Posted: 11/14/15 at 12:39pm
MikeInTheDistrict said: "One thing I hope (though probably futile) is that neither French official nor the media release the identities of the assailants, in the same way we recently saw with the Oregon shooter last month."
Well, that would be up to the media. So, not going to happen...
Posted: 11/14/15 at 1:10pm
haterobics said: Well, that would be up to the media. So, not going to happen...
True. 
"
Updated On: 11/14/15 at 01:10 PM
Posted: 11/14/15 at 1:23pm
The sad thing about terrorism is the way it kills moderation. This is the aim of terror: to provoke a cycle of violent reactions so that further violence can itself be "justified." The aim of militant Sunni Muslim extremism, whether it is ISIS, Al Qaeda or the Muslim Brotherhood, is to provoke war: war with other, non-extremist Sunnis; war with Shiites (and I am no fan of the mullahs of Shiite Iran); war with the Kurds; war with Israelis, war with Americans, war with Russians; and now war on the streets of Western Europe. This extremism is a cancer within Sunni Islam, and in the end only Sunni Muslims can eradicate it. The questions are: When will they and how will they?
Meanwhile, these Sunni splinter groups wreak worldwide havoc, blackening the name of all Muslims. When terrorism attacks the people who are urging peace and understanding between nations and religious groups. as the mostly young, mostly liberal concertgoers of Paris were last night, as New Yorkers were on 9/11, as Israeli members of Peace Now experienced during the Second Intifada, what happens is that the terrorists succeed in killing off the voices of moderation.
The terrorists get what they want: an Orwellian state of almost-permanent war.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 1:27pm
ISIS have learned about what did not work in Afghanistan and Iraq. The question is have our leaders learned anything? I hope Hollande's statements last night reflect immediate anger and will not be the basis of policy.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 1:35pm
I wonder if it matters really. The motives are so different. These people died for a cause however ridiculous and twisted we see their beliefs. They are part of a propaganda movement using the greatest tool propaganda has ever had, modern media, to advance a 7th century belief system.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 1:38pm
I hope Hollande's statements last night reflect immediate anger and will not be the basis of policy.
Oh, I hope they WILL be the basis of policy: But I hope they will be the basis of smart policy.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 2:01pm
As long as terrorism is based on religious beliefs, I don't see an end to it.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 2:24pm
"Probably not. I mean, it's not like people are trying to gather facts here and just send their vague "thoughts and prayers," so once you go deeper than that, people will share their thoughts on the matter, and others will disagree."
I'm not talking about discussion about the event. I'm talking about doing away with the bickering between posters that has exactly nothing to do with it, the nonsense between Namo, songanddanceman, and Roxy.
Posted: 11/14/15 at 4:07pm
FindingNamo said: "Dude I haven't posted in this thread in 15 and a half hours.
"
What a relief, let's hope you have spent that time reflecting and in quiet contemplation
Posted: 11/14/15 at 4:19pm
A sobering article in Politico about how terror changes everyone. Even my FB friends who resisted the
"Je suis Charlie" social-media movement have shaded their profile pictures with French flags this time.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/on-terror-were-all-right-wingers-now-213358
Posted: 11/14/15 at 4:44pm
I'm frustrated by bromides. I'm frustrated by people who want to say the same old political BS right after saying they aren't political. I'm tired of treating each new horrific act as if it were completely unthinkable because the culture's collective memory has a freshness date shorter than a bunch of bananas. I'm tired of selective outrage in the US. I'm tired of opportunists who want to set of verbal grenades and who set things up so they can't "hear" criticism of their actions, on the small scale among posters on this board, on the grand scale terrorist cells. I'm tired of US Americans taking about 5 seconds before making attacks in Paris all about them.
Im tired of attacks on education. I'm tired of attacks on art and historical relics. I'm tired of beautiful images like the Eiffel Tower peace sign being criticized because it wouldn't reach Isis. I'm tired of attacks on women
Im tired of the right in this country because it wasn't very long ago that they were disappearing the word French from fries and then the same people criticizing Obama for not going to the Hebdo rally.
Thats what hat my contemplation brought up. How deeply have you thought, Lard?
Updated On: 11/14/15 at 04:44 PM
Posted: 11/14/15 at 5:16pm
Posted: 11/14/15 at 5:30pm
Well by now you've figured out Frank Bruni is a FindingNamo anagram.
As a Christan raised woman I know I'm not supposed to wish death on Judith Miller, I'm supposed to turn the other cheek I've got just the cheek in mind.
Posted: 11/15/15 at 3:57am
Hey all I did was post a thread, I would rather no bickering at all, especially at these times.
Posted: 11/15/15 at 5:18pm
France just bombed ISIS.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/15/middleeast/france-announces-raqqa-airstrikes-on-isis/index.html
Posted: 11/15/15 at 5:42pm
"Now, more people will suffer, but this time in Raqqa." -- Sarah Schulman
Posted: 11/16/15 at 12:07pm
It's so easy being Sarah Schulman. I love her intellect, but her smug belief that anything Western/American/European/Israeli/white is bad and anything opposed to any of those is either good or understandable is as predictable as it is wearying.
Meanwhile, Francois Hollande is finding his inner Winston Churchill:
"France is at war. These attacks were war. It was an attack against our values, against our youth and our way of life. Since the beginning of the year, this organisation has attacked Paris, Denmark, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Libya. Every single day they massacre and oppress people. That’s the reason why we need to destroy ISIS. That’s something which involves the whole international community. I’ve asked for the UN security council to get together as soon as possible in order to mark a resolution for the joint will to fight terrorism. We will pursue these attacks throughout the coming weeks. On Thursday, aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will go to the Eastern Mediterranean, and that will treble our capacity for action. There will be no pity and no fear. The ones who organised the Paris attacks must realise their crimes, rather than making France fear responding, reinforces our determination to destroy them."
Posted: 11/16/15 at 12:09pm
Plus, she was wrong:
The strikes hit military targets on the northern and southern edges of the city and no civilians were killed, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Posted: 11/16/15 at 12:17pm
"It's so easy being Sarah Schulman."
In my wildest fantasies I can't imagine that's true.
Posted: 11/16/15 at 1:00pm
Well, maybe not easy. But definitely predicable.
Following Hollande's speech, the entire French Assembly stood and sang "La Marseillaise":
https://amp.twimg.com/v/8e0ac5ff-9b11-44e6-bafa-68fcc716f2f7
Posted: 11/16/15 at 4:26pm
A new Islamic State video threatens a Paris-style attack on Washington. Read on at the link below.
With Metro security stepping up security, thank goodness I teleworked from home today. In further fear-mongering, governors rush to slam door on Syrian refugees. More below.
Posted: 11/16/15 at 5:18pm
If they come for Washington DC (again), do we fold this thread into the Revenge Killing thread?
Updated On: 11/16/15 at 05:18 PM
