Others’ Thoughts

Agitprop offers a moment of silence for our friends across the pond.

Pandagon’s Jesse Taylor astutely, and sadly, notes:

I hate to say it, but the first thing that crossed my mind was, "I thought we were fighting them in Baghdad so we didn't have to fight them in Britain."…

I doubt there will be any terrorist attacks in America today, but I just can't stop thinking about the fact that we're fighting a war in Iraq (unless the reason's changed again) to draw terrorist attention there rather than the rest of the world. As much incredible bullshit as that is, it was and is a serious line of thought among war supporters, held so strongly that anyone who rejects it when terrorist attacks happen on their home soil is seen as a quitter and an appeaser rather than a sane individual (see: Spain).

Avedon Carol reports from London and has some interesting thoughts about that now-disproved lie about Iran’s newly-elected president. Related? It’s all related.

Kathy Flake also reports from London:

UPDATE: We're safe now; Tony Blair is on his way back from Gleneagles, probably with plans to invade another country that has nothing to do with Al Queda.

The Fixer at Alternate Brain:

So, we're winning the 'War on Terra', just like we're winning the War on Drugs. That reminds me, I gotta pick up a bag o' cheeb from the Jamaicans today…

Another note: Security's real good too, being that all the G8 leaders are in the Kingdom. Way to go, assholes.

G.D. Frogsdong:

Do we all feel safer with Bush in the White House and the Republicans in control of Congress? Anyone think we're really fighting them "there rather than here"?

Mannion conjures Shakespeare.

Maha recounts the “wake-up call” theme and wonders to what, exactly, we will wake up to, or if we’ll wake up at all.

Pam waxes realistic:

The bottom line, and folks feel free to disagree with me on this point, is that this incident in London, is worse than 9/11, for these heads of state. Not because of the horrible human toll of that day, but because it bursts the fragile bubble of denial, the fantasy that officials have been trying to create for the sheeple that a major city can be made safe. I suppose you can possibly secure a large office building with enough money, time and personnel, but it's laughable to think complex infrastructure that has to shuttle millions of people about can be protected in any realistic way.

Telling people to go about their business and be vigilant is useful only as a soothing device, and a lame one to avoid panic and economic disaster. It's ultimately useless against any enemy that is able to move freely in a major transit system. For every suspect that may be caught out of dumb luck, there are hundreds of determined killers that can simply carry a backpack full of explosives and find a way to create physical (and economic) terror on a major scale like this.

Yelladog quotes the inimitable George Galloway.

Slack LaLane notes:

Al-Qaeda also just claimed responsibility for killing the top Egyptian diplomat in Iraq. Sadly, it's a good day to be an insane jihadist.

And Laura Rozen says simply, among other things, “Huge sympathies to our British friends.” Indeed.

Please leave links to what you’re writing, or other things you’ve seen that we should, too, in comments.