My thoughts go to Manchester
 

Ariana Grande.
Kids
I feel so sick.
Condolences to the British.

Disgusting Animals!

So very sad. My thoughts and prayers are with the concert goers, the victims and their families.

I have family members whose friends were at the concert. This make it all very real.

Terrible news. I wonder how the security of the arena was, to let such a thing happen.

Alec: it must have been a trembling experience for you. Hope that your family members are fine now.

Devastating. They were mostly kids at the concert. what kind of sick perverted F**K** does something like this?

FF, the suicide bomber (now confirmed) detonated the device in the foyer of the Arena, so didn't gain entry to the venue. Latest is 22 dead, 59 injured.

I intend to go into the city today to show that we're not cowed by these ba****ds who want to kill children at a concert. This is my city and we don't give it up easily.

Thanks Woin, I try to be liberal but there are days where I hate religions.

The honest truth about these attacks is how useless they are.

They slightly increase the inconveniences of life. They have zero political effect in Europe and they don't provoke backlash hostility against the local Muslim population. They typically reduce some associated activity (like visiting local shopping centres) for a few weeks.

That's it.

It's clear that the British and US invasion of Iraq was partly provoked by the massacres of Sep 11, 2001, and that Spain's withdrawing of support for that invasion was largely provoked by the Madrid train bombings.

I may have overlooked an exception to this rule: but as far as I can see, since 2004 all Western terrorism has been simply a pointless exercise of violence.

If anything, the attacks since last Xmas - in Berlin, Paris, London and Manchester - have only increased local solidarity, among all local races and creeds. And political extremists, on any side, have gained no advantage from them.

I see it as an attempt to spread fear and hatred. When I look at the news of the world, it appears that fear and hatred are gaining ground.

Terrible news. I wonder how the security of the arena was, to let such a thing happen.>>

as said above, he got into the foyer before the security cordon and targeted the people who were starting to leave. As someone pointed out on radio this morning, wherever you have the final security barrier, you simply move the terrorists to just outside it. Have the security outside the theatre, they target the station.

Good for you Rubicund.

Just godawful.

Thanks for the post, and thanks Rubicund.

We plan to be in Manchester for a day in the fall, so will have a little prayer while there.

Awful. And at a concert where you know there will be lots of children.

Interesting post, flanner.

Even though we have suffered fewer such attacks, in the US (and IMO, obviously), they have served to bolster the notion that ISIS represents an existential threat to Western democracies. Which I think is exactly what ISIS wants, a worthy opponent, as it were, for recruiting and fundraising purposes.

Europe has a longer history of coping with small-scale terrorist attacks (most home-grown): perhaps that's why they don't work there as intended.

I can't think about the politics right now......all I can see are those darling young kids......today, they are in my thoughts and my prayers.....

How can you see the two things as separate?

The honest truth about these attacks is how useless they are.

They slightly increase the inconveniences of life. They have zero political effect in Europe>

disagree - at least in France attacks have polarized public opinion against some types of immigrants even though many attacks are by ones born there (or in Belgium).

You do not think it may have some influence on the UK elections coming up? None?

They slightly increase the inconveniences of life.> But they cause huge stupendous increases in security costs-zillions of pounds.

Back to the OP - yes this is another dastardly attack targeting the most innocent of society. I'm against capital punishment but I'd shoot any ISIS member on site.

Yes I feel sorry for Manchurians affected and the whole city has to be as the whole UK and all of humanity.

What more can be said.

<I'm against capital punishment but I'd shoot any ISIS member on site.>
Without judgment (truly--I think most of us feel that way), this is exactly how the attacks are working for ISIS.