Paris

[dataDave]

We are all France . . . . apparently?

So the French flag gets projected all over the world and facebook make a French flag DP filter. Great, fine. Show your solidarity and all that, I get it. How come FB never creates a Palestinian flag filter where hundreds die each month? Or maybe a Syrian, Iraqi or Afghan flag? A Pakistani flag after 16th Dec APS attack perhaps? Its exactly this "Selective" Humanity and Imperialistic mindset which leads to hatred towards the west. I condemn Paris attack like any sane person (Muslim or otherwise) would but i also condemn the hypocrisy of western imperial mindset.

It's likely due to France being our neighbour, more than anything. I'm sure if Syria or Palestine were on our doorstep people would be much more knowledgeable and compassionate.

If the old man next door dies you go and take flowers and a card to his wife, if someone else dies on the other end of town you don't really care because you don't know about it and never even knew that person to begin with. However we are all well aware that people die every day.

Also, if we were to concentrate and grieve all of the death the world over our lives would become extremely depressing within minutes. I'd rather enjoy life as I'm in the lucky position to flex that right.

[charlesr]

Looks like 147 in a school in Kenya

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32169080

That was April. But it never made the mainstream news

[fuse]

This is and always has been an islamic problem and we've stepped our foot in it. The reform needed has to come from within their own religion. East and west don't mix, and will continue not to unless both drop all the religious ****e - it's unfounded brainwashing for the hopeless.

This is pretty much exactly the response that ISIS are looking for. Backlash against Islam, and fuel added to the extreme-right fire in Europe adds weight to their narrative of 'the west vs Islam', which in turn is their main recruitment tool. Their publicised aim is the "destruction of the grey zone of coexistence" - or, polarising people into this worldview that people cannot live harmoniously.

[teddymeow]

That was April. But it never made the mainstream news

I saw that report last night and didn't clock the date as from back in April.

[Dogg Thang]

Yep, our hate and division works very well for them. An interesting article here on what ISIS want: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...-wants/384980/ Take it as just one reading of the situation but seems knowledgable all the same.


Edit: And Paris police say the Syrian passports found were fake. Not really surprising. Always suspect when terrorists carry their passports with them during an attack. There are several reasons to have had a fake one - the police reckon they were probably made in Turkey.

[nakamura]

Well put [MENTION=1482]dataDave[/MENTION].

[charlesr]

Read most of that, and whilst it told me they want the End of Days, it's not clear to me WHY. Any idea? Or is it just that they think it's going to happen soon, which means a prophecy is coming to pass, which makes it exciting. The prophecy that their enemies will rise up and kill the lot of them until there are on 5000 left and then Jesus arrives to put a stop to it doesn't sound like a good end game. Unless you are one of the 5000. Or are the winners those who died in battle?

[Dogg Thang]

For a large part, it seems to be an age old sense of purpose. Being part of an us versus them struggle - that's a familiar narrative historically and right now across so many conflicts, whether the divisions are created by borders, ideology or religion. Here, they are selling a destiny narrative. Whether the leaders actually believe in it is a whole other story - many reports have placed what goes on very far from any religious ideals. But they use it.

Who doesn't want to feel like they are part of something bigger? Something more important than their mundane day to day lives?

[bash]

It's likely due to France being our neighbour, more than anything. I'm sure if Syria or Palestine were on our doorstep people would be much more knowledgeable and compassionate.

If the old man next door dies you go and take flowers and a card to his wife, if someone else dies on the other end of town you don't really care because you don't know about it and never even knew that person to begin with. However we are all well aware that people die every day.

Also, if we were to concentrate and grieve all of the death the world over our lives would become extremely depressing within minutes. I'd rather enjoy life as I'm in the lucky position to flex that right.

Had a length reply but then saw this on facebook and felt it summed up my feelings better:

I won't be changing my profile to the French flag even though I am French and from Paris. The reason for this is that if I did this for only Paris this would be wrong. If I did this for every attack on the world, I would have to change my profile everyday several times a day. My heart is with the world, no borders, no hierarchy, I hold every human's life with value who is attacked by extremist beliefs whether they are based on religion, prejudice or profit! Don't be part of the "us and them" mentality which the war mongers want you to do!

[fishbowlhead]

We are all France . . . . apparently?

So the French flag gets projected all over the world and facebook make a French flag DP filter. Great, fine. Show your solidarity and all that, I get it. How come FB never creates a Palestinian flag filter where hundreds die each month? Or maybe a Syrian, Iraqi or Afghan flag? A Pakistani flag after 16th Dec APS attack perhaps? Its exactly this "Selective" Humanity and Imperialistic mindset which leads to hatred towards the west. I condemn Paris attack like any sane person (Muslim or otherwise) would but i also condemn the hypocrisy of western imperial mindset.

Don't forget the 30,000 African children under 5 that die each day.

[Dogg Thang]

All of this is true and valid and yet I'm not sure it helps. For a start, Dave is spot-on: it is perfectly natural to feel more for your neighbour. That is normal. There are also too many hardships and atrocities in this world for any one of us to take them all on and feel them as they deserve to be felt. We simply couldn't live that way. I speak as someone who had to go on a media blackout after a bout of severe and dangerous depression more than ten years ago. All of the world's ills are not ours to own because we simply can't. If you give people too much to take on, it won't have the effect of making them care more - they'll stop caring about any of it.

Lastly, while some of this is very well-intentioned, I have definitely seen on Twitter and Facebook the equivalent of the sudden interest in the homeless when the refugee crisis happened - a way of minimising a tragedy rather than genuine compassion for another.

Yes, there are horrors in this world deserving of our attention. Many that don't get it. But that doesn't mean anyone needs to one-up Paris like it's a contest.

[bash]

The whole neighbourly thing is BS quite frankly. If that's what you truly believe to help yourself sleep better at night then all power to you. Me? I cant sit still and stay quiet when there are other massacres in Kenya, Palestine, Syria and so many other places worldwide. Why are these not worth remembering? Because they're not an hour train journey away on the Eurostar? Give me a break. I wonder if the victims are of the wrong religion, colour or nation which means that their blood is worth less?

[PaTaito]

The whole neighbourly thing is BS quite frankly. If that's what you truly believe to help yourself sleep better at night then all power to you. Me? I cant sit still and stay quiet when there are other massacres in Kenya, Palestine, Syria and so many other places worldwide. Why are these not worth remembering? Because they're not an hour train journey away on the Eurostar? Give me a break. I wonder if the victims are of the wrong religion, colour or nation which means that their blood is worth less?

Pretty natural really...all of your places are very well known trouble spots, where it isn't really news at all. France is a civilized and generally peaceful place that has suddenly suffered a massacre, of the kind that is generally reserved for these war zones...notice how ukraine suddenly isn't in the news, yet do we believe for a second the trouble has stopped there?

I'm sure that people do feel bad whenever any atrocity occurs, but when it occurs in a generally peaceful place, even a tourist location...expect shock and media frenzy. Thats all it is really, any suggestion otherwise comes across with more than a faint odor of sanctimony imo.

I'm with DT on this one.

[bash]

Peaceful and civilised? Some of you lot need to brush up on your history.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/algerians-massacred-in-paris

More over 200 massacred in 1960 (which means yesterday WASNT the bloodiest in Paris's history since the 2nd world war like the media are portraying) . . . . massacred by Parisian police. Oh wait! They were Algerians and not our lovely peace loving French neighbours! how silly of me

[PaTaito]

Peaceful and civilised? Some of you lot need to brush up on your history.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/algerians-massacred-in-paris

More over 200 massacred in 1960 (which means yesterday WASNT the bloodiest in Paris's history since the 2nd world war like the media are portraying) . . . . massacred by Parisian police. Oh wait! They were Algerians and not our lovely peace loving French neighbours! how silly of me

I don't need to brush up on my history at all. I'm saying paris is one of the biggest tourist spots in the world and that speaks for itself. Shall i dig out old news articles about all the places you mentioned? No because i'd still be at it when i pick my pension up...

My point is people getting pissy about the media don't really step back and grasp the simple reasons it seems one sided, and rather jump on the favoritism bandwagon.