I despair

[lord bunberry]

What is the world coming to? Someone said on another thread that the sooner a weapon is made that wipes us all out the better. Sorry to be so morbid, but I don't see a future for humanity when attacks like the one in France today are in the forefront of modererate people's minds. I agree with whoever said that. It's time to man the baracades or surrender meekly.
Vive la France
Ggtth

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Wtf? Its a miniscule proportion of the planets population that carry out such atrocities.

[High-On-Hibs]

Wtf? Its a miniscule proportion of the planets population that carry out such atrocities.

Exactly. People should never lose sight of this. When we start believing that there are more of them than there are of us, then we have already meekly surrendered.

[heretoday]

Get a grip, man.

[Future17]

What is the world coming to? Someone said on another thread that the sooner a weapon is made that wipes us all out the better. Sorry to be so morbid, but I don't see a future for humanity when attacks like the one in France today are in the forefront of modererate people's minds. I agree with whoever said that. It's time to man the baracades or surrender meekly.
Vive la France
Ggtth

Is this a genuine post of had you had a few beers after the football? I don't mean that as a dig, it's just your posts are usually sensible and coherent (from memory) and this seems to be neither.

What makes you think attacks like this "are in the forefront of moderate people's minds"?

Why would you care about a future for humanity but hope a weapon is made to "wipe us all out"?

What does "man the barricades" mean in this context?

[(((Fergus)))]

Still a long way to go before the critical mass required for an ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, etc.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Though I'm not sure of the OP's wording I sort of get where he is coming from.

There exists a theory that the Earth is itself a living organism ... if it is and its a sentient living organism, then if I was the Earth I would look at this parasitic infestation that calls itself 'humanity' seemingly hell bent on destroying itself ( fine ) and me along with it ( not fine ) and I would be cooking up a nice wee virus to take care of the problem.

If we had invested the same amount of time money and effort on food production, irrigation and social care as we have on killing each other everybody on earth would be better fed, better housed and probably much, much happier.

I'm willing to bet that if we had spent the same amount of money on the continent of Australia by now it would be surrounded by desalination plants with millions of miles of refrigerated pipes, all powered by solar power, bringing water to the whole continent and it could be home to hundreds of millions of well fed happy people, instead of tens of millions of beach dwellers.

[Moulin Yarns]

The Gaia hypothesis is a good one. Only problem with the idea of us not killing each other is that the population would be several billion more than it is now.

I also think most of the beach dwellers like it that way. They get to look down on those from the interior or outback.

[(((Fergus)))]

Though I'm not sure of the OP's wording I sort of get where he is coming from.

There exists a theory that the Earth is itself a living organism ... if it is and its a sentient living organism, then if I was the Earth I would look at this parasitic infestation that calls itself 'humanity' seemingly hell bent on destroying itself ( fine ) and me along with it ( not fine ) and I would be cooking up a nice wee virus to take care of the problem.

If we had invested the same amount of time money and effort on food production, irrigation and social care as we have on killing each other everybody on earth would be better fed, better housed and probably much, much happier.

I'm willing to bet that if we had spent the same amount of money on the continent of Australia by now it would be surrounded by desalination plants with millions of miles of refrigerated pipes, all powered by solar power, bringing water to the whole continent and it could be home to hundreds of millions of well fed happy people, instead of tens of millions of beach dwellers.

I don't know anyone who is investing time in killing people but lots who are working on those positive technologies you describe. Perhaps the problem is that a relatively small percentage of the world's population are doing so. For example, I can think of one small country in the middle east that is a world leader in desalination and desert agriculture, but many more nearby who do very little and would rather live in poverty than enter into partnership.

[RyeSloan]

I don't know anyone who is investing time in killing people but lots who are working on those positive technologies you describe. Perhaps the problem is that a relatively small percentage of the world's population are doing so. For example, I can think of one small country in the middle east that is a world leader in desalination and desert agriculture, but many more nearby who do very little and would rather live in poverty than enter into partnership.

Indeed, the developments in such things have been staggering. If they hadn't we would all have starved a long time ago.

And the development continues apace...it's there if you want to look for it from ever better farming techniques, to higher yielding crops, to automation, to hydroponic style growing. Growing underground is a small but great example of such progress.

[hibsbollah]

It's a thoughtful OP and I wouldn't mock it. If you don't despair for the human condition sometimes you're not really paying attention.

Weve shown very little evidence of being able to look after ourselves and our planet. 'Democracy' as we commonly understand it as a political system isn't trusted anymore. There's a bigger gap than ever between human beings that have money and those that dont. We're at constant and unending war with each other. Unparalleled riches and knowledge but no real wisdom. Innocents are targeted for killings at random, for the most tenuous of reasons or for belonging to a particular 'tribe'. (I'm about 30 mins drive from Nice at the moment, trying to keep the kids away from the TV news or internet so they don't find out what the world's really like and what just happened down the road ). If you were a writing a science fiction novel you'd call Earth a dystopian vision.

It's been a hell of a year. Despite the whole Scottish Cup thing.

[RyeSloan]

It's a thoughtful OP and I wouldn't mock it. If you don't despair for the human condition sometimes you're not really paying attention. Weve shown very little evidence of being able to look after ourselves and our planet. 'Democracy' as we commonly understand it as a political system isn't trusted anymore. There's a bigger gap than ever between human beings that have money and those that dont. We're at constant and unending war with each other. Unparalleled riches and knowledge but no real wisdom. Innocents are targeted for killings at random, for the most tenuous of reasons or for belonging to a particular 'tribe'. (I'm about 30 mins drive from Nice at the moment, trying to keep the kids away from the TV news or internet so they don't find out what the world's really like and what just happened down the road ). If you were a writing a science fiction novel you'd call Earth a dystopian vision. It's been a hell of a year. Despite the whole Scottish Cup thing.

Thoughtful point and I see where you are coming from but sometimes it's also worth remembering that the bad is often trumpeted over the good in terms of news coverage and focus.

The human race has came a hell of a long way and this attack does not undo all of that.

Sure our current structures of government and phoney money may well be coming to the end of their useful life but that also doesn't mean that means progress and civilisation will end with it.

There is a lot of good being done in the world, people are living longer than ever before and human knowledge and understanding of our world and how it functions has never been greater. That presents its own challenges of course but there is nothing to say that these won't be overcome nor used to further the human race in ways that currently cannot be imagined, despite some peoples attempts otherwise.

Despicable scenes though and of course I understand that it will make some or all of us despair at what we are capable of doing to each other.

[Pretty Boy]

Tbh in recent years I've accepted that there are things in the world you just can't control. That's not to say I don't have an opinion but war, famine, extremism, abuse of power etc etc has always existed and will always exist.

I made a conscious effort about 5 years ago to focus on what I could change, firstly in my own life and as an extension of that what I could do to improve the things I could influence. I have given and continue to give up a few hours a week for charity. I volunteer at a charity called Positive Help which involves befriending a child who's life has been affected by HIV/AIDS, I sponsor a guide dog puppy and until recently I took a young boy with autism to his local Scout meeting every week. In the grand scheme of things it's minimal but it's probably helped improve other peoples lives a tiny little bit. It doesn't stop me despairing at some of the terrible things that go on but at all levels there are people doing good every day if you look for it and engage with it.

[lord bunberry]

Having watched the horrific news reports today my anger at what's going on in the world hasn't subsided. Once and for all the world needs to come together to find a solution to the problems in the Middle East. I very much doubt there's a military solution, but it will probably play a part. The amount of self interest in the world is staggering and I wonder how bad things will have to get before a serious attempt is made to bring this to an end.

[Hibrandenburg]

Having watched the horrific news reports today my anger at what's going on in the world hasn't subsided. Once and for all the world needs to come together to find a solution to the problems in the Middle East. I very much doubt there's a military solution, but it will probably play a part. The amount of self interest in the world is staggering and I wonder how bad things will have to get before a serious attempt is made to bring this to an end.

I'd love to think this could one day happen but I doubt it ever will or even can. I won't let it depress me though, it's always been the same and it's wise to remember there's much more good in the world today than bad, no matter what you see on your TV.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Im the same as a few others - I try not to worry too much about things, because there is nothing i can do to affect them.

People have always done bad things, and always will.

But we are still the luckiest humans ever, to live in a time and place with unparalelled rights, health, the absemce of poverty and freedoms. I try to remember that.

[snooky]

Im the same as a few others - I try not to worry too much about things, because there is nothing i can do to affect them.

People have always done bad things, and always will.

But we are still the luckiest humans ever, to live in a time and place with unparalelled rights, health, the absemce of poverty and freedoms. I try to remember that.

I think the positive attitude of human race peaked in the sixties and since has been on a downward slide. Back then we were optimistic and naive.
Mind you, my view is from the perspective of a youth in the UK at that time. A resident of Vietnam back then would likely disgree.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

I think the positive attitude of human race peaked in the sixties and since has been on a downward slide. Back then we were optimistic and naive.
Mind you, my view is from the perspective of a youth in the UK at that time. A resident of Vietnam back then would likely disgree.

Exactly, and the looming threat of nuclear war.

Im not saying we are more optinistic, were probably too spoiled fpr that.

But un the entire history of the human race, there havent been many luckier to ne born in late 20th century uk - that is a comforting thought

[lord bunberry]

Exactly, and the looming threat of nuclear war.

Im not saying we are more optinistic, were probably too spoiled fpr that.

But un the entire history of the human race, there havent been many luckier to ne born in late 20th century uk - that is a comforting thought
It's comforting now, of that there can be no doubt . The problem is we have a group of people fighting a war they know they can't win by military means. There aim is to divide countries down religious lines and to a certain extent they have been pretty successful in that aim.
Our country has already fallen victim to the aims of these extremists, although I will concede that it wasn't the only reason we voted to leave the eu, it was enough to tip the balance. France has an election coming up and the national front party may well take power their, triggering more religious discontent. I said in my original post that I don't want to be morbid, but I just can't see this whole situation ending in anything other than a bloody battle that will see lives being lost on a huge scale.

[CropleyWasGod]

It's comforting now, of that there can be no doubt . The problem is we have a group of people fighting a war they know they can't win by military means. There aim is to divide countries down religious lines and to a certain extent they have been pretty successful in that aim.
Our country has already fallen victim to the aims of these extremists, although I will concede that it wasn't the only reason we voted to leave the eu, it was enough to tip the balance. France has an election coming up and the national front party may well take power their, triggering more religious discontent. I said in my original post that I don't want to be morbid, but I just can't see this whole situation ending in anything other than a bloody battle that will see lives being lost on a huge scale.

If it's any consolation, al-Qaida wasn't defeated by military means either. That was done by shutting off financial support, and of course by more dubious methods. ISIS will be fought by the same means.

That's the short-term. The longer term is more difficult. It's about education, of both "us" and "them", it's about the Middle East, it's about social justice, it's about so much more..... a pretty horrendous challenge. But humanity has over come worse.

[lord bunberry]

If it's any consolation, al-Qaida wasn't defeated by military means either. That was done by shutting off financial support, and of course by more dubious methods. ISIS will be fought by the same means.

That's the short-term. The longer term is more difficult. It's about education, of both "us" and "them", it's about the Middle East, it's about social justice, it's about so much more..... a pretty horrendous challenge. But humanity has over come worse.
Isis are just a spin of of AlQaida and if they're starved into defeat someone else will fill the void. I agree it's a pretty horrendous challenge, I'm not so sure we've over come worse in modern times. We've overcome many horrendous regimes and arguably been a horrendous regime, but we've always known who the enemy is. At this moment in time we have an enemy being supported by allies and allies fighting our allies supported by our allies. I'm not sure that's a situation that can be sorted out by education. I hope I'm wrong.

[snooky]

Exactly, and the looming threat of nuclear war.

Im not saying we are more optinistic, were probably too spoiled fpr that.

But un the entire history of the human race, there havent been many luckier to ne born in late 20th century uk - that is a comforting thought

We thought Flower Power could rid the world of all those war-mongers. Instead we created Blair and George Dublya, et al.
Optimistic & naive we were, as I said.

[Steve-O]

Humans have killed each other from the beginning of time for a whole variety of reasons. It'll keep happening, end of story. Hardly the 'end of the world' though, as bad as some of these attacks have been.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Isis are just a spin of of AlQaida and if they're starved into defeat someone else will fill the void. I agree it's a pretty horrendous challenge, I'm not so sure we've over come worse in modern times. We've overcome many horrendous regimes and arguably been a horrendous regime, but we've always known who the enemy is. At this moment in time we have an enemy being supported by allies and allies fighting our allies supported by our allies. I'm not sure that's a situation that can be sorted out by education. I hope I'm wrong.

I kind of think it was ever thus.

I agree the aim of division is a dangerous one, and i think they have been successful to a degree, although i disagree that it was responsible for the eu vote.

I think the military aspect is overlooked a lot, but it was very important in defeating al-q, albeit as part of a much widr strategy.

I take solace that terrorism, especially the kind of crude stuff we saw in nice, is the weapon of the weak.

And for good or evil, we are on the side of the strong.