The Next Day

[poliphilo]

My greatest fear is that yesterday's atrocity will change us. That we'll become cowed, suspicious, fearful, chauvinistic, nasty. That, as a direct result, we'll be more ready to allow government to herd us and spy on us and take away our liberties. If these things happen it'll be a victory for the bombers.

The chortling comminique that went up on the net yesterday, purportedly from the bombers, proclaimed (in that curious Arabian Nights lingo these people use) "Behold Britain now, ablaze with fear and terror, horrified from its north to its south, from its east to its west." This isn't my perception of how the people of Britain have reacted. What I feel in myself is rather the opposite, not a quickening, but a slowing down of the pulse, a sadness and a heaviness, a weary resignation. "Oh, not again."

Before this lot there was the IRA and before the IRA there was the Luftwaffe and before the Luftwaffe there were the Anarchist and Bolshevik and Fenian cells that put the wind up the Edwardians and late Victorians. We've been living with bombers for almost as long as there've been modern cities. Read Conrad's Secret Agent, published in 1907 (which fictionalises a real life incident where an half-arsed attempt was made to blow up the Royal Observatory at Greenwich) and it's all there- right down to the loony with explosives strapped to his chest and a switch in his pocket. The ideology changes but the methods and the mindset remain the same.

Two days ago London was on a high because of the Olympics. Last weekend London's Hyde Park was the central venue for the international festival of good will and hard rocking that was Live 8. It looked like it was going to be a good year. And now, suddenly, we've been knocked sideways. Well, a period of mourning is appropriate, but after that we need to recover our groove, our vibe, our mojo. It's not right that a tiny gang of godbothering psychos should dictate the mood of the nation.

Comments

[aftertorless.livejournal.com]

It's not right that a tiny gang of godbothering psychos should dictate the mood of the nation.

Absofuckinglutely not!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And once we've mourned the dead, we'll return to the party!

I s'pose...

[jubal51394.livejournal.com]

"My greatest fear is that yesterday's atrocity will change us. That we'll become cowed, suspicious, fearful, chauvinistic, nasty. That, as a direct result, we'll be more ready to allow government to herd us and spy on us and take away our liberties. If these things happen it'll be a victory for the bombers."

This is a rational fear, since it is indeed what happened to us. (IMHO not without some careful calculations by our power lusting leaders.)

In case it matters to you guys, this is not how we see you as a nation. We see you as pillars of strength and determination, Blitzkrieg survivors. We fully expect you to endure and continue, undaunted and unchanged.

Re: I s'pose...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes it does matter....

If the world sees us that way then it's an incentive for us to behave with courage and decency.

Re: I s'pose...

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Your country has my sincere admiration. It seems that what happened yesterday has been woven into the tapestry of your history...

And I think you're pretty swell too. I'm glad I have someone who will tell the truth, to let me know what's going on, how you feel and so on.

Re: I s'pose...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I'm way out on the periphery of course, several hundred miles from where the action is.

Re: I s'pose...

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

With respect -- because I don't know you at all -- I would take issue with your characterization of the U.S. as a nation as "cowed, suspicious, fearful, chauvinistic, nasty."

It's just that the extreme left and the extreme right are both screeching so loudly that they can hear neither themselves, their opposition, nor the great vast majority of people in the middle who simply wish they'd shut up.

[Yeah, yeah, you can't use "neither/no" with three things, but it seemed to fit]

Re: I s'pose...

[jubal51394.livejournal.com]

And do you also take issue with The Patriot Act? Or the idea of traveler's ID's?

Re: I s'pose...

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I brought up an opposing view to make it clear that there's not unanimity on reaction to some events here in the United States. If you want to continue this, we should take this to my Livejournal, not clutter Poliphilo's with protracted discussion.

Re: I s'pose...

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

Passports have been required all over Europe for eons--the US is way behind on this.

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

Good grief- let's hope not- I would hate to see the UK in the same sad way as the US. Let me tell you, I live in the middle of a cowed, suspicious, fearful, chauvinistic, nasty country with a particularly wicked leader, and it is no fun at all. And the 'godbotherers' are taking advantage of it to try to reverse our Constitution and turn our Republic into a theocracy.

Not good.

I saw one cheeky quip on LJ yesterday, an old timer who survived the Blitz who remarked at the Canary Wharf bombing that 'we've been bombed by professionals'- meaning the Germans.

Brits are the toughest, stoutest, and most resiliant people in Europe. Period. People forget that you all had to put up with lots of invaders and bombers- from the Romans to the IRA. And you've picked up the pieces, dusted off the teapot, rolled up your sleeves, and carried on. Now you have these cowardly 'godbotherers' (I love that word!) messing with your Tubes and buses, and I expect that the authorities will find whoever did it.

You'll soldier through. I pray that you do not take our path. Look what has happened to us because of it. Don't go there. Show us how it's done- maybe we'll be able to put our chin up and emulate you all.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Good grief- let's hope not- I would hate to see the UK in the same sad way as the US. Let me tell you, I live in the middle of a cowed, suspicious, fearful, chauvinistic, nasty country with a particularly wicked leader, and it is no fun at all. And the 'godbotherers' are taking advantage of it to try to reverse our Constitution and turn our Republic into a theocracy.

Gosh, what country do you live in? I live in the United States.

With respect, I think you've been listening to the screeching folks of both extremes.

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

I live in the US also. And the dark turn of events since 9/11 and the way that this 'war on terror' has been wielded like a bludgeon to take our rights and liberties away with the "Patriot Act" is criminal. People aren't getting the bigger picture. And that bothers me.

[(Anonymous)]

It's probably not appropriate to turn Poliphilo's journal entry into a referendum on U.S. politics -- there are plenty of places where reasonable people and barking moonbats alike can get together for a lively exchange of views. I will create a short posting on my own LiveJournal if you want to comment there.

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

True, and I apologize. I really admire the British pluck and compassion- I had a taste of it twice- once when I was in the middle of a multi-car pileup outside of Ipswich, and again when I visited Lockerbie, Scotland. They're wonderful people, and I really feel for those in London who went through that mess. Congratulations on the Olympics, too.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

My fault as much as yours, although I like to make sure opposing points of view are heard. When the choir sings to itself, to strain a metaphor, there's a risk that they'll go sharper and sharper, or flatter and flatter.

I read somewhere that the pubs were mobbed last night in a demonstration of matter-of-fact British defiance. Good on them!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Ooops, didn't see I was anonymous here. Very sorry... I'm usually logged in till Doomsday, don't know how that happened!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

"Bombed by professionals"- what a lovely way of putting it.

I think, by and large, we'll keep our cool. We kept our cool through the IRA bombing campaign (though we did lock up a lot of innocent people) and I think we'll deal with this campaign in the same spirit. We've had the practice.

This experience of being under attack plays to our sense of ourselves as a people- to our national myth. Ever since Drake greeted the news that the Armada had been sighted off Plymouth Hoe with the remark that he had time to finish his game of bowls and beat the Spaniards too we've considered the proper way to meet aggression is with a quip and the appearance of unruffled calm.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

i was watching the news yesterday and thinking that the thing that would make me the saddest is if this your country started to do what we are doing-- fingerprinting and photographing every foreign visitor, holding prisoners extralegally at guantanamo, the patriot act, soldiers with machine guns in grand central, etc.

then i thought about how there are already soldiers with guns at heathrow, and there's CCTV in london. it seems to me that as the first world becomes more fearful and divided from the third world, the entire world is gradually becoming a police state. the wealthy nations seek security by spying on and limiting the rights of their own people and by sending their armies to subdue the people of poor nations.

but i have faith that you won't go down our path-- britain is better than that.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Blair wants us all to carry ID cards. He was up against a lot of opposition but may find it easier to push ahead with the legislation now.

The instinct of Government (any Government) is always to be more controlling, more protective. I'm hoping at this critical moment in our history we (the people) will resist.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

An American student was on his last day as an intern when the explosions happened. He was telling the Today Show audience this morning how very impressed he was with the demeanor of the people caught up in this horror. He said they were calm (as much as possible) and didn't panic, and that those who came onto the scene to help were very effective.

Yes, it does feel like mourning. But you are not alone. We are mourning with you. This is, after all, a smaller and smaller world, and we are friends.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've been very touched by the outpouring of love and support from our friends in the USA.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I worry about this, but I trust we'll keep our nerve.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, Spain seems to have coped very well.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I have been away, but I just wanted to know that I am glad you are OK. My thoughts were with you and Ailz and all those I care about in your part of the world. You are right, we cannot let this knock the world over. We will rise back stronger--we have to.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I have a sense already of things beginning to return to normal.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether you read Europhobia but Nosemonkey is great. He has been writing about the bombings. He moves back and forth between defiance and humor that I found worth sharing: "I tell you what, if this is an "Islamic" terrorist attack, they're doing a piss-poor job. The pubs are all packed out, people sipping their pints happily, all a tad pissed off, but basically fine with it. Nice one, Al Quaeda - you profess to be from a teetotal religion, and you've given the pub trade a massive mid-week boost." entry here...

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Ugh, sorry about that, I don't know WHAT my problem is this morning. Guess I need more coffee!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

This is new to me.

But I like his style.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I am glad, then, that I pointed you in his direction! I hope you enjoy it. I rather like the way that blog chanels British strength. It reminds me of my grandfather when we were still in Peru. Shining Path was at its peak and he would always say, "we will NOT be terrorized!" and take us to the park. Strong man. Yours is a strong country too. You will not be terrorized!!!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Terrorist bombs are just another hazard of modern living. The statistical likelihood of being killed by one is pretty low. At the same time there's not much you can do to keep out of their way. And so you shrug and keep your fingers crossed.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

My parents' good friend Alfredo--who refused to stay home, even after city curfew--always said, "the good man stayed home terrified and had a long life. The reckless man refused to be boxed in and died at Utopia*, but man, what a jolly good time he was having--and he never had to pay the bill."

* Utopia was one of the most happening clubs in Lima at the time. It's actually no longer in existence due to a fire that broke out after a bartender's pyrotechnics went awry. It was a great place, though, they had Bengal tigers and other fauna pretty much roaming around and everyone who was anyone was always there. Sir Thomas More would have died all over again if he'd ever been, ha ha ha. Leave it to South Americans to find the irony amusing.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

Who was it said "I owe God a death"? Maybe it was Thomas More.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

That's a great one. I should use that today. =)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ach- I should have known- it's Shakespeare- or, more precisely, a character called Feeble in Henry IV part II

"A man can die but once. We owe God a death."

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Ah! But of COURSE!

[kaysho.livejournal.com]

You have a better shot at it than we do. Americans like to see themselves as living in the shining City on the Hill ... so the idea that someone would hate us enough to try to kill us comes as a sincere shock. A former imperial nation is more likely to understand the idea that some people are not going to like you, and that the proper course isn't overreaction.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, we had the IRA gunning for us for about 25 years. None of their bombs caused as much slaughter as these tube bombs, but they hit small towns as well as the capital and you never knew where the next one was going to go off. Their campaign got the whole country used to living with terror.