London Transit System
By now, everyone has probably heard that the London subway and bus system was hit by at least four bombs this morning, killing (at current report) at least 10 people and wounding at least 150.
This is a horrible and tragic event, and I in no way mean to lessen that by my comments here.
However... we need to take care NOT to allow this event to be expanded into something it is not. Already, the comments from various world leaders are engaging in rhetoric which does not necessarily match with reality, but of course, what can you say when something like this happens. No one can be faulted for their initial words, because those words are intended more to bolster the confidence of those shaken by the attacks rather than to convey any real information.
However, in the world of al Qaeda, events such as this have tended to be expanded to be used as a justification for broad sweeping retaliation against Moslem countries. Attacks like this deserve retaliation, they deserve retribution, and they deserve justice. But justice is only served if that retaliation and retribution are against those who actually PURPETRATED the crime and those who knowingly support or supported them, NOT when such an event is used as justification for far reaching retaliatory attacks that end up having a greater destabilizing effect on other innocent people.
So, my thoughts are with the victims of this latest terrorist attack, and absolutely the U.K. along with the U.S. and other nations should track down the people responsible and their support network and ensure that they, at least, can never do this again. Hunt them down, make them pay, let them rot in prison or die a just death.
Let's just be sure this doesn't turn into a hazy justification for another war on an Islamic country that had nothing to do with it.
Copyright (c) July 7, 2005 by Liam Johnson. http://www.liamjohnson.net
posted by Liam at 7/07/2005 09:13:00 AM
4 Comments:
"Let's just be sure this doesn't turn into a hazy justification for another war on an Islamic country that had nothing to do with it."
I agree with your comments. But I feel the rush to justify retaliation on other Islamic countries or groups is a real threat.
Don't know if you watch the PBS series Frontline, but they had a story on terrorism aired the day of the London bombings, and even included enough current background information to make it interesting. The program showed how complex and evolving these terrorist threats have become. You can't point to any one country and say aha! they're guilty. The law abiding Islam people who oppose the terrorism are finding themselves victims not only of anti-muslim backlash but by the loose-knit but powerful web of terrorist groups which prey on their people. The program showed how the terrorist groups are moving their operations to European countries where the general Muslim populations have been growing, finding ease and access to conduct these sorts of bombings, such as London, and Madrid and others.
It is a complex situation. This complexity makes it easier for people who don't understand the situation to blindly accuse anyone and everyone they perceive as a threat. It seems Eurpean countries have a better understanding of these complexities because they've had a history, a recent history, of terrorist attacks. I worry that this threat of blind retribution you speak of will only get worse and a lot of innocent people are going to suffer or die. But I'm hoping I'm wrong. Maybe even PBS Frontline is making the terrorist threat seem more than it is. We can only hope.
Saturday, July 09, 2005 4:32:00 PM
Oh, absolutely. That's why I said it.
For months now, our Administration has been using the same tired line to justify the Iraq war "We're taking the fight to them so we don't have to fight them here". These bombings in London clearly show that that's false, but this Administration has an amazing gift of always landing, cat-like, on their feet.
What for a group less spin-capable (or with more of an afinity for the truth) would be a major blow and would require at least some acknowledgement of error will be for them just a further rallying cry for ever more power to fight the war on terror.
The fact is, tragedy though it is, it could hardly have come at a better time for this Administration. Terrorist attacks have a tendency to bolster a President's approval rating, something this group was in dire need of. They also make everyone feel a bit more insecure and a bit more willing to cede a few personal liberties in the name of safety (just when the Patriot Act is up for renewal and even, heaven help us, expansion).
We have a populace a significant fraction of whom reacted to the news last Thursday with "See? THAT'S why we're in Iraq", because they still haven't grasped the concept that there was no more connection between Iraqi Moslems and al Qaeda Moslems than there was between Timothy McVeigh (a Christian) and their own personal church's congregation.
This crew really are geniuses at story control, you have to give them that. They've set up a situation where if there are NO attacks, they can claim that we need to do more of what they're asking for, because clearly their tactics are winning, but if there ARE more attacks, they can say "See, if you'd just given us what we wanted when we asked for it, this wouldn't have happened."
I'm getting so sick, too, of the short-sighted argument that "I don't mind the Patriot Act. I'm not doing anything wrong, what have I got to hide?"
It assumes that the powers of the Patriot Act will be used wisely and responsibly, that excessive power in the hands of government will never fall into the hands of someone who is either to dumb to realize the mis-use he or she is putting the laws to, or too corrupt to care.
The protections that we have in this country are there for a reason. They're there because we know we CAN'T trust extreme power to be weilded only in just causes.
Liam.
Monday, July 11, 2005 10:42:00 PM
You're probably right, that this all comes as a kind of relief to the administration.
Don't you get this feeling that much of America, when seeing the London bombings, is saying, "Good show! Europe deserves to be bombed to hell!"? I know, that's sick, but that did occur to me. That better-them-than-us thought had to be crossing more than one mind. We might be on good terms with England, sorta, but we've pretty much snubbed the rest of the countries, haven't we? (unless I've read things wrong, which is possible)
But wait, Bush has been taking a friendly tour of the world recently, hasn't he? He seems to be trying to look like a world leader. But frankly, his face is too goofy for that. Don't you get the feeling that while traveling the globe, Bush probably has an assistant near him who has to constantly remind Bush what country he's in?
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 7:11:00 AM
Oh, Liam, are you still doing the a capella singing thing?
Maybe you should start one of those groups and write some humoresque songs. Maybe do one of Bush singing, "What a Spin I'm in" or something.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 7:17:00 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home