Shit happens.

[F4lconF16]

I'm a bit frustrated about this today. I don't mean to be heartless. Random, devastating, heart-wrenching things happen all the time in so many places...it's such a large world, it has to happen, no matter what we do to try and stop it.

I've read people on the right screaming about Muslims, blaming ragheads and sand niggers, choosing this tragedy to spew more of their hate. I've read people on the left immediately try to blame the US and France and their imperialist policies for this, as if 60 people killed in a sudden, senseless attack is a good time to talk about that.

Atheists are yelling at Muslims, and so are Christians, and peaceful Muslims once again have to fear in the rest of the world for their safety. Meanwhile, people who don't have anything to say are liking things on Facebook and hashtagging random things on Twitter desperately trying to participate in a tragedy that they have no part in, and they're managing to be racist while doing it because they didn't hashtag or like anything about the 140 dead Iraqis from earlier this month.

And meanwhile, 60 people are still dead, and god knows how many people are grieving or injured, and for once, I just want someone to say "Shit happens, and that really sucks, and maybe we'll leave you to grieve for a few hours or a few days before we start saying all of this crap again because your dead aren't our business to try and feel sad or angry about."

[jmg257]

1. "your dead aren't our business to try and feel sad or angry about."

Very cold, that.

I have no problem being sad, and pissed. Again.

[NightWatcher]

2. I'm sorry too but this isn't random, nor blameless

We don't know all the details but if it is IS planned or inspired, there's the blame. We can also blame those who's reckless actions opened this Pandora's Box.

[Travis_0004]

3. 60 people are dead, and your response is shit happens?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. Honestly, there are plenty on DU who've been saying that for years

You can tell when they enter a thread when "this shit happens" and immediately deflect like it's their job.

[MFM008]

4. We become like them

When we don't cate.

[B2G]

5. "Shit happens"...until shit happens to you. Nt

[melman]

7. Right. Shit happens

No big deal.

[img][/img]

[cigsandcoffee]

13. Gut wrenching. Absolutely gut wrenching. n/t

[Skittles]

8. shit happens is when a tree falls on my car

this is a SENSELESS TRAGEDY

[jonno99]

26. ^^^ THIS! ^^^ nt

[Warren DeMontague]

9. No, "Shit Happens" when it isn't deliberate.

This is "Shitheads Happen".

[ErikJ]

10. Religious war against liberals

from both Muslims and Christians. Europe is getting it from Muslims and we're getting it from our homegrown radical Christians here in the form of hate and political scene. .

[modem77]

12. We are getting it from Muslims too.

[ErikJ]

18. Yes. But not nearly as much

as from RW Christian influence. Europe doesnt have as much of that.

[AntiBank]

21. you don't get it

a radical jijadist doesn't give a flying fuck if you are liberal or conservarive or white black or purple

you are either of the faith (ususally a hardcore sunni interpretation) or you are the fucking enemy, ordained to be slaughtered

to further flesh this out, if just 0.1% of muslims are radicalised enough to kill given proper triggers, thats 1.6 million radical jihadists worldwide.

most of what the west does plays right into their hands

we need to get the fuck out of their countries and also completely cut off dealings with the source of their funding, aka the gulf state despots like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. But no, we sell those bastards tens of billions in weapons and prop them up cuz Kissinger made petro-dollar deals in the late 1970's and we have done nothing but martingale since.

[jonno99]

27. Agreed. nt

[George II]

11. I don't understand your motive/rationale for this, but it's cold and heartless.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. There are those who want to use the fear of terrorism to create a totalitarian police state....

Let's not.

[Dreamer Tatum]

14. Word salad. Nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Most of the people I hear screaming about Muslims didn't know they existed prior to 9/11.

[Punx]

19. Yes

Look at how Muslims / Arabs were portrayed in movies from say the 50's / early 60's. It was racist and stereotypical, but they were portrayed as our allies more often than not, and not as terrorists. The change started in the late 60's / early 70's as near as I can tell.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. The Mujaheddin were the heroes in the Bond movie "The Living Daylights"....

Freedom fighters against the Soviet Union.

One of the Rambo movies too.

Then there's the smoking gun.

[Punx]

31. Thank you

Great example there. And I'm remembering Rambo 3 now as well.

My wife spent one of her summers in Islamabad during the time of the Mujaheddin. She used to ride horses in the hills outside the city. She is Scandinavian, so not a native. It was a different world back then.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

34. It was a different propaganda back then.

[Akamai]

16. Let's put this in effing perspective. 500,000 in this country die each year of smoking related

issues. about 30,000 a year die of guns and another same amount die of cars in this country.

The above incident is trivial if we don't focus on it in a way that Thom Hartmann calls, "Terrorism Porn."

Our focus of this on our tv is absolutely joyously celebrated by the perpetrators of this incident, who want this shown. Also celebrated by the people within this country who want to amp up our fear so they can force us into doing the things they want us to do -- such as by W. Bush who launched an invasion into Afghanistan and Iraq and got re-elected in 2004.

How despicable to show this stuff on our media.

[Tal Vez]

29. Yes, you are right. There are people who will use this event to gain political advantage.

There is a reality. The reality is that many in the public will want to think that their government is taking aggressive steps to protect them from this kind of event. If Obama and the Democratic Party fail to address that concern, the public is likely to turn to Trump as an alternative.

[Akamai]

32. I would also explain to people some of the relative risks of focusing only on terrorism.

We attacked Iraq and Afghanistan and what we are experiencing is blowback from those idiotic attacks. At the time of our invasion of Iraq, there were only several hundred acts of terrorism every year. However, after our invasion, there many thousands of such acts every year.

The estimate of those killed in Iraq following our invasion approaches 400,000 people. People who loved their children as much as we love ours.

I am sure that many times since we invaded Afghanistan we have had military actions that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 civilians.

More military adventurism is not the answer. We're only doing what Osama bin Laden wanted us to do -- engaging in war in Muslim countries. Donald Trump is doing exactly what Al Qaeda wants--inflaming the United States and getting us to make another stupid, stupid military blunder.

Also supporting this idiotic perspective is the mainstream media which does not call Donald Trump or the conservative wing nuts out on this matter.

[Tal Vez]

35. More military adventurism may not be the best answer, but the public wants to hear somebody

say that the problem will be aggressively addressed. They are likely to support someone who claims to believe that he/she can put an end to it.

It really isn't going to be enough to tell people that more people died of smoking or fast food. It is fine to point out that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, but no one should forget that the invasion of Iraq was probably supported by a majority of the American people at the time. If these events continue, something will be done, with or without those of us who recognize the difficulties. Our president should find a way to convince our people that he is determined to do whatever is necessary to bring these incidents to a screeching halt.

[Akamai]

36. There is no way to bring these incidents "to a screeching halt," and, at one point,

Obama said that the attacks would continue and couldn't be [totally] prevented.

That was very grown-up of him, and we need to have a leader who is willing to have a serious talk about our options, and what we can and cannot do.

By the way, now turns out that the person driving the truck may just have been mentally unstable rather than affiliated with terrorist groups.

[Tal Vez]

37. The correct answer is not always politically successful. If given an opportunity,

a person charged with a crime will prefer the lawyer who promises that he can help and a very sick person will prefer the doctor who believes that he can help. Why would we expect voters to be different?

Hillary Clinton needs to come up with a bold and inspiring plan. The public wants to believe in its leaders. It would be a huge mistake to tell voters that they are just going to have to accept that their future must include this kind of chaos and madness.

[Akamai]

38. I am a schlub in Oregon but I might suggest we listen

to medal of honor winner, Colonel Jack Jacobs on this issue.

I would ask thoughtful military people to speak on this issue. I think many of them may be willing to tell the truth about this conundrum. I am sure these kinds of issues are discussed at West Point, Anapolis, etc.

This endless ratcheting up of military action has to be stopped. Most of the American people want a reduction of military intervention but the mainstream media sure doesn't show this fact.

Let's put on our "big boy" pants. (I believe women are more realistic about thinking that military solutions are not always the best answers.)

[Punx]

20. Don't

Turn cold on the world. It's hard at times when you really care, and know what is right, and so much sad stuff is happening. In respect for your OP I'll leave my opinion on things unwritten. Make your choices the right ones, and support those you can who care too.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

22. Maybe posting isn't really your forte.

[WillowTree]

23. Touching. Really.......

[RandiFan1290]

24. The trolls are attacking you

You are doing it right!

[snooper2]

30. I think you need to check the definition of online troll again

[lunatica]

28. A hurricane decimating your house is "Shit happens"

Being struck by lightning is "Shit happens".

Murdering people isn't "Shit happens"

[Akamai]

33. and neither are invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, or being killed by drones, etc. I agree.

In the latest "This Is Hell" podcast (https://thisishell.com/interviews/908-mark-danner), Prof. Danner discusses how the United States is in many respects no longer a nation of laws, this with drone warfare, with perpetrators of torture or the prevaricators behind the War in Iraq not prosecuted, etc.

I certainly urge everyone to listen to the interview with Mark Danner as he discusses elements from his book "Spiral."

A very grownup and sobering discussion.

Thanks to George Bush and Karl Rove, we are living in a modern dystopia.