The London bombings

Been reading some blogs regarding the above. And I am more than a bit troubled by some of the remarks made in regard to it.

First issue is how some have said that the loss of life in the bombing is small compared to say in 3rd world countries and in the middle east etc. 49 people and hundreds of injuries may not seem like alot. But even one life lost is too many for my taste. It is more than just the sheer number of casualties or injuries sustained, it is the terror and fear that goes along with the attacks. How an entire city (let alone a nation or an entire continent) is held hostage by a climate of fear. The entire public transportation system in London was frozen because of the attacks. The fact that these attacks occured the day after London won the bid to host the Olympics and on the first day of the G8 summit makes it all the more ironic. The Olympics symbolise the hope that peace and not war will be the means by which nations assert their superiority. But ever so often agents of terror seek to use the Olympics to further their agenda on a wider stage. The G8 Summit presents the 8 most powerful nations coming together seeking to resolve the many problems that we face as citizens of the planet. Among the issues to be discussed included wiping out the debt in Africa and world climate change. Trust terrorist to use something of good to humanity and to twist it into a tool for evil. That goes for all the protesters who come out of whatever hole they hide in at every G8 meeting to get their grouses heard. Such people are the reason why progress is not forthcoming.

The other point of contention I have is how some seem to sympathise with the terrorists and their agenda. They feel that the attacks against nations involved in the War on Terror deserve to suffer for their crimes against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. They also go further to say that cities like London, New York and Madrid should not complain when terror strikes them because they are rich and relatively free from such attacks compared to say their brethren in war torn areas. So what if the person hurt in the attacks lives in a big house, drives a fancy car, has a well paying job and has never missed a meal in his life? That does not make the wrongs against them any more justifiable than had it happened in a shanty town in Johannesurg or in a Palestinian enclave in West bank or the Gaza Strip.

The detractors of the US-led war on terror see these attacks as the arrogant West getting their come-uppance. But as things stand this has only serve to steel the resolve of the US, the UK with their allies to finally do away with terrorism on all fronts. Although war is not always the answer, and we know that they face an uphill battle trying to rid the world of terror, it is the lesser of the two evils. The other being to just sit back and do nothing!