Terror Attacks in France and Tunisia

Cliff

Contrary to the initial reports that this was a lone gunman, I have just seen an eye witness account on Sky News. He said that there was a group of suspicious locals seen on the beach and later at least 3 gunmen were shooting and at hotels as well as on the beach. Also a grenade was let off.

mikeybabes2

Am I alone in starting to find the media coverage on the Tunisia attack extremely unpleasant and bordering on voyeuristic ?

There are families out there who have lost loved ones, and many who still don't know if their relatives have survived or not.

The constant repetition of 'shocking new footage' of the gunman wandering around must be very upsetting and distressing for them.

Sky News in particular is very quickly turning into Fox News UK.

I find it pretty revolting, and sad to see the standards of modern journalism brought so low.

Sonic67

I see it as just "journalism." We live in a world where everyone videos everything. Everyone is a journalist.

I am reminded of years ago what happened at Enniskillen. A bomb exploded and while people were attending to the wounded someone else was videoing it. One of the people there was disgusted at him. Later he felt different, an atrocity had happened and he felt it should be recorded. Others should see the horror so people would take it in and reflect on it.

Perhaps all those people planning on signing up to Isis or seeing it as being a noble cause to join might actually see what the reality is and think different. It's civilians, on holiday being gunned down, it's not noble, it's murder. If you are upset and distressed perhaps they will be too.

mikeybabes2

I suspect it would have the opposite effect, and glamourise it.

Sonic67

I honestly have no idea how gunning down innocent, unarmed civilians can ever be portrayed as "glamorous". You honestly think that?

mikeybabes2

Not to normal, rational people like you or I, no.

But to these susceptible youngsters....

They are indoctrinated to believe there is something heroic in it, martyrdom, a place in paradise. That's the whole problem we are facing...

Didn't one of youngsters just become a 17 year old suicide bomber ?

Sonic67

That's my point, they are sold how important it is to their cause, the reality is a guy gunning down unarmed civilians. Sorry I don't see it as being glamourous and they should see what the reality is.

Enki

Their experience of reality is far different to ours.

Decades of selfish foreign and economic policy is coming home.

We have put a lot of pressure on Tunisia since our bombing raid in Libya, they have been flooded with refugees.  While we get prissy over immigrants in France " close the doors". Very easy to create evil narrative in this space.

Cliff

In this case it was local Tunisian 'boys'. Reckoned to have formed a terror cell of 5. Travelled to Libya for training and came back. On orders from IS in Libya they carried out the attack.

If I try to understand your argument, then you would say that we should not have attacked Libya?  We should have carried on supporting Gadaffi with oil deals and industry.
But elsewhere I think you were saying we should do the opposite in the Middle East and disengage?

mikeybabes2

The problem is that the Western powers just seem to rock up, drop a load of bombs, and then email over a PDF on how to set up a democracy. Then it's 'Mission Accomplished' and back home for some newspaper headlines about a job well done.

Gadaffi was a monster, but if you ask yourselves honestly, are the people of Libya in a better or poorer state than before ?

Don't misunderstand me, things were bad in Libya before - but I don't think it's unreasonable to say things are much worse for much of the ordinary Libyan population than it was before.