"High Five!" and "F#^%!"

The cowards who planted the bombs in London are probably glued to their Made-in-Infidel-em computers, hoping for a certain kind of reaction. They probably read Galloway's remarks:

We urge the government to remove people in this country from harms way, as the Spanish government acted to remove its people from harm, by ending the occupation of Iraq and by turning its full attention to the development of a real solution to the wider conflicts in the Middle East.

"HIGH FIVE!!!"

But then they might have made the mistake of going over to Andrew Sullivan's site only to find this:

"And if, as your MO indicates, you're an al-Qaeda group, then you're out of your tiny minds.
Because if this is a message to Tony Blair, we've got news for you. We don't much like our government ourselves, or what they do in our name. But, listen very clearly. We'll deal with that ourselves. We're London, and we've got our own way of doing things, and it doesn't involve tossing bombs around where innocent people are going about their lives.
And that's because we're better than you. Everyone is better than you. Our city works. We rather like it. And we're going to go about our lives. We're going to take care of the lives you ruined. And then we're going to work. And we're going down the pub.
So you can pack up your bombs, put them in your arseholes, and get the fuck out of our city."

"S#^%!"

Then they head over to the Democratic Underground.

. . . well, we all saw this happening...as long as Blair and Bush continue their war crimes, this will continue. They are responsible for everything evil that occurs as a result of their immoral illegal war. God help the people who get caught in the middle of Bush/Blair insanity.

"HIGH FIVE!!!" But wait a moment- heading over to Europhobia they find:

17:30 - Blair statement - "I've just attended a meeting of the government's emergency committee... there will be announcements as soon as possible... there will of course now be the most intense police and emergency service action to make sure we bring those responsible to justice. I would also like to pay tribute to the stoicism and resilience of the people of London, who have responded in a way that is typical of them... {The terrorists] are trying to use the slaughter of innocent people to cow us, to stop us from doing what we want to do... the should not and will not succeed... When they try to intimidate us they will not intimidate us. When they try to change our way of life it will not be changed. WHen they try to divide us they will not succeed and our resolve will hold firm... Our values will long outlast theirs. The purpose of terrorism is to terrorise people. And we will not be terrorised... THis is a very sad day for the British people, but we will hold true to the British way of life."

"S#^%!"

For reassurance they head over to the Daily Kos, and are not disappointed.

THE PRESIDENT: "We are fighting these terrorists with our military in Afghanistan and Iraq and beyond so we do not have to face them in the streets of our own cities."

Well, that didn't work out quite as planned, did it?

"HIGH FIVE!"

The first rule regarding a public statement after a terrorist attack is:
DON'T SAY WHAT THE TERRORISTS WANT TO HEAR. IT ENCOURAGES MORE ATTACKS!

The second rule:
DON'T SAY WHAT THE TERRORISTS WANT TO HEAR. IT ENCOURAGES MORE ATTACKS!

Not everyone abides by this rule. So now we get to hear about how Bush is responsible for this because we went to war in Iraq. As if Fortress America, or Fortress Britannia, or Fortress West, or Fortress Civilization, was ever feasible. Now we get to hear the tired argument about how, while we didn't DESERVE it, exactly, we really sort of did because of our own actions. Keep in mind, when you hear this argument, that today's argument- "because of Iraq" was "because of Israel" or "because of Colonialism," or "because of disparities of wealth" or "because of (write loony crap here)" after 911.

I hope the UPC, and other methodologies meant to bring left and right together for civil disagreement, will survive this. Tony Blair said- "When they try to divide us they will not succeed and our resolve will hold firm..." I hope he is right, but I fear it is wishful thinking. Those who opposed the war in Iraq will oppose it more firmly, those for it will support it more fervently, and it will be that much harder to agree to disagree.