Thursday, July 07, 2005
London Bombings
So I am sure all of you are quite aware of what has happened over there this morning. Its quite hard for me to feel the impact of such a thing. The numbers for now remain at 37 killed and over 700 injured. It does sound horrible but its a little scary how immuned we are to such things now (especially with all the bombings in the middle east, chechnya, and the indian subcontinent). I suppose since it happened in a major European metropolis and an American ally at that, we are paying more attention to it. Dont take this the wrong way, it is still quite horrid but its sad the impact is not where it would have been a decade ago. Thinking back though, with the Madrid train bombings, Russian school incident, World Trade Center tragedies, Bali night club bombing, Tokyo Sarin Gas attack etc. actions such as this is becoming uncomfortably common place.
What is happening to the world? Where is this all going? I always wonder 100 years from now what the history books will say about the turn of this century. I find it a little hard to follow because 'the terrorist' (I will generalize because its hard to identify each group indepedently with its own aims) have no definate image. Sure, Osama is supposedly the head but to me it has not developed a personality. It is like some child lashing out whenever it feels like it wants to, never conversing, never creating a dialogue with those whom they have issues with. Even established groups like Hesbolah, the PLO, and other Palestinian factions have definately directives which they work towards both politically and violently but the point is they make clear what they demand and seem to have some sort of restraint upon what happens.
Maybe its my ignorance and I welcome anyone to help me understand, but I just dont understand how a group like Al Queda which seems to work as a conglomerate of autonomous groups can be working as a cohesive unit towards a ultimate goal. These terror attacks arnt preceeded by a ultimatum... they dont get their demands out... it just seems like it happens, people are hurt, and then everyone starts making claims of responsibility. It just seems not to be the most effective way of going about getting things done. I suppose I am just half writing now but it seems like senseless violence to me, thats all. ¶ 4:05 PM
What is happening to the world? Where is this all going? I always wonder 100 years from now what the history books will say about the turn of this century. I find it a little hard to follow because 'the terrorist' (I will generalize because its hard to identify each group indepedently with its own aims) have no definate image. Sure, Osama is supposedly the head but to me it has not developed a personality. It is like some child lashing out whenever it feels like it wants to, never conversing, never creating a dialogue with those whom they have issues with. Even established groups like Hesbolah, the PLO, and other Palestinian factions have definately directives which they work towards both politically and violently but the point is they make clear what they demand and seem to have some sort of restraint upon what happens.
Maybe its my ignorance and I welcome anyone to help me understand, but I just dont understand how a group like Al Queda which seems to work as a conglomerate of autonomous groups can be working as a cohesive unit towards a ultimate goal. These terror attacks arnt preceeded by a ultimatum... they dont get their demands out... it just seems like it happens, people are hurt, and then everyone starts making claims of responsibility. It just seems not to be the most effective way of going about getting things done. I suppose I am just half writing now but it seems like senseless violence to me, thats all. ¶ 4:05 PM
