr 2012 at 03:16

Norway wont execute him, their legal system is very liberal. He believes that what he done is justified in the course of a greater cause. I think that post 9/11. Western governments have put an awful lot of work into intelligence gathering of islamic radicals, this has allowed the far right to grow in ascendancy. In a time of economic downturn, i fear that more people will turn to the extreme parties, it's happened here in northern ireland, the dup and sinn fein, it happened in germany in the 1930's. And look were that lead to.

setter · 21 Apr 2012 at 03:21

HangTime said:
Of course, some might argue that the death penalty is doing just that, stooping to their level if you like.

Tbh HangTime, the death penalty isnt a deterrent, it makes martyrs of people. The british tried it in ireland after the 1916 easter uprising. All it done was increase the numbers of people joining the ira, it was repeated again in the early 1970's, and bloody sunday, that single day led to more people joining the ira than anything in history.

4T5 · 15 May 2012 at 15:01

Some Dude set himself on fire outside the court room today because he was refused entry. :confused:

Robbo · 15 May 2012 at 15:03

4T5 said:
Some Dude set himself on fire outside the court room today because he was refused entry.

I know, nutter!

Sefirosu · 15 May 2012 at 15:12

The death penalty = a crime.

Personally, I think his mental health will deteriorate over time.

shoes · 15 May 2012 at 15:17

RedDanDoc said:
So the guy murders 77 people and is looking at just 21 years in prison for the killings.

That just seems ridiculously lenient !

Clearly you don't live in the UK.

77 killings is pretty much a 10-15 year offence.

Get caught with a moderate amount of cannabis herb on the other hand...

Guile · 15 May 2012 at 15:23

4T5 said:
Some Dude set himself on fire outside the court room today because he was refused entry.

Trying to spark off an Arab Spring in Northern Europe. They will soon have that power.

Cosimo · 15 May 2012 at 15:33

Guile said:
Trying to spark off an Arab Spring in Northern Europe. They will soon have that power.

Is that the Norwegians?

estebanrey · 15 May 2012 at 15:33

shoes said:
Clearly you don't live in the UK.

77 killings is pretty much a 10-15 year offence.

Get caught with a moderate amount of cannabis herb on the other hand...

Yeah because Liam Brady was let out years ago and has been a free man?

Cannabis up until recentlyu was downgraded to C, meaning the only thing a copper could reasonably do was confiscate it. I'd be suprised if you'd be arrested for having a joint on you now even.