a big shout out to our french friends

[eclipsechaser]

really feeling for you! hope we dont have anyone caught up in it all!

[treeboy]

[amidar]

Very fitting TB. I heard the news late last night but was barely paying attention so it didn't sink in then listened to how it all unfolded on Radio 5 this morning and was dumbfounded. Terrible, my solidarity is with all French people today and feel terrible for those that died and their families.

[treeboy]

I was out on Friday night, in a hall full of people, watching bands and enjoying myself. Knew nothing about it until I sat down in front of the telly with a piece of toast when I got home. Could have happened to anyone out and about anywhere on Friday or any other night. The Charlie Hebdo attacks were specifically targeted, but it seems that on Friday, the targets were "softer", more an indiscriminate attack on a way of life. The following days will be very telling, not just in terms of the resolve of the French people to carry on as normal, but hopefully without the almost inevitable manipulating of the situation by the Right Wing opportunists to exploit further racial hatred on the back of the actions of a few.

[giantchicken]

Aux armes! (etcaetera)....

[amidar]

You're certainly not wrong about right wing opportunists. I heard one very well spoken right winger on the radio blaming 'Mr Edward Milliband' for 'betraying' 'Mr David Cameron' and not supporting the bombing of Syria. All Ed's fault apparently...

I don't know the answer but I know bombing the shit of countries doesn't seem to stop terrorists just help create them.

I was out on Friday night, in a hall full of people, watching bands and enjoying myself. Knew nothing about it until I sat down in front of the telly with a piece of toast when I got home. Could have happened to anyone out and about anywhere on Friday or any other night. The Charlie Hebdo attacks were specifically targeted, but it seems that on Friday, the targets were "softer", more an indiscriminate attack on a way of life. The following days will be very telling, not just in terms of the resolve of the French people to carry on as normal, but hopefully without the almost inevitable manipulating of the situation by the Right Wing opportunists to exploit further racial hatred on the back of the actions of a few.

[eclipsechaser]

You're certainly not wrong about right wing opportunists. I heard one very well spoken right winger on the radio blaming 'Mr Edward Milliband' for 'betraying' 'Mr David Cameron' and not supporting the bombing of Syria. All Ed's fault apparently...

I don't know the answer but I know bombing the shit of countries doesn't seem to stop terrorists just help create them.

Well it would also seem that not bombing them also causes terrorist in other ways. It's probably wrong to link the two as Isis has been saying they will do this for a long time.

[amidar]

I hear you, Its not simple I'd never claim that it is, terrible times we are living in with huge decisions to be made across the world politically.

How do you even negotiate with people who want the destruction of western democracy or civilisation and think after they blow themselves up they will be lying up in Heaven with a harem of virgins?

I cant claim to know all the intricate politics behind everything but my heart goes out to the people of France, the victims and families and just hope we don't see anything of this scale again but somehow It just feels a vain hope and personally I feel helpless. Its incomprehensible to me on so many levels.

Well it would also seem that not bombing them also causes terrorist in other ways. It's probably wrong to link the two as Isis has been saying they will do this for a long time.

[jb stanislas]

How do you even negotiate with people who want the destruction of western democracy or civilisation and think after they blow themselves up they will be lying up in Heaven with a harem of virgins?

Let me see if I got this right. Hamas and Al Fatah used to have that "multiple virgins" thing as part of the incentive but nothing against Western Civilisation, in general, whereas Al Queda apparently did have a gripe and wanted to destroy The West but now it seems, ISIS doesn;t talk about "having" virgins and they don;t espouse overtly that they are against Western culture (they are on social media) but they do want their own caliphate as their stated-aim.
It;s difficult to keep up with all the aims and ideologies but this time it seems to me that ISIS just love violence, and errr, that;s about it.
btw.. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have openly complained and denounced the acts of the terrorists, ISIS, who bombed Beirut last week.
Weird times, we live in.

[jakartajive]

Let me see if I got this right. Hamas and Al Fatah used to have that "multiple virgins" thing as part of the incentive but nothing against Western Civilisation, in general, whereas Al Queda apparently did have a gripe and wanted to destroy The West but now it seems, ISIS doesn;t talk about "having" virgins and they don;t espouse overtly that they are against Western culture (they are on social media) but they do want their own caliphate as their stated-aim.
It;s difficult to keep up with all the aims and ideologies but this time it seems to me that ISIS just love violence, and errr, that;s about it.
btw.. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have openly complained and denounced the acts of the terrorists, ISIS, who bombed Beirut last week.
Weird times, we live in.

You've nailed it.
Jesus.
You're wasted here.
Have you tried The New Yorker?

[jb stanislas]

You've nailed it.
Jesus.
You're wasted here.
Have you tried The New Yorker?

Thanks for the pos. comment.
Geo-politics is a "hobby" for me.
btw... I wrote the word "apparently" in my post re: Al Qaeda but the reality is, they really don;t have a gripe against Western Culture. Maybe they don;t like it cos it includes being OK with alcohol and Gay people etc.. but it's not why that organisation started/exists and it would have to be more than that for people to want to blow themselves up for it, right? Or else it would make no sense, especially when it is not present where they live.
The reasoning is slightly more complex. Not really the right place to discuss, probably.

[Cacapo]

You've nailed it. Jesus.
Have you tried The New Yorker?
You're wasted here.

Almost a Haiku now.