France attacked again! WTF??

[befree]

At least 80 dead from a suicide bomber, during Bastille Day fireworks celebration. WTF is wrong with our world??? It all reminds me of the turmoil and despair of the 1960s. Do you think the world just runs in cycles, and we're in a very, very low cycle now.....or is it really the End of Days?

[Lainey]

So very sad when I heard the news, although maybe it's sadder that we're no longer shocked by these attacks. The initial reports are saying the suicide driver was a Tunisian.

I think it has to do with the integration of "others" into our culture, and one commentator at least has said that France has not done a very good job at doing that. That does not justify the killer's actions, of course.

I also think that these acts of terrorism by the disaffected will continue because they are cheap and effective at inflicting casualties and spreading fear. No need to have a huge military force.

[creaker]

It seems to me ideology has shifted so that if one has decided to leave this world, one should blindly lash out and take as large a group as they can with them in retribution. And some people have proven very capable of doing so. And some groups have proven very capable of leveraging this for their own agendas.

[Ultralight]

This is the new normal.

[Rogar]

Seems like there have been more turbulent times in recent history, but third world countries have access to scarier weapons these days. It is disturbing.

[Cypress]

I have plans to go back to Europe next year and will land in Nice France. This is a great old city. I want to see it before going into Italy. The lifestyle is so relaxed and classy. So many Brits spend the winter there. How resilient can people be? We can stand strong only to a point and than it will become stand in fear. I will hesitate to go to public gatherings when I am in Europe and I will go back.

I live in Massachusetts and we had two bad experiences up here with terrorism. In 9/11 two of the planes left from Boston. Believe me I still feel terrible knowing the terrorists went through our area and we didn't stop them. The Marathon Bombing is still on our minds too. It just takes a few bad guys to wreck the peaceful life of many.

[IshbelRobertson]

The British have visited Nice in huge numbers since Georgian times when it was a stop on the Grand Tour. The Place the incident took place is called after the English.

My cousin went there on her honeymoon, friends and other family regularly holiday there. Luckily none of them were on holiday at the time.

A number of years ago, my daughter spent a year at a French university as part of her degree course. She and another girl were put into a hall of residence for foreign students, where they were the only UK students and only females. all the other students were males, from ex-French colonies, eg Cote D'Ivoire, Tunisia, Morrocco and Tunisia. Both girls were touched, fondled and other inappropriate behaviour. They were too frightened to use the shower or loo. Frankly, they were terrified. I spoke to her tutor here, who was appalled. He spoke to the french uni, who declined to do anything. I paid for the girls to stay in an hotel and then tackled the French uni. I had to threaten to withdraw my 19 year old daughter and push the story around every UK UNI AND our national Press. They were left in no doubt that I would follow through with these actions. Their reputation would be harmed and the chance of UK females being sent there would be slim to none.

My daughter and the other female student were re-housed in a better residence in a different part of town.

The French need the money these students contribute to the economy, but their Arab/Muslim citizens are often treated like third class citizens. This is the result.

[pinkytoe]

US father and son were from near us here in Texas. A thought that keeps running through my head as these kind of things happen is how do we raise up humans so full of hate? Has it always been so? It just mystifies how hatred gets so imbedded in someone's mind.

[Ultralight]

ISIS and their ilk seem to want to provoke an all out hot war with The West.

[bae]

This sort of thing happens almost every day, to some degree, it just seems we only take notice of it when it happens in a "western" country.

Heck, just this month:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_July_2016

[razz]

I was going to post almost exactly the same sentiments as Bae. This has been happening in so many countries elsewhere. It is not the new normal though. I do protest that thought.

If we examine history, the wars and disasters going on now compared to years ago, they are much fewer. So many people have had their lives vastly improved but that is not what the media like to report. It is much easier and cheaper to report on the sensational for the mesmerized masses to the point where the public thinks that is it happening all the time. Thoughtful reflection is what is missing and needed.