# Why the hard-on for NY? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138 "2003-09-07T18:44:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/1 "2003-09-07T18:44:42Z")
Getting near the anniversary of the atrocity has left me wondering. If Islamic extremists are motivated solely by US foreign policy, as some apologists would have me believe, why such a hard on for NY? Why not D.C. where that policy actually originates? The most recent plot uncovered was to blow up the Brooklyn bridge, not the Beltway. Please, educate this stupid, rude, capitalist yankee running dog as to why, if these fucking zealous freaks motivations aren’t also hatred of American lifestyle and influence, they continue to plan and attack what most of the world considers to be America’s cultural capital, and not pollitical one, do you get more virgins in the afterlife? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/2 "2003-09-07T18:49:35Z")
My guess: higher population, more casualties. Of course, don’t forget they DID attack DC on 9/11, what with the plane that hit the Pentagon and the other likely meant for the White House or Congress. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/3 "2003-09-07T18:56:38Z")
I think they’re just jealous because we have a large population of decent, hardworking people who have escaped the despotic shitholes that breed fuckers like them. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/4 "2003-09-07T18:57:14Z")
For the same reason that, if someone had a hard-on for California, they would attack Los Angeles, not Sacramento. ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/5 "2003-09-07T19:11:22Z")
A few thoughts, just speculating. 1. Let’s face reality: New York is the capital of the world. 2. New York has a huge Jewish population. There is a certain amount of anti-semitism among many Islamic extremists. 3. New York has a lot of recognizable places and landmarks. 4. New York is densely populated. 5. There is a large Arab-American population just across the river in New Jersey, making it easier for the bad apples to float around without attracting a lot of attention. ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/6 "2003-09-07T20:18:12Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Let’s face reality: New York is the capital of the world. Now THAT is fighting ignorance. I’ve been trying to explain this to people for years. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/7 "2003-09-07T20:37:25Z")
Actually, I once postulated that a GREAT way to shut down the US Government would be to destroy the bridges across the Potomac. There’s what…5 of them? And one train bridge and tunnel. Destroy those and more than half the federal workers can’t get to work. Either Northern Virginians trying to get into DC or DC and Marylanders getting to the Pentagon and Arlington. Bring it right to a halt, I tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/8 "2003-09-07T21:00:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lucwarm \* > **5. There is a large Arab-American population just across the river in New Jersey** Fuck Jersey. There’s a huge number of Arab-Americans right here in Da City. Drop by Brooklyn sometime and I’ll stand you to a lahambajin and an icy cool glass of loomi. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/9 "2003-09-07T22:11:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*I think they’re just jealous because we have a large population of decent, hardworking people who have escaped the despotic shitholes that breed fuckers like them. \*\* Don’t forget, they believe in the wrong god too. (I was referring to their god; that’s why no caps) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/10 "2003-09-07T22:13:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*Don’t forget, they believe in the wrong god too. (I was referring to their god; that’s why no caps) \*\* It’s the same one Jews and Christians believe in. It’s because our mayo is Hellman’s. The other cost has Best. Now who would you target, The best or hell? ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/11 "2003-09-07T22:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*For the same reason that, if someone had a hard-on for California, they would attack Los Angeles, not Sacramento. \*\* Or, if someone hated Michigan, they’d attack Detroit instead of Lansing. I think New York City has a good deal more symbolic meaning - it represents the United States more than D.C. does, regardless of where the laws are made. ---
**Author:** ![labmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f19dbf/32.png) [@labmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/12 "2003-09-07T23:11:09Z")
look!ninjas!..actually I would go for Lansing, I don’t think Det. would be missed. (just kidding for the humor impaired, I lived in the metro Det. area for a long time, now I don’t, never will again) Yooper or Troll? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/13 "2003-09-07T23:55:02Z")
IIRC, the World Trade Center towers were specifically targeted as the nerve center of US financial domination of the world. ---
**Author:** ![musicguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@musicguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/musicguy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/14 "2003-09-08T01:06:02Z")
I’m with **biggirl**. It’s all about the mayonaisse:) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/15 "2003-09-08T11:52:43Z")
I don’t know why the hard on, but the terrorists should feel free to check out other places then just NYC. ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/16 "2003-09-08T11:59:29Z")
Probably they think New York is the capital of the USA. Like most Americans wouldn’t know the capital of Syria or Saudi Arabia. And how many top-rated TV shows are set in Washington DC? It’d make as much sense to bomb Smallville. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/17 "2003-09-08T12:49:45Z")
They attacked the WORLD Trade Center. Not the New York Trade Center or the US Trade Center. It was a place with people from over 100 countries in it. It was an attack on the World, not just New York. They chose the target that would affect the whole world. As the German version of Song & Dance puts it: New York ist der welt. ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/18 "2003-09-08T12:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by look!ninjas \* > \*\*Or, if someone hated Michigan, they’d attack Detroit instead of Lansing. \*\* Actually, we were thinking of Ann Ar… Oops. Carry on. [Erkel]Did I say that?[/Erkel] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/19 "2003-09-08T13:54:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Actually, I once postulated that a GREAT way to shut down the US Government would be to destroy the bridges across the Potomac. > > There’s what…5 of them? And one train bridge and tunnel. > > Destroy those and more than half the federal workers can’t get to work. Either Northern Virginians trying to get into DC or DC and Marylanders getting to the Pentagon and Arlington. > > Bring it right to a halt, I tell you. \*\* Yeah, let’s give them more ideas. Brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138/20 "2003-09-08T13:59:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by refusal \* > \*\*Probably they think New York is the capital of the USA. Like most Americans wouldn’t know the capital of Syria or Saudi Arabia. \*\* Well at least I know it ain’t New york! 😛 [sub]Stupid fucking terrorists[/sub] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-hard-on-for-ny/200138.md?page=2)