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Explosion in Paris


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Because very few people here have ever been to Beirut, Libya, Iraq or Syria.

You're just making the same "look-at-me" post which is popping up on Facebook at the moment. There's not a racial angle here, people have friends in Paris. Of course the reaction's going to be different.

And of course, there was a million strong protest against the war in Iraq.

This is a very unfair and unjustified post IMO.

The sad reality is if you add up the casualties of 7/7, 9/11, the two attacks in Paris this year, the blowing up of the Russian airliner and any other attacks on the West it is still a small proportion of innocent civilians that have been killed in the Middle East. I'm making no apologies for those who carried out these various atrocities but it's true that we collectively appear to place more value on the life of a couple of hundred in Paris than tens, or even hundreds, of thousands in Syria or Iraq.

Geography, lack of knowledge of these countries, and lack of involvement with their citizens may all be genuine and understandable reasons for us having less affinity with an Iraqi than a French person, but it is this disconnect that allows the hawks and warmongers to take action in these countries without the public scrutiny that it merits.

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Not going to lie, I'd have felt much safer in a hostage situation if I was armed as well. Not for a minute saying that this is justifies America's situation but it's true.

Yeah, so might I. I'd feel a lot less safe on any day that I wasn't being held hostage (ie every day of my life) knowing that the Government allowed anyone and everyone to have firearms.

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My wife has said she doesn't want to use the underground trains in Glasgow next week, just in case "something happens". Words fail me.

My girlfriend has drawn up a list of places in Edinburgh she doesn't want to go to - apparently Portobello is OK but princes Street is a no because Edinburgh is a capital city.
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Britain First and the EDL Facebook page has been hilarious.

12243015_1025321570867838_65211894801938

12208432_908577879287474_625126204388382

Colleen Garner Hardy Terrorist not refugees who just want use our benefits and then destroy us. Many years ago I received an email that gets passed around stating exactly what their intentions where and now I'm watch exactly what the mail said written by a muslim but no one would be believe it.

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This is a very unfair and unjustified post IMO.

The sad reality is if you add up the casualties of 7/7, 9/11, the two attacks in Paris this year, the blowing up of the Russian airliner and any other attacks on the West it is still a small proportion of innocent civilians that have been killed in the Middle East. I'm making no apologies for those who carried out these various atrocities but it's true that we collectively appear to place more value on the life of a couple of hundred in Paris than tens, or even hundreds, of thousands in Syria or Iraq.

Geography, lack of knowledge of these countries, and lack of involvement with their citizens may all be genuine and understandable reasons for us having less affinity with an Iraqi than a French person, but it is this disconnect that allows the hawks and warmongers to take action in these countries without the public scrutiny that it merits.

I think it's because people can imagine what happened in Paris happening to them. It's a city a lot of people have been to, know a lot about, see a lot in films etc. There's a cultural identity shared with places like Paris, New York and London. So when people see stuff like this happening in Paris they are scared and it feels far more real. When they see or hear similar stuff happening in the middle east or Africa there isn't that same cultural connection, and therefore people don't care, they can't imagine how it would affect them. I think class/race probably come into it with some people as well, but that's a can of forms. People's reactions are more based on fear than on sympathy.

I've no problem with these French flags all over Facebook, I think they are well intentioned and I think the above reaction, or lack of, is a natural one. However it would be nice to think we could use the logical part of the brain to realise that all deaths, no matter what arbitrary line they occur within, are just as horrible. I think this minor backlash on Facebook of 'What about Beirut?' etc is people trying to show this.

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Not going to lie, I'd have felt much safer in a hostage situation if I was armed as well. Not for a minute saying that this is justifies America's situation but it's true.

Imagine Philpy with a gun.

That's the best argument I can put forward for gun control.

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Britain First and the EDL Facebook page has been hilarious.

12208432_908577879287474_625126204388382

Colleen Garner Hardy Terrorist not refugees who just want use our benefits and then destroy us. Many years ago I received an email that gets passed around stating exactly what their intentions where and now I'm watch exactly what the mail said written by a muslim but no one would be believe it.

Eastern Ukraine now officially a "No War" zone according to Britain First.

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If terrorists went to Stornaway they could wipe the entire population out before a single military force was present . The same applies to Ullapool and wick.

Not so sure about Wick. Small army of UKAEA police nearby at Dounreay.
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Speyside black pudding is better.

Grants of Speyside black pudding is fantastic. Grants of Dornoch (a brother to that butcher, I think) is almost as good.
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