Sunday 15 November 2015

VIVE LA FRANCE, YOU DID NOT DESERVE THAT



When I woke up yesterday morning, I watched Sky News in horror as the terrible events in Paris unfolded.  As a manic depressive I sometimes avoid too much reality as it can easily tip me over the edge.  Sadly, it was impossible to look away, and it was impossible to shut off the fear and terror I felt for those innocent people who's lives were being blown apart by such incomprehensible evil. 

Why, why, why?  The people ISIS targeted were mostly young, multicultural, liberal free thinkers, people who may even have been persuaded to their cause, or who would have at least listened to them.  The people killed and injured were out having fun.  Was it the 'fun' aspect that troubled them the most? 

I don't pretend to understand the troubles in the Middle East, does anyone?  But I do know that for too long the lives of those in the Middle East have mean't very little to the people of the 'West'.  Two days before Paris, a bomb went off in Beirut killing 43, almost as if it were a rehearsal for the atrocity that was to come.  The Beirut bombs didn't grab everyone's attention.  The Paris ones did.

For most of us, we don't really care what happens in a far away land, neither we, nor our ancestors divided those lands and riches up for ourselves, and besides, we've got enough troubles of our own. The attacks on Paris have brought the terrorism of the Middle East directly into our living rooms. It could have been any of us, or any of those we love. We have to take notice, ignoring it is no longer an option. 

Fortunately, most of us are not faced with the terrible decisions that the world leaders now face.  How to bring it to an end. They are dealing with psychopaths and sociopaths who are using naïve young 'westerners' (one was only 15 ffs) to blow up everything they hate.  You can bet your life that the suicide vests are not made to fit the aged evil bloated fat cats who instigate these attacks for their own grubby ends.   

For the 'rational' world leaders, how the hell do you choose one murderous fanatic over another in order to maintain world peace?  Do they even listen to the rebel factions?  Are there no peacemakers among them?  Can the West really step in without being accused of seeking the spoils of war for themselves? And why should it be the decision of the West?  Ultimately Syria must rule itself with the best interests of the majority at heart.  

I share Paris's grief, anger and need for retribution. This can never happen again, these evil people must be stopped.  However, it is heart breaking that the people who will suffer the most, will be those fleeing the terror.  Already, the media have picked up on one terrorist being a refugee who arrived in a boat. Conveniently ignoring the fact that most of these suicide bombers are nationals of the countries they are blowing up. They are disaffected youths who have been lured into war games because they need something to believe in, even if it is batshit crazy. 

Sadly, it will also too increase the simmering racism that lurks in every society and it will give fodder to the far right extremists who need little excuse to attack their neighbours. I hope people bear in mind that we are in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, one that has the potential to reach the scale of a holocaust.  We need to remember that the people arriving on our shores are people just like us.  Mums and dads who love their kids and grannies just as much as we love ours.   

The extremists who shattered the lives of the people of Paris are the same extremists these desperate people are fleeing.  They don't want the kind of 'rule' Assad or ISIS (ISIL) are offering, they want a rational world where they will be valued as human beings.  It is not the number of terrorists who are coming into the West as refugees, so much as the number of their own disaffected youth who are flying out to the Middle East to train as terrorists and suicide bombers. 

The world leaders, Francois Hollande especially have my deepest sympathy at the moment, and if I were religious, they would have my prayers too.  Heck, they have them anyway, so too the people of Paris affected by this terrible atrocity. Vive la France, and Viva the French people, they did not deserve that, no-one does. 

 

20 comments:

  1. For years the west has been infiltrated by a Trojan horse in plain sight, for those of us prepared to open our eyes and see it like it is. Things will only get worse and when all Hell breaks loose between the West and the middle east where will the migrants/refugees loyaties lie?....go figure.

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  2. You have no idea Ros and you should keep your opinions to yourself,

    "As a manic depressive I sometimes avoid too much reality as it can easily tip me over the edge."

    Keep in the dark about World matters.

    "I share Paris's grief, anger and need for retribution. This can never happen again, these evil people must be stopped."

    Je suis Charlie - remember?

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    1. why the hell should she keep her comments to herself! She is entitled to her opinions just like as everyone else. I you do not like what Bell is saying, then don't read her blog!

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    2. Cheers Jo. I can't really win, I was criticized for not commenting because like many I was in shock, then I am criticized when I do because I am not entitled to an opinion. They just can't make their minds up!

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  3. "You can bet your life that the suicide vests are not made to fit the aged evil bloated fat cats who instigate these attacks for their own grubby ends."

    and

    "The average age of an RAF pilot in 1940 was about 20 years. Some were as young as 18 and there were others over 30. In those days, with the age of majority set at 21, many of the RAF’s Battle of Britain pilots were not old enough to vote but not too young to lay down their lives in the face of a life and death struggle to save Britain from coming under the tyranny of the Nazis."

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    1. I am all too well aware that the young are the foot soldiers and the cannon fodder 20:22. Sadly, that is how it always been.

      The tragedy lies in the fact that the ISIS (ISIL) and the promise of paradise has more appeal for these disaffected young people than the ideology of their homelands.

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  4. My heart goes out to the people of Paris and France. I simply cannot imagine the fear, terror and heartbreak they must be going through!
    But I do have to say the following, and I truly do not intend any hurt or disprespect to anyone, but I do have to ask myself, who is REALLY to blame for this awful increase in terrorism in the world! Our government, and the damn US have bombed the hell out of Iraq, the second time on an outright LIE! we were bombarded by news videos of bombs dropping, but did they show where they landed, did they hell! THOUSANDS of innocent people were killed/murdered, but were merely dismissed as 'collatoral damage'!
    Again, please do not think I condone ANY terrorism, anywhere in the world, and do apologise if I have offended anyone, that is most definitely not my intention.

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    1. I Absolutely agree 00:51 Our government and the US think they can police the world, they talk about stopping the terrorists yet they are the biggest offenders! Different countries run their government the way they do for a reason, a world away from how we run ours. Fear rules as seen with Iraq and what difference has getting rid of the tyrant Saddam Hussein made? Yes he murdered thousands of his own people but so did we. We have become a target for the world that sees us as interfering busy bodies flexing our muscles at any countries regimes we don't agree with. America is no longer the superpower it once was. It's time to step back and stop pretending we can fix other countries problems.Different cultures, different rules, until our government accept that they're onto a losing battle.

      Thinking of all those people who lost their life in Paris and for what?

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    2. I agree Jo and nice to see you :).

      Sadly, the retaliation for Paris will see thousands of innocents killed again, because the West will have to bomb indiscriminately in the hope of hitting their target. The more civilians killed, the more insurgents will join the ISIS cause. It is a vicious cycle - there are no winners.

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  5. Why do we keep interfering with wars that have nothing to do with us.
    All we are doing is putting our people of this country at risk. You don't see Norway, Switzerland, Australia, etc. Following this path.

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  6. Hi Bell xxxx I've not been on the internet much over the past 18 months or so - with everything that 'went on' I'd had ENOUGH!! lol
    Just very selective about where I post and with whom I am in contact!!!

    Anyway, enough of that lol.

    I just don't know where all this terrorism and retaliation is going to lead tbh Bell, it is, as you say a vicious circle.

    What do these people actually WANT? I can't help but wonder exactly what it is they are hoping to achieve!? Do they think they can turn the whole of the world Islamic?
    I know it sounds crazy - and it is lol - but I wish I could sit down, and actually talk with one of these people, and I mean REALLY talk. Again, please don't anyone think for one moment I condone ANY acts of terrorism, I would just like to try to understand!

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  7. I am reading a book about ISiS and it appears they emerged during the first gulf war (Iraq trying to annex Kuwait). US had previously been buddies with Saddam in long war with Iran and then they turned on him, destroyed Iraq infrastructure. Then years of embargo which caused massive suffering of Iraqis and anti western feeling. Saddam (previously secular) realised he could use Islam as rallying call against west as US and UK tried to oust him. The invasion of Iraq (illegal) kicked off the insurgency.
    I also read that ISIS goal is to create a black and white world Muslims against non believers and eliminate what they call the greyzone where we coexist together. They are mightily peed off with the way we welcomed refugees and refuse to be divided. Cohesion and inclusion is the way forward long term I believe.

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  8. The Syrian Arab Spring uprising calling for democracy, was brutally smahed down by Assad, he is the primary oppressor for Syrians, ISIS secondary. I dont think the majority of Syrian people want to be ruled by fear any more, I am not surprisrd they are leaving, but there is hope for the future. A good follow on twitter for insight on all this is @iyad_elbaghdadi

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  9. Thank you for that information. Would you post the title and author of the book please - I would like to read it. Thank you.

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    1. Islamic State the digital caliphate by Abdel Bari Atwan. Borrowed from library :)

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  10. That's odd 08.50. For a man despised by his citizens en masse he's managed to hold on for 4 years. Of course the ' Arab spring' in Syria had nothing to do with the entirely coincidental fact that he had told Qatar/EU to do one and they were not putting a pipeline through Syrian territory?

    Exactly the same as the Libyan 'Arab Spring' which also coincidently occurred when Gaddafi announced he was dropping the petro dollar.

    My, these civilians are very attuned to the needs of western corporations and governments. How fortuitous they decide to rebel against their 'tyrant' leaders when the profit to be gained will benefit the West.

    Of course now IS are occupying the pipeline route in Syria it is no longer referred to in the media as moderate rebels. No siree! The ground is gained and we western hero's are going to swoop in and confiscate, sorry liberate that land for big oil, sorry again, the people of Syria.

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  11. 18.32 - you conveniently forget to mention Egypt and Tunisia when referring to the Arab Spring - neither country known as major oil producers

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    1. And you conveniently forget their strategic position and size in the M E. Warnings serve well to keep a puppet government under control. Tunisia has been a go to place for the terrorists now firmly planted in Libya ( thank you Blair ) . You couldn't make this lot up.

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  12. Thank you for the title and author of the book - I will definitely give it a read :)

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