So as everyone in the West already knows, there was an attack at Nice, France, which killed about 84 people (figures are still varied a little). So what we should expect to see in the next few days is: buildings changing lights, Facebook profile pics turning blue, red and white, a round of condolences and condemnations from various public officials, assurances that this tragedy will not change us and even more fervent assurances that this tragedy has absolutely nothing to with any religion in particular.
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Copyright: US magazine. Emergency services at work after Nice attack[/caption]
Nice takes a turn
I know, I know, it feels like November 2015 already…or January 2015…or if we hop over the border to Belgium, March 2016. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the speeding up of terrorist attacks? Soon the West is going to have one every month. Perhaps Facebook can just get a water colour profile pic that has the colours red, white and blue, but in a swirl, rather than the format of any particular flag. That way it can fit several different countries and you’ll never need to change your profile. But I shouldn’t joke around, because the worst thing that can happen is if our response becomes this muted (which is sadly already happening).
And we must continue to be enraged by these events. A tragedy has just occurred and caused the deaths of dozens of people, and horrified an already pretty “on edge” nation. And yet as I sit down at my computer I do not feel the same way I did years ago. I am already being conditioned to expect and accept this. The only thing I am still naturally angry about is the lacklustre response from those in charge to protect us. I despise the predictable and empty rhetoric from our political class, and the ridiculous media-based posturing that so many choose to engage in. It all kinda makes me want to puke. It just seems that after these terrorist attacks, there is never any change in policy or worldview. Those with political power continue to hold to their idealistic beliefs, reality be damned.
A good day for solidarity
I read on the news that Obama has condemned with the strongest terms possible the attack in Nice. But seriously, why would you bother condemning it? It’s like if Chamberlain condemned the Nazi’s bombing of London. Condemnation is just a given. We are at war with Islamic militants, especially of the ISIS variety, so condemnation is utterly unnecessary, a military response or shift in policies would be more appropriate. But that’s all you will get from leaders around the world, condemnation and words of solidarity.
Trump pointed out again (in a slightly subtler way) that he was right to be wary of Islam and its close relationship with killing people. Vox news responded that we don’t even know what motivated the perpetrator yet…it could just as well be left or right wing extremism. Well we already know that ISIS is at the highest of the “possible suspects list” according to counter-terrorism intelligence and that this attack would follow the modus operandi of ISIS. We also know that the perp was Tunisian - French (born in Tunisia, which has a 99.1% Sunni Islam population), but according to vox, these considerations count for nothing.
Sometimes I feel sorry for these terrorists…they go to such long lengths to show that what they are doing is Islam inspired and still people don’t believe them. Omar Meteen even stopped his killing spree in Orlando to call up 911 in order to tell the operator exactly what motivated him, but there were still those who blamed it on something else.
However, it is true that ISIS has not taken responsibility for this attack yet. They have only celebrated it.
I truly feel sorry for France. It has a long history of violence and bloodshed, but it also has a long history of striving for a country that is safe and respectful for all its citizens. It was at the forefront of the enlightenment movement and has managed to establish a nation according to humanitarian principles. And yet now, it is becoming the intersection for two oppositional value systems.